Independent football academy

[The Cowboy]

Reading articles about the NFL-style draft proposal for Scottish football, and an article about the failed career of some Arsenal kid (sorry, don't have the links), got me thinking about the nature of youth development in football. Many kids will believe they are going to play for the first team when they're picked up at 13 or whatever. I imagine education takes a back seat (though I know the academies do offer an education), but it probably all comes crashing down on them when they don't make the grade.

Now, I was wondering if there is any need for an academy to be directly linked to a club? Could a uni, let's say Loughborough, create an academy, and enter the FA U21 league? Scouts would be invited regularly, and after they graduate they could move to a club. If not, they've still got their degree to take forward.

Could something like this work?

 

[carlos21]

Reading articles about the NFL-style draft proposal for Scottish football, and an article about the failed career of some Arsenal kid (sorry, don't have the links), got me thinking about the nature of youth development in football. Many kids will believe they are going to play for the first team when they're picked up at 13 or whatever. I imagine education takes a back seat (though I know the academies do offer an education), but it probably all comes crashing down on them when they don't make the grade.

Now, I was wondering if there is any need for an academy to be directly linked to a club? Could a uni, let's say Loughborough, create an academy, and enter the FA U21 league? Scouts would be invited regularly, and after they graduate they could move to a club. If not, they've still got their degree to take forward.

Could something like this work?

I will help you mate

 

[Reidy's Bottle Of Grecian]

Picked up at 13 ?

don't think that happens much these days does it ? I reckon as soon as you hit double figures you're chances are diminished greatly.

Unfortunately the Uni idea would mean that they were 18 by the time they start, so is the idea for kids released by clubs around that age ?
By the time they finish they'll be 20-21 & there are kids that've won world cups by then.

 

[carlos21]

Picked up at 13 ?

don't think that happens much these days does it ? I reckon as soon as you hit double figures you're chances are diminished greatly.

Unfortunately the Uni idea would mean that they were 18 by the time they start, so is the idea for kids released by clubs around that age ?
By the time they finish they'll be 20-21 & there are kids that've won world cups by then.

I am liking your post mate.

 

[Azzurri]

Picked up at 13 ?

don't think that happens much these days does it ? I reckon as soon as you hit double figures you're chances are diminished greatly.

Unfortunately the Uni idea would mean that they were 18 by the time they start, so is the idea for kids released by clubs around that age ?
By the time they finish they'll be 20-21 & there are kids that've won world cups by then.

This. Most academies write kids off at 13, never mind when they're at uni.

 

[The Cowboy]

Picked up at 13 ?

don't think that happens much these days does it ? I reckon as soon as you hit double figures you're chances are diminished greatly.

Unfortunately the Uni idea would mean that they were 18 by the time they start, so is the idea for kids released by clubs around that age ?
By the time they finish they'll be 20-21 & there are kids that've won world cups by then.

Dunno really, was just looking for a discussion on the idea of an academy that wasn't directly linked to a club. Can't say I've thought it all through tbh!

Maybe I am thinking more about kids who don't want to pass up a degree/further education buy could be good enough to make it in the higher leagues.

 

[Toast]

Dunno really, was just looking for a discussion on the idea of an academy that wasn't directly linked to a club. Can't say I've thought it all through tbh!

Maybe I am thinking more about kids who don't want to pass up a degree/further education buy could be good enough to make it in the higher leagues.

Family friend at a premier league academy.
Ruthless selection process, and he is being very well looked after, academically as well.

Also one of my lads school friends has upped sticks and whole family moved to be closer to training etc with a Prem club.. He is 13 now, but been with them for years.
Huge commitment that one for all concerned, but it's a 'what if it all comes good ?' Situation isn't it.

 

[DualityNSNO]

Dunno really, was just looking for a discussion on the idea of an academy that wasn't directly linked to a club. Can't say I've thought it all through tbh!

Maybe I am thinking more about kids who don't want to pass up a degree/further education buy could be good enough to make it in the higher leagues.

There's a lot of academies like that around the world, Glenn Hoddle even has one.

I think the idea for Scotland would also work, but they exist here as well. There's a football academy/school thing right next door to me, in fact lol
Usage is different I think, they're probably more or less used as "feeder" academies...

 

[carlos21]

There's a lot of academies like that around the world, Glenn Hoddle even has one.

I think the idea for Scotland would also work, but they exist here as well. There's a football academy/school thing right next door to me, in fact lol
Usage is different I think, they're probably more or less used as "feeder" academies...

You come on now I am going to bed where you been famlam

 

[boris]

Picked up at 13 ?

don't think that happens much these days does it ? I reckon as soon as you hit double figures you're chances are diminished greatly.

Unfortunately the Uni idea would mean that they were 18 by the time they start, so is the idea for kids released by clubs around that age ?
By the time they finish they'll be 20-21 & there are kids that've won world cups by then.

This. Most academies write kids off at 13, never mind when they're at uni.

It's lower than 13.

They pick them up at 5 or 6 now, sign them at 8 to start the u9's season and now the important bit, they reckon they can't make much difference to them after the age of 11.

Up to 11, you can teach kids to run considerably quick, jump higher and basically change all there muscle memory and reprogram the body but after 11, that can't be done. You can make slight differences but nothing big like you can pre 11.

People like Les Parry, the former Tranmere manager, are heavily involved with grade 1 professional academies educating them on modern sports science techniques and this above is one of there findings.

You can still get picked up later but if they don't get you early now, it's very, very difficult to bridge the gap for the important years of training you've missed out on.

 

[boris]

To add to the above, there's loads of private academies out there. Google the likes of elite academy, pre academy nw etc as examples. In reality they're all just money making schemes, the clubs have too many resources available for them to compete with.

 

[Azzurri]

It's lower than 13.

They pick them up at 5 or 6 now, sign them at 8 to start the u9's season and now the important bit, they reckon they can't make much difference to them after the age of 11.

Up to 11, you can teach kids to run considerably quick, jump higher and basically change all there muscle memory and reprogram the body but after 11, that can't be done. You can make slight differences but nothing big like you can pre 11.

People like Les Parry, the former Tranmere manager, are heavily involved with grade 1 professional academies educating them on modern sports science techniques and this above is one of there findings.

You can still get picked up later but if they don't get you early now, it's very, very difficult to bridge the gap for the important years of training you've missed out on.

Oh aye mate, I know a bit about this through various avenues. I meant by 13 rather than at 13.

It's a shame really. I know why, but there's kids I see at 13 who I think could surely be good enough. One of my mates in school, for example, was a good player until about 13 when he came back after the summer holidays and was absolutely huge, twice as fast and twice as technical. Had he been picked up then I'm 100% sure he'd at least be a football league player now, because he was better than a few of my other mates who are currently knocking on the first team door at some decent clubs. He ended up jacking it in by 16. Of course that's probably an extreme example and who knows what would have happened to him, but you wonder.

 

[Bruce Wayne]

As you suggested in your op, isn't the key challenge here one of motivation? Kids are perhaps sold on the idea of a pro career and so reduce their efforts at school. It isn't due to a lack of time, as plenty of children play a lot of sport as they grow up alongside studies. Heck, there's nothing to stop a pro doing a degree in their spare time if they wanted to.

Different sports and all that, but Jamie Roberts trained as a doctor whilst playing rugby. Emma Pooley did her PhD whilst cycling professionally. Where there's a will there's a way.

 

[Jags..class]

How can you tell at the age of 5 if they are good? Some kids haven't even discovered football at 5.

 

[boris]

How can you tell at the age of 5 if they are good? Some kids haven't even discovered football at 5.

Some if the 5 & 6 year olds are excellent to be fair, it's a natural talent. They stand out a mile.

Obviously there's some who probably haven't even found football yet but the clubs are in the schools at 5 & 6 looking at all the kids.