0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.
Nudga?
I refereed in the boys Sunday League for about 10 years.The only lad I saw in all that time who made it was Craig Nelthorpe.
I coach at Under 8’s and the issue is the amount of rules we receive from academies regarding players. It puts them off. 2 of my 3 boys have been in the academy at Rovers and I’ve removed them due to it lacking fun and excitement for them and being more like an army boot camp. With the team I coach we’ve had 2 of the parents Dad’s (other than my youngest) approached by Sheffield United and told that if they want to be in the academy that they can’t play for local teams and with their mates. Asking a 7/8 year old to abandon his mates and fun to spend hours in the car going to training is putting them all off.Additionally the “development fees” that pro clubs pay the lower league sides is a disgrace. If the junior side(of an NCEL club) develops the next Messi and hand them off to a pro club they get the equivalent fee of an average raffle prize. Yet if that same League 1/2 club develop them further they demand millions at tribunal. No incentive at all for amateur/semi pro clubs to get involved with academies.
If grassroots football was properly funded with better facilities and resources rather than run solely by parents and volunteers so that local kids can play and get the benefit of a team dynamic, cameraderie, etc then academies could leave them to develop with a light touch, enjoy their football with their friends, and pick them up for more focused coaching at a more developed age. Academies shouldn't be doing anything with players at 7 or 8 years old in my experience. It's a surefire way to damage their love of the game. There should be a minimum age of say 13 before they can be approached.Ive coached kids too, and the best player at 7 can be passed by others by the time they are 13 by lads who 5 years earlier couldn't even kick a ball 10 yards. Teach them to love the game first.