Two recent studies hope that youth football academies change for the better.
By doing do, they can better help athletes who have not made it to teams deal with life after sports.
Children as young as five enrolled in academies are often referred to as elite youth players. They have intensive training, busy competition schedules, missing out on wider social experiences that leaves them poorly prepared for life after sport. Very few make it to teams. Some feel there's nothing to move on to afterwards.
Youth academies must change attitudes that fixate on having an identity solely as an athlete.
Create multidimensional people. Promote causes and interests beyond football. This might lessen the pain of rejection and help manage fallout better.
Clubs must start thinking more holistically about how to prepare and support the players they turn down. If they don't, more young, impressionable lives could be damaged or lost.
Original article:
How football’s youth academy culture is failing youngsters who don’t make the grade
Original studies: