Has anyone watched the bbc panorama episode “football’s broken dreams”? On bbc iplayer.
It’s a documentary looking how the football clubs have been expanding the academies in hope to find talent, but that as they are so large, there is a high proportion that then don’t get chosen and are dropped at apx age 18. It also seems that to the clubs, although a lot get dropped, it’s a good business for them because they ‘sign’ these kids when they are in football terms worthless, and then cash in on them when they turn pro and sell them to other clubs, including huge agents fees.
the documentary also looked at the extremes in mental health damage being done to some of these boys. They are in effect being conditioned to believe they will achieve the fame/money/adoration of a pro footballer from age as young as 8, can spend 10 years in that system only to be released with no future in the sport if not selected at 18, or if injury affects play at a vital moment in the selection process. Once dropped and no longer associated with the club, they are literally out the door and not welcome, and often then also quickly end up outside of the social group of their former training group as well.
Does anyone have any data on how many boys at one time are being trained at these ‘academies’ attached to premier clubs?
Tim and Ella are putting Heze in a dangerous situation for his mental health and future to put all their and his belief in him becoming a carer footballer. Where’s the plan for if the club drops him?
How do the ‘Grimwade gang’ fans KNOW that Heze’s football should be encouraged to this extreme? Many of their comments of support are encouraging Heze to believe he only has one path in life. Having googled Heze, there is very little out there about his football performance, fixtures etc. He’s not known to the general public because he is standout child footballer…he’s known due to theYouTube channel.
He obviously has some football talent to have been joined to an academy, but he also spends time training at home while other boys will need to go to school. There’s never been anything on the channel that suggests he really is going to be one of the boys who will go pro, meaning it really is worth the tunnel vision and risks of failure. I don’t think I’ve seen any ratings, such as whether he is in the top 5% consistently at the academy. If he’s not, then it’s an hobby and worth pursuing as he could still develop further, but not worth putting every hope for his future on it.
I also wonder, does puberty affect boy footballer’s performance? Growth spurts and hormones causing clumsiness for example. It would only take one bad season to be dropped. I don’t see how being sure it’s a career path can happen until the boy is 16+.