Portrayed as the perfect life; earning thousands upon thousands a week for performing your hobby in front of millions of spectators and viewers worldwide, the life of a footballer seems to be what billions of young boys and girls aspire to be. From the tender age of 5/6, youthful sportsmen target the supposed good life that football offers – glitz, glamour and attention.
The tale begins by joining a local club. The first gentle steps that is necessary for anyone to make it on the big stage. Described as ‘organized fun’, these first years seem so easy yet so integral to building a positive foundation for the player to move forward and improve. A distinct lack of pressure surrounding the game at this age enhances a player’s confidence and self-esteem, and matched with the encouragement and care from coaches and parents alike, self-assurance and poise starts to build. What for? The money and headlines appear to be light years away. Especially in recent times, big-name teams are constantly on the prowl for the next ‘Gerrard’ or the next ‘Rooney’ or the next ‘Hart’ circling round junior football teams like hawks waiting on the prime time to pounce and take advantage. This all seems fine and dandy, until the moment is misjudged.
In my time, I’ve heard and seen of stories of boys as young as 11/12 being picked up by recognized clubs, such as Liverpool, Manchester City; one lad even went on to captain Everton under 8’s. The talent is undoubtedly present; it’s the mental strength and sometimes the encouragement and care that are deficient.
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Wrapped up in cotton wool and protected as if they were their own by coaches at their local clubs, it all soon changes when the academies come knocking. They soon become encircled by demanding coaches, pressurizing parents and physical opposition. Questions suddenly arise, for instance, as parents, what do you want more – your son or daughter to enjoy their football with friends as a source of fun and enjoyment? Or continue with the high-paced life of youth football and hope they pull through? Of course, both can become one, this being the perfect conclusion however, in many instances, it boils down to one of the two.
Some gifted and talented footballers join up with academies and the path to footballing success seems straight and clear, until one day the hammer drops. Rejection, ever occurring in today’s modern football. Those dreaded words that serve as a hammer blow and a reality check for young footballers globally. A feeling as though their world is falling down around them. Football is all they’ve ever wanted to do, snatched out of their grasp at such a tender age. This is what proves to be the end for many. Again there are two clear options – to hold their head high, start afresh somewhere new and build up again to prove they are worth another shot, using the rejection as a spur to push them forward, requiring stunning mental strength. Some take the other road, the road of hanging up the boots. The road of being honest to oneself, asking if it is worth all the trouble and heartbreak that may occur in the future.
All this can happen before the age of just 14. A young child, who used to kick a ball around for fun, thrust into the big world of football. Is this the problem with the national squad? Are clubs being too harsh and too impatient in their search for their new star? England’s new footballing hero may be punting a ball round a field somewhere in the country right now. It just takes the correct eye for talent to pick the seed when it is just right, to bear the perfect fruit. And so the evolution of junior footballers continues. The cycle is never-ending. There will always be aspiring footballers. Sometimes it just takes a little encouragement and persistence.
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