Manage Your Relationship With the Club
You need to manage your relationship with the club because to some extent it's an unbalanced relationship where the club holds the balance of power... if you perceive that way.
This is easy to assume when they hold the key to unlock the door to significant earnings and benefits. This may deter some parents from asking direct questions.
Where there is a lack of information, the vacuum is filled with misunderstanding, unrealistic expectations and speculation. Being in an academy sets high hopes and dreams which, when challenged or threatened, can trigger emotional behaviour and responses from parents. It can lead to anxiety and sometimes a breakdown in the relationship between the club and parents.
Enjoy the Academy Ride but Manage it, if or When it Stops
Our experience has been overwhelmingly positive. Our aim is to help you enjoy the ride for as long as it lasts. If the ride stops, these pages will help you anticipate it and be equipped to manage it.
For children that have been in an academy for a number of years, it can be difficult to make the adjustment back to what you might call “normality”. There are examples of players flunking school exams, turning to drugs and generally failing to reach their potential outside of professional football.
Being Great Outside of Football
Failing to do well outside of football is a shame because these players have already achieved greatness. They are exceptionally talented and demonstrated what it takes to be one of the best in the country. If they applied the same level of effort and discipline in other areas, they could be exceptional in that too. Perhaps be the best 1 or 2% in business, music, healthcare, IT or science, where they could be exceptional earners and make a major contribution to society.
The point of the last statement is to drive home the point that there is life outside of football and not to throw opportunities away for the sake of football.
