Developing the person first, footballer second.
Everyone knows one of the most popular aspirations for young people is to become a footballer. The money, fame and lifestyle associated with being a footballer is tantalising. So many young players get sold this dream when joining a football academy. The harsh reality of the academy football pathway is that the majority of these young players will leave the academy system without a professional playing career. 16% of academy graduates from Category 1 academies made a league appearance. This number gets even lower for category 2 and 3 academies. Therefore, it is important to manage expectations - 77% of Premier League Academy player parents have moderate-to-high expectations that their child will become a professional footballer.
The footballer identity.
During a young players time in the academy system, they are developing their self-identity. Self-identity is the individual’s understanding of themselves and who they are within the world. Positive and successful development of self-identity occurs during adolescence and requires the individual to experience a variety of roles and opportunities to ensure a positive self-identity is formed. The phenomenon of identity foreclosure is concerning in relation to these deselected players. Identity foreclosure relates to a person committing themselves to a single identity without the exploration of other options and experiences. Thus, players who progress through the adolescence and early childhood stages in these youth academies are at risk of developing identity foreclosure due to the heavy focus on that one sport, ending up in unidimensional self-identities being formed.
Several research papers have discussed the dangers of identity foreclosure, one study in particular identified that athletes who shown high levels of identity foreclosure also possessed low levels of career maturity. Due to the nature of academy football, most of these players are going to have to transition out of football. If the young players haven’t had the opportunity to develop a wider sense of self and solely identify themselves with the athletic identity, negative consequences follow such as mental health implication, substance abuse and even incarceration.
What can we do?
After having highlighted the concerns and challenges, we need to consider how to combat this. Putting the person first and the player second is vital. Clubs need to ensure that they are supporting the holistic development of their academy players. Providing players with opportunities that develop their life skills and exposing them to a variety of life-enriching experiences. A lot of clubs have started to invest heavily in this capacity, ensuring they have effective psychology and player care departments. One way to achieve this is by providing education opportunities for young players. This can be in the form of vocational training or traditional academic education. This will give them a fallback plan in case they do not make it as a professional player. This can also help them develop their self-identity and sense of self-worth beyond just being a footballer.
Another way is to provide mentorship programs that connect young players with successful individuals from different fields. This will allow them to see the many different paths that life can take and help them develop a sense of purpose beyond just being a footballer. It is also important for clubs to communicate with parents and guardians to ensure that they understand the realities of the academy system and the low chances of making it as a professional player. This will help manage expectations and ensure that young players are not solely focused on becoming a professional player, but also on developing as a person.
Ultimately the success of an academy should be focused on the developmental outcomes of the 100%, not just the ones who make it to the elite level. We all have a responsibility to ensure we develop young people who can be successful in whatever they decide to do, whether that is in football or out of football.
Thank you for reading! If you have any questions, comments, or would like to explore how sports psychology can enhance your performance, feel free to reach out to me at drodgerssportpsych@gmail.com or give me a call at 07475 925 292. I'm here to help you unlock your full potential.
