[Albion] Just Got Back From the Academy.

[Kalimantan Gull]

Daughter is captain for her year, she played in a game about a month ago beating arch rivals Stringer, scoring two and was watched by someone from the academy, they have invited her to join the girl’s academy and starts on Wednesday after an injury. She has played there twice before against the academy girls, it is mighty impressive all the teams throughout the age groups are encouraged to play the same way.
Her PE teacher told her she has the best natural ability he’s seen at the school in a long while since a certain Lewis Dunk, her teacher Mr S Tuck, well there’s a blast from the past eh.
proud as punch, hope she enjoys her time there, they have their work cut out, she’s fast, powerful, and delivers a wicked cross and corner, but her spacial awareness leaves a lot to be desired.

Awesome. Girls youth football is so much fun, now my oldest is close to turning 18 I'm really missing all the saturdays and sundays and evenings taking her to training and matches and supporting her teams through the years. Just great camaraderie in the teams and with all the parents. She trialled at Brighton when she was 12, didn't get in which was probably for the best considering we lived in Cornwall! (wanted to see how good she really was, as she was destroying other Cornish teams but we weren't sure of the standard, she held her own ) - and yeah the set-up was amazing. So she went to the Cornwall Academy instead, a few years below Katie Robinson and playing alongside Mari Ward - watch that name, just breaking into the Bristol City team and a regular in England age-group sides, superbly talented. Covid then got in the way of my daughter's development, a couple of years barely playing so she started competing in surfing instead, but she's fallen back in love with the game and is now playing in the southwest premier and fielding offers for a soccer scholarship to go to uni in the states.

Anyway best of luck to your daughter, she sounds great!

 

[Vin]

This evening, I had the pleasure of watching the Under 9's, and what looked like the Under 10's, Under 11's and Under 12's, doing their training for an hour and a half. I've only been to The Academy once before, when it was only half-built, and I was allowed in to take some photos.
Now it's complete and been running for a few years, it certainly is a very impressive facility.
As for the youngsters there, both boys and girls mixed teams going through their training routines, followed by games.
What I saw was unbelievable. The quality of both the boys and girls was off the scale. Individual skill, strength on the ball, trickery, awareness, vision...you name it, they've all got it. If any parents, or Grandparents happen to be reading this, if you were there tonight watching your kids, you must be so proud.
The beginning of the conveyor-belt is well and truly working to perfection.

Hi JS, how can you attend to view an evening of training. Do you need to be invited

 

[Commander]

It's mad how good these kids are. My 9 year old is a decent player and plays at the top level in the area below the academy level. The academies have taken a few kids from his level, who look unbelievably good for their age. But I think those kids are basically going to make up the numbers, the real stars with a chance of making it are already there, and even do some of their schooling there, I think. At under 7's level my boy looked really good, they were smashing teams every week and he was shining. Then one day we played another team and some kid took the kick off, beat three people and bent it into the top corner from the halfway line. They put him in goal at HT because it was getting embarrassing at 8-0, with him scoring at least 5. I chatted to the coach afterwards and he said he is in the proper Brighton academy, and this is the last season he is allowed to play for another club.

That was the day I realised my boy wasn't going to be a professional footballer. He did well to get to 7 before the dream was crushed though, mine was done well before then.

 

[Commander]

Yep. The coaching these days has improved so much, the kids at that age are now frighteningly good. Did we have any mini Haaland’s on show last night as that is what all the scouts are looking for these days - they all want to know how tall the mum’s are as apparently this is a good measure of how tall the kid will end up!

From my experience of academies these days - which admittedly is mainly limited to the South Coast clubs and just odd games against academies from other parts of the country - ours is a really impressive set up and way ahead of Southampton, Bournemouth and Portsmouth. It’s made me laugh for years when all you would hear in the media was how great Southampton’s academy was when for years it’s been struggling and certainly behind us. I took my kid out of there as the coaching was so poor - Bournemouth much better.

Brighton youth scouts are everywhere too. I see them at so many under 7 - under 10 tournaments and games. We do well in Hampshire at finding the best kids. We’ve got an excellent reputation amongst coaches, scouts and parents.

The biggest rival for us getting the best young talent in the whole of the south to be honest is scummy Chelsea - they are everywhere and hoover up kids from every corner. They have training centres all over the place. A lot of really talented kids at that age will train with two or three clubs and Chelsea are always one of them.

Played against the Man City under 9’s in the summer though - all I can say is wow! Another level again!

The Chelsea 'academies' are a load of bollocks. They basically try and hoover up the above average kids and get their parents thinking there is a chance of them making it. They charge them a load of money for the 'privilege' of coaching them every week on local pitches and then eventually kick them out. Any kid that is going to play for Chelsea is already in Cobham. It's a money-making scheme, and these kids would be far better off playing with their mates for their local club.

If you are paying for an 'academy' then you need to realise what it actually is. You won't be paying for it if they think your kid is going to make it.

 

[amexer]

I seriously hope that the Albion’s elite academy treats youngsters better than Sussex CCC’s ‘pathway’, which is purely a mechanism to make money. Hopefully it will improve now that that joker Rob Andrew has f***ed off.

Agree Hand out straight away for jumpers when they could easily wear there existing ones

 

[Shropshire Seagull]

Ain't that the truth, my daughter joined a few years ago, I soon got the picture and we left, sometimes there would be 30 kids to one coach, and fees after speaking to other parents from different areas, were way more. If you questioned them, they were rude and arrogant. Some parents want success more than their children and will grasp any chance with the lure of a bright future.
All I want for my daughter is play and be happy exercise for children is so important, I do not care what level she plays at, as long as she enjoys it, job done.

Not sure if your coach-ratio issue with your daughter was CAG [County Aged Group] cricket related?

If it was, the ECB provide guidelines for this here. It gets a bit complex depending on age of players, activity [e.g. nets] and qualification of coach(s) present. I have heard stories of club coaching with parents being drafted in to act as a supporting "responsible adult" to the coach to balance the player/coach ratio - I'd be shocked if Sussex Cricket Board would have knowingly permitted one coach to take 30 kids.

As I mentioned on the Sussex CCC thread, the ICEC were commissioned by the ECB to write an EDI report [link here] and have made 44 recommendations. Recommendation 20 d) specifically calls out the cost of CAG cricket and efforts should be made to make it more accessible [wider catchment] by making it less expensive.

 

[Psychobilly freakout]

Not sure if your coach-ratio issue with your daughter was CAG [County Aged Group] cricket related?

If it was, the The ECB provide guidelines for this here. It gets a bit complex depending on age of players, activity [e.g. nets] and qualification of coach(s) present. I have heard stories of club coaching with parents being hauled in to act as a supporting "responsible adult" to the coach to balance the player/coach ratio - I'd be shocked if Sussex Cricket Board would have knowingly permitted one coach to take 30 kids.

As I mentioned on the Sussex CCC thread, the ICEC were commissioned by the ECB to write an EDI report [link here] and have made 44 recommendations. Recommendation 20 d) specifically calls out the cost of CAG cricket and efforts should be made to make it more accessible [wider catchment[ by making it less expensive.

Ah, I got mixed up with a Brighton based football pathway, which I will not name, sorry about that.

 

[Garyoldfan]

Ah, I got mixed up with a Brighton based football pathway, which I will not name, sorry about that.

The pathway is a con and gives false hope. My boy was “invited” and there were soooo many kids and he even changed his position to goalie which shows how little they really care. On the note of age of players, we had a lad at our team when we were 10/11/12 who they just gave the ball to and he won the game for them each time. Puberty has kicked in and this player has not grown and is being pushed off the ball by less talented players and even found himself on the bench last week. I thought he was gonna be a superstar but a lot changes from 10-16 years of age.

 

[BNthree]

If you are paying for an 'academy' then you need to realise what it actually is. You won't be paying for it if they think your kid is going to make it.

Basically this. If you’re paying it’s not an academy despite whatever it is called.

 

[BNthree]

The boys at the Albion academy, even from u9 level, train 3 days a week. 2 evenings and day release from school for 1 or 2 days a week depending on the age group. Plus matches on Sundays which could be anywhere from Colchester to Bournemouth. They have to squeeze schoolwork in too as well as a family and social life. The kids miss out on a lot of normal stuff like sleepovers and birthday parties so are making sacrifices from an early age. They monitored and reviewed through the season, do fitness tests etc. it sounds great from the outside but the reality is they have to mature and have a level of self awareness most kids don’t get until they start work. Also these boys will be in their school team and district teams so more football and often they are the sporty kids and do other sports too. They are very busy!

 

[BNthree]

The biggest rival for us getting the best young talent in the whole of the south to be honest is scummy Chelsea - they are everywhere and hoover up kids from every corner. They have training centres all over the place. A lot of really talented kids at that age will train with two or three clubs and Chelsea are always one of them.

Those Chelsea foundation centres are a great money maker for Chelsea while giving them opportunities to scout for the few kids with real talent. Everyone rushes to sign their kids up and pay the monthly fees so they can proudly boast their kid “plays for Chelsea” but really you’re just paying for coaching sessions under the Chelsea brand. The ones that show potential may get invited to a showcase match at Cobham once a season. If anyone ever says their kid is with Chelsea academy ask if they train 3 times a week at Cobham. If not then the kid isn’t with Chelsea.

 

[Jack Straw]

Hi JS, how can you attend to view an evening of training. Do you need to be invited

I accompanied my daughter who's eight-year old son has just started the Pre-academy group as a goalkeeper.
Maybe the best bet would be to email the Club?

 

[Garyoldfan]

I accompanied my daughter who's eight-year old son has just started the Pre-academy group as a goalkeeper.
Maybe the best bet would be to email the Club?

Hi JS, how can you attend to view an evening of training. Do you need to be invited

No. Although they get a lot of parents go for their kids they won’t allow you to just turn up. They also asked me to delete the photos I’d taken inside and outside the academy. It was very strict.

 

[Psychobilly freakout]

The Chelsea 'academies' are a load of bollocks. They basically try and hoover up the above average kids and get their parents thinking there is a chance of them making it. They charge them a load of money for the 'privilege' of coaching them every week on local pitches and then eventually kick them out. Any kid that is going to play for Chelsea is already in Cobham. It's a money-making scheme, and these kids would be far better off playing with their mates for their local club.

If you are paying for an 'academy' then you need to realise what it actually is. You won't be paying for it if they think your kid is going to make it.

Again a truth, academies linked with PSG also have been to Sussex over the last year or so.
You have to go into this with your eyes wide open, and realise that there is a very, very slim chance of child making it.
I have seen too many parents coaching teams and watching from the side lines that think their child will make it, despite the clear lack of ability.
I would not be surprised in the not too near distant future, if there is a documentary exposing some academies as money making schemes.

As you alluded too, if your good enough, a club will move heaven and earth to have you on the books, a fee would not be an issue or required.
Having said that, the odd one or two could develop and make it, and to play and get great coaching like they do in Lancing is invaluable to a child, if they continue to play the sport in later life and play at whatever level. You can't take that away as a life skill for children. I think you have to be realistic and honest with your child, I am, I have told her, all I want for her is too enjoy playing football at whatever level, she can, and if is Sunday league so be it, the plus side of that, is you will be able to play with a hangover when you get older.

 

[pornomagboy]

the bloke next door to me son plays for the under 13s they both have season tickets at palace and he has cpfc in his boots, watched him play for peacehaven youth last year he is going to be a great footballer knows where the goal is