How can my Child become a Professional Footballer?
5 July 2023
You can encourage and support your child to develop as a footballer in three important ways: help them develop the skills and temperament, take them to see as much professional football as possible and create playing opportunities.
Join a club
Joining a local club is a major step forward. Children need regular training to develop the techniques and the fitness for matches and that only comes from putting in the hours and the hard work. Nutrition is a huge part of fitness and an area where you can help at home. Children need a huge amount of calories when training and playing matches several times a week while they are also growing. Being part of a team lets children develop their fitness with their peers. The camaraderie is invaluable in encouraging them. They can compare and discuss their progress, practice skills together and share tips.
Find out what age your child can join a football club.
Summer camps
Summer camps expose them to different coaches and let them play with different children. If they can spend a full day playing football it will reveal the depth of their passion and commitment which is essential for progress.
Playing matches is where they learn to make quick decisions in the heat of the moment and learn from mistakes. They have to take the losses with the wins and reflect on their performance. Their coaches will encourage them to make progress week to week. They may be given individual development programmes.
Attend matches
Going to watch matches allows children to observe a player in their position and see what they do when they don’t have the ball. It’s so important that they learn to position themselves ready to assist a goal or intercept a pass. It is much easier to observe at an actual match rather than on television where the camera tends to focus on where the ball is in play.
Football academies
Football academies exist to nurture talent for clubs. From the age of 9, children continue their academic studies but devote extra hours to learning soccer techniques and skills every day. They take a theoretical as well as a practical approach to football. There is an emphasis on developing the right temperament to become a professional footballer. Although it is no guarantee that a club will select you it is the first place they look for talent.
Clubs have scouts that they send to tournaments to spot talent. Your child needs to play as many of these as possible to gain confidence and be seen. You can suggest to their coach that their club enter and support other parents to make attendance possible. It might take some fundraising and organising of transport. They may even be approached by an agent who wants to manage their career.
The tough reality is that the chances of becoming a professional footballer are actually quite low. It is estimated that only 1% of the 1.5 million youngsters who play football will make selection. It is, therefore, crucial that children enjoy regular practice and participation in matches, learning as many life skills on the way.