Hey guys.

I don’t have any children but we were having a discussion at work about how and what would enable a child the best chance to go pro (if they chose to)

Here is what we came up with but I’d be interested to hear peoples feedback (good or bad)

At age 4 enrol in futsal and encourage playing in the backyard with the ball as much as possible. Also enrol into little kickers program

At age 5 enrol into outdoor football and play futsal 1-2 times a week on days the child is not training. Choose a local club with a reputation for good development

Futsal played year round (summer months too) in summer enrol in a summer football comp.

Encourage the child to play outside as much as possible

When the child hits teenage years stop futsal and concentrate on outdoor, again encouraging the child to play out side

Don't give up on futsal,
2 players in the England under XX still play futsal at least once week 

I've decided in recent times, that unless one is a top pro in Australia, or even England, one is better off playing NPL and having a profession or trade.

Many of the borderline pro  footballers have suffered depression when they drop from HAL to part time NPL clubs. Many also have devoted their life to football, and haven't simultaneously learnt a trade or pursued tertiary training  to perform other jobs when their pro career falters.

Hi Guys - I reckon being excellent at anything is risky. So yes the rewards are high but the costs can also be high. Even when / if a player makes it as a professional the resilience you need is ridiculous. A pro needs to perform consistently at super high levels because as the saying goes - you are only as good as your last game. 

With regards best way to help your child turn pro. The problem with going the futsal route is that combined with outdoor teams and other sport the risks of injury and burnout are way too high. 

What you need to do imo is replicate the advantages of Futsal but in a way that is less time consuming and less likely to burn the kid out. 

So 1 on 1 technical training is the way to go. If the father is an experienced soccer player coach thats ok - but otherwise this becomes quite expensive.  Ideally 2 x weekly technical sessions around quick feet and finding space in tight areas is the way to go. Aldso this can be combined with new drills that help expand the brain and also help with speed and agility. The other great thing about this is that you do not need to conform to some kind of crazy timetable. Find a coach that is happy to be flexible - so some weeks if the child is tired then you just don't go to 1 on 1 training. This is very important - being stuck in someone elses agenda is a problem for all young athletes. I reckon if your kid can get say 30 weeks of 1 on one training per year (2 times per week) then potential will be maximised. 

Otherwise find a good club (npl), with a good coach and players that like to improve. They need to start finding the proper elite pathway by the age of 10 or 11....
The rest is up to them. bottom line is the child needs to be mentally tough and have the desire to be elite. There is nothing wrong if they don't. We are talking about the top 0.1 percent  of kids playing who might make it as a pro. 

Zee academy  ?

Looks good - they seem to be getting nice results. 

Zoltan, with due respect, you sound more ambitious for your kid than him!


After recently working with a mate's son who lives in another state, who is incredibly ambitious for his son's career in a HAL development path, his kid isn't keen to do what I think he needs to do by himself.

 I don't think he has the intrinsic motivation to juggle by himself, play against a wall by himself, practise dribbling by himself, etc, to acquire the requisite skills to become a pro. Compared to where I live, there is so much travelling time wasted too transporting him to formal practices. My prediction is he won't be playing in a few more years, even though he is in a HAL academy.

In just a few months kids can quit the sport  entirely, because they lose interest.

In FFA coach education, it has been emphasised that the motivation for players should be intrinsic. The motivation  needs to come from within - not overly ambitious parents.

Decentric - I think you have a beef and only read my first paragraph.

Where did I say I do this with my own kid? I am just telling you best practice. Also where do I state that the child doesn't need to be self motivated?

Also the method I speak off is about the kids playing less soccer (no futsal) not more. Its about deep practice not more practice. Intelligent practice. Being good at sport but also time and energy to live a normal life.

I will also add that the idea that a parent is not a motivating factor to any child is disingenuous. You should check out Tim Cahill book. His old man taped just about all of his junior matches and used to give him direct and sometimes brutal feedback regularly. I don't suggest this is the way to go - but as I said before success is risky.

Most pro soccer players will point to times in their childhood where one of the parents (and maybe a coach) had to push them hard at certain times. 

Also I really believe success isn't really that important. Nothing wrong with not being a pro soccer player. Its about having a crack in the right way.

seen your 2013 pennant in the tea room in the academy village 

Haha - different Zoltan. I live in Melbourne. Funny coincidence though. having said that Zoltan is a common Hungarian name. You will notice in none of my posts have I mentioned any coaches. Plenty of academies in all the states will give you excellent one on one training. 

Fair comments.

Give them performance enhancement drugs as soon s they pop out of the snatch. Watch them go!