Youth movement

The Talented Athlete Scholarship Scheme (TASS) is a programme in the UK funded by the Football Association (FA), Sport England and the National Lottery.

It aims to give young, talented athletes the opportunity to combine their academic aspirations with their soccer development - also known as a dual-career pathway.

This scheme also provides athletes the opportunity to gain a further educational qualification, a Diploma in Sporting Excellence (DiSE), which can aide their next steps towards a place at university.

Two thirds of participants in my study said their club placed a huge emphasis on education and the importance of a ‘plan B’, should they not make it as a professional soccer player.

At some clubs, this emphasis was described as so in-depth that “if you weren’t achieving or attending, then you weren’t allowed to play”.

Most players described having to attend compulsory educational sessions prior to training, plus additional DiSE sessions.

One player described it as “perfect”, adding: “There’s no better way to learn and do education alongside playing football at a high level.

“Being on a scholarship makes it so much easier in your transition, also.”  I produced a questionnaire, aiming to give players a voice. I wanted to find out how they felt about the current pathway, the process their clubs followed when supporting them during their transition out of the club, and how they felt during this time, and the standard of football they then went into.

This was to better understand how clubs can support players in the future, if players felt anything more could be done and how the pathway could change.

The questionnaire also asked how players found the dual-career programme and the emphasis placed by clubs on education, as according to previous research within the male game, less than 0.5% of those who enter the system go on to make it as a professional footballer.

This demonstrates that deselection is something which occurs frequently within an academy setting and has an effect on 99% of players within the elite environment.

The questionnaire was completed by 24 participants. Two-thirds of those identified as having a positive experience during their transition away from the academy, while a quarter identified a negative experience.

The remainder spoke of both negative and positive experiences. 

“More than 60% felt anxious during their time of transition away from the club...”

Eight of the 24 went on to gain scholarships in the US or elsewhere, 10 moved into adult football and six were released - two of those due to injury.

More than 60% of the participants described feeling anxious, stressed and nervous during their time of transition away from the club.

The parents of the participants in this piece were found to be the players’ biggest support during this time, both actively and emotionally - by, as one put it, “connecting with the right people to find the club I wanted”, and encouraging the players to embrace the next step and ensure they are happy playing wherever they go.

By demonstrating emotional support, positivity and ensuring they listened and helped identify the players’ needs for their next steps, players found this support “helped relieve stress”.

Stressors were highlighted as being shared by both parents and player, as participants described parents feeling “disappointed” with the support provided by the club.

Many of the participants spoke highly of the support they received from their academies in moving on, such as helping gather match footage, sharing clips, providing references for US colleges and allowing them to trial at other clubs while continuing to train with their current club. 

GIVING PLAYERS A VOICE: QUOTES FROM RACHEL’S SURVEY

On leaving England to play college soccer in the US...

“The standard of the football is very good. Every team has a complete different style of play so you have to adapt every game. And the physicality and toughness of the players is unreal.”

“It is much faster here in America and I was pleasantly surprised to see how technical the girls were too! It’s been tough as they are so athletic, but it has been a great challenge.”

On the problems with the pathway into senior football...

“There is a huge gap in maturity between 16 and 21 and lots of players get lost in the system when they are stuck between academy development teams and competitive clubs at a lower level.”   

On the benefits of a dual-career academy system...

“Being a dual-career student and player allowed me to get this opportunity I have now. Without this, I wouldn’t have been able to get a full scholarship at a top university in a competitive football conference.”

‘AN EXCELLENT ADDITION’ - CRYSTAL PALACE AND LIVERPOOL POINTING THE WAY FORWARD FOR POST-ACADEMY AFTERCARE

Premier League club Crystal Palace announced last month they would be creating a dedicated three-year aftercare package for male players who have moved on after transitioning from their academy.

I think it is an excellent addition for those who go through their set-up. Gary Issott, Palace’s academy director, said players being asked “what are you doing now?” or “have you got a club?” can be embarrassing and so they often stay clear of the club and the people who work for it.

That is something that definitely needs addressing. I found within my own research that people who had a negative experience didn’t want to discuss it openly afterwards.

One of my questions at the end of the questionnaire offered players the chance to leave their email address for a follow-up discussion. But only those who had had a positive experience, or players I already knew, left their email, so it made it hard for me to delve deeper into the experiences of those who went through tough times.

There are more clubs out there doing similar things to Palace, though. Liverpool’s Alumni Project possesses an extensive database that allows them to keep in contact with those who have been through their academy, and it isn’t limited to the first three years, either.

There is a lot of good practice going on out there. I think we just need to be more realistic, perhaps, in letting players know the statistics of those who ‘make it’ and ensure clubs are really placing as much emphasis on education as they are on football to ensure players have a plan B - as even injury or illness, which is out a player’s hands, can influence their career.  However, a lot of negative feedback was highlighted, too. One third of players reported that they received little or no support - another one third received no feedback or plan.

Those who were released due to injury recalled receiving no support at all, with one player mentioning that she “did not receive anything but a ‘good luck’.”

The players’ thoughts on what could be done better to support them more effectively when transitioning out of the club included:

• Greater and earlier communication
• More opportunities and information regarding scholarships to the US
• Better links with other clubs in lower leagues
• Monitoring of their start at a new club – welfare checks and potentially monitoring their progression for a season-long period.

Each one has stated that the physical aspect of the game there is so much greater than the academy football played in England and are embracing the different challenges the game poses.

Of the 24 players questioned, 14 had either been involved at international level previously or were still involved.

However, due to the rise in the number of players going over to the US, the Football Association will no longer fund flights back to the UK for players to compete for England at age-group level.

Future pathway?

Half of players questioned in the study suggested loan moves to expose them to first-team environments would have helped them adapt to the adult game’s physicality.

Five participants suggested academy players could be exposed more to the first- team environment within their current club, which in turn would allow them to identify how far away they feel physically and technically from first-team level. 

“You should consider acceleration and deceleration within your training...”

However, one participant did highlight that, although it would be good for players to be provided with that opportunity, the athleticism of players within development squad football needed to improve greatly first, as they “would really struggle in a training session with them [first-team players]”.

Another participant spoke of the gap in maturity which affects a player’s physicality and ability to compete in adult football, especially at elite level.

Ten of the 24 participants suggested both an U18s and an U23s league, due to the gap in maturation and physical development.

Also suggested was a reserve league, or B teams competing within an existing adult league, such as the FA Women’s National League, which covers the third and fourth tiers of the English pyramid.

This would, respondents said, give young players exposure to adult football and could also give their clubs access to hidden gems when competing against other teams.

Barriers

A number of barriers to progression from academies were highlighted.

Money was identified as being a factor in players not being able to make loan moves to adult teams further down the pyramid, who sometimes can’t afford to fund them.

It becomes very challenging for players to work and play at the same time after reaching the age of 18.

Players also suggested the improving quality of the top-tier WSL and second- tier FA Women’s Championship may be a problem.

It has created a gap to tiers three and below, meaning exposure to that level won’t necessarily support their ambitions to break into the first team at WSL and Championship clubs.

There are also issues reported around the expectations of clubs. For example, Championship clubs want to get promoted to the WSL - some players fear those teams won’t want to take on 18-year-olds from academies who haven’t yet been exposed to senior football. WSC