I came across the following study the other day and found it very interesting and somewhat alarming. The extent to which the German youth development pathway exposes their talented players to physical, mental and emotional stress that leads 45 per cent to quit playing football before advancing to senior level.
Here at IFS we don’t turn a blind eye to that issue. Our coaching staff is making a daily effort to ensure that your child is developing in a balanced environment. It is very important that we all work together (players, parents, coaches and college) to avoid any disappointments.
Excerpt: ‘From Talent to Professional Football – Youthism in German Football’
The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of the German youth academies run by the clubs of 1st and 2nd Bundesliga and the role of the U17 Bundesliga as part of the German talent development program in football. We examined all 821 U17 Bundesliga players born in 1993 and tracked their career development until season 2012/13. It was found that less than 10 per cent were able to sign a contract with a professional team in Germany (1st, 2nd and 3rd league), while more than 45 per cent quit playing football before advancing onto senior level. Twenty nine out of 36 (80.6 per cent) 1st Bundesliga players born in 1993 (season 20012/13) were trained in a professional youth academy, two players were educated in a 4th league club and five players were transferred from a foreign country. Youth academies and the U17 Bundesliga are crucial for the development of German talent, since a very good football education with weekly challenges in league is beneficial. However, one can be worried about the physical as well as mental and emotional stress those young players are exposed to, which might lead to an earlier end of their careers.
Read more…
From Talent to Professional Football – Youthism in German Football
Leave a Reply