Everybody wants to be a professional, being ready for professional soccer is another thing. The attention, money, and fame can bring temptations that are hard to resist. Reaching a standard can be achieved, but maintaining that standard can be hard. One example is Freddy Adu. Freddy Adu was termed the new Pele. Adu was the youngest professional player in the US ever. At age 14, Adu signed a contract with D.C. United. The future soccer star had the world at his feet. Barcelona, AC Milan, Manchester United, and PSV all wanted to sign the boy others called Pheen (phenomenon). Adu chose Benfica and it all went down from there. After failed attempts in Portugal, France, Brazil, Netherlands, and many more countries, Adu went back to the USA. Where did it go wrong? Chances are that Adu was not yet ready for professional soccer. PSV Eindhoven wanted to get Adu to Holland to give him and space. FIFA only allows offering contracts to 16 years olds, furthermore, there are laws against transferring a player that is not yet 18 years old. In most competitions in Europe, you don’t have time to mature, as Adu found out.
Don’t Start Too Early
Starting too early with a professional soccer academy can be detrimental for the outcome of a soccer player. While some thrive in a professional environment, others crumble. This crumbling has a lot to do with the state of the child. Children follow many different states into adulthood, and in a team sport, this can be a disadvantage. If you are still in the romantic phase, while other kids of the same age are in the specialized phase. you will be in a disadvantage. Even though you might have more potential. Many scouts have commented on the change that can happen when children join a professional soccer academy. These kids were full of creativity and technique when they started only to be timid and insecure 5-6 years later.
Marco Koorman, a former professional soccer player, soccer coach, and consultant wrote in a soccer magazine;
Examples From National Teams
- In England, only 2 players were constant in representing the youth international teams. These 2 players were Micheal Owen and Terry Venables. Both Venables and Owen were seen as miracle talents but were not able to reach their potential. Venables only played 2 international games for England. Owen had a great start but injuries made sure he could not reach his potentials. The authors noted; “The necessity (or not) to perform at a high level at young ages is further highlighted by soccer in England, where only two players have represented internationally at every age group including senior level, Michael Owen and Terry Venables. These statistics question the appropriateness and the usefulness of focusing on and rewarding the explicit development of highly successful age-group sportspeople”.
- A survey from the Netherlands followed the potential of youth players from the Holland national team under 15 years in 2002. The under 15 years national players were again reviewed in 2011. The results showed that none of the players that played in the under 15’s in 2002 were of any significance in 2011. Although several players played professional soccer, none were ever selected for the national team. Overall, only about 4% of youth payers reached professional soccer status.
- In Germany, the National Soccer Union decided to change there talent scouting. The German Soccer Union found that more than half of their current national players were not yet playing in the top youth soccer academy.
Most Children Quick To Early
The potential to become a better football player is still present in your mid 20’s. By focussing on reaching your potential instead of becoming a professional, you may increase your chance of becoming a professional. Although most boys stop playing soccer at age 12 (in the Netherlands) for a variety of reasons. The loss of potential, from a soccer perspective, is enormous. Especially when you realize when you reach your soccer potential at age 27. The graph below shows the potential loss of talent from boys quitting soccer.
Don’t Lose The Passion And Fun
Looking at people on top of their game in sports and music you will find similarities. The most common similarity seems to be the love of the game and the joy of playing. The change from playful training to specialized training can decrease fun and creativity. While children who are past the playful stage keep there fun and creativity while specializing. As with soccer talents, talent full musicians follow the same trajectory.
Top musicians are noted for
- Their passion and enjoyment,
- Money-making is not their primary goal
- A growth mindset
- High standards
See the quote below of musicians below and the link of the video of Brazilian soccer players. The video shows that type of soccer that is Brasil known for. The skills displayed are not thaught at soccer academies, but are learned from a perspective of experimentation and fun.
A Passion Of Soccer Can Keep You Moving Forward
Dennis Bergkamp was a huge talent with AJAX in the beginning ’90s. This earned him a transfer to Inter Milan. Inter Milan promised to play an attractive style of soccer. When Bergkamp played at Inter, he had a horrible 2 years playing in a 5-3-2 system. Even though Bergkamp had a rough time, his love for soccer stayed. In the midst of his bad time at Inter, the squad was waiting at the team bus. The bus had to park in a gas station and the Inter players went out to stretch their legs. A couple of the players got a ball out and started playing with some of the truckers. Bergkamp, who could not find his way on the pitch at inter, was showing the most spectacular feast of soccer on this parking lot. One of the players at the time commented on Bergkamp and said that inter could not keep Bergkamp as a prisoner for long. Bergkamp got his way out and left for Arsenal. Inter Milan’s owner joked; “They(Arsenal)will be lucky if he scores 10 goals this season“. Bergkamp turned into one of the best players in the world at Arsenal. Even though Bergkamp was having a hard time at Inter, his love for soccer stayed. This passion kept him improving and ready for a new club.
