Many young Australians dream of playing Football at the highest level, in Australia and overseas. It's a worthy ambition. Regrettably, only a very, very few realise this dream. Its a long hard road, paved with disappointment more often than reward. It's hard enough to get into an A league Youth team and then you don't get paid a living wage. Professional Football is a highly competitive environment, often depending on more than demonstrated ability and perhaps a little too much on "timing", "connections" and what we would just simply refer to a plain "good luck".
Underpinning this ambition is many years of single minded hard work, too the exclusion of so many other things that would ordinarily occupy the lives of young people. "Natural talent" as some call it is not enough. Without that single-mindedness, persistence in the face of injury and rejection, and, a first rate football work ethic - nothing is possible! Simple as that.
Family support is critical to success. Parents and family provide the love and support to sustain the young Football player's ambition. Families dedicate considerable limited disposable income to make the "dream" of professional Football a reality. Playing good Football costs lots of money and don't let anyone tell you anything else! I am always in admiration of the many parents I have met that do all they can with what they have to make the best in Football for their children. Sometimes, love and desire can results in some very poor decisions for the best of reasons. The sacrifice is not without disappointment. As most young Footballers do not realise their ambitions, it is the parents and families that catch them and move them forward into the future, a future not necessarily without football (though this happens a bit too often), but not playing for a Manchester United, Arsenal, Barcelona or AC Milan. Not even the A League!
The message is clear for all of us with children that want to achieve in Football - plan for a future without professional football as a means of earning a living. Keep young players focused on good academic outcomes at high school, no matter how mnay promises of success are trailed out in from of the young player. Professional football seems to have no shortage of sharks and false profets, and they care nothiong for your child's future byond the next football game.
Education provides options in the future. Football usually does not attend to this critical consideration for the vast majority that play the beautiful game. So keep them at school and doing as well as they can. Plan a career that will see them earning a living wage, that will give them a chance of economic prosperity, independent of playing good football. Anything else is madness!
This brings me to the tonight's program. I have noticed more and more young payers talking about trying to get a sports sholarship to a US College. Good idea, but as you see (if you are not already familiar with the environment), it takes a lot of planning in advance. It can't be done at short notice. To help us get some understanding of this prospective option, we speak to a US based organisation called "National Scouting Report (NSR)", a specialist agency that facilitates young Australian Football players (soccer in the USA), to apply for US College (University) sporting scholarships. It is a real option for young players with good academic results (I didn't say brilliant!) and playing good football. NSR places athletes in many sports in US Colleges on sports scholarships. Its well worth considering, before you think about heading off to Europe on the vague promise of fame and riches. This is an absolutely fascinating interview.
One of the players below is at a US College today.
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