How to join a football academy? This is the question that pops up in everyone’s mind who wants to make a football career, who is inspired by the best Argentinian soccer players?
Joining a football club academy is the crucial step one takes to become a famous football player or just any player. That’s how talent meets opportunity and hard work and dedication turn dreams into reality.
In this article, we will discuss all the important points about starting your football journey by joining an academy. There are no short-cuts, and the players you probably admire such as Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi didn’t take a short-cut as well. So, a strong work ethic is a must for anyone who wants to become a successful athlete.
1- What are your goals?
You want to join a football academy and become a successful football player. But before starting your journey, you must evaluate your skills and determine your goals.
Try to find out what your strengths and weaknesses are as a player. What is your level of dedication and commitment towards improving your game? And what level of footballer do you want to become?
Answers to these questions will let you know where exactly you stand and how much you need to work to achieve your goals.
2- Research suitable academies and try contacting them
How to join a football club? Well, you will find there are plenty of football club academies around. However, to find the one that suits your needs the best, you will have to do some research on your own.
Try to find out the history of the academy and also what its reputation has been like over the years. What is its success rate? How many players have achieved success by going on to join bigger clubs? How professional their coaches are and what are their credentials? What are the facilities at the club like? Do they offer financial support, and are scholarships available? Also, where is the club located?
Answering these questions will give you a very clear idea of whether any football club is suitable for you or not.
And once you find the club, you can contact them on your own. There are different ways that you can do that. Find an email address of the club and try contacting them through that. You can also get the details of someone who works in the club and try making contact. Or, you can access them through an agent or a person who has good contacts with people in the club.
There is a good chance that you won’t get a response from the club. However, that shouldn’t discourage you from applying. For many, this method has worked, and it could work out for you as well. Send a well-written email with all the important details and information. You must include a video that showcases your skills.
3- Your football CV and highlight reel is very important
You will find a lot of competition as many are seeking how to join a football club. Therefore, for admission, you need to stand out with your skills. And that’s where a professional football CV as well as a highlight reel that shows your skills come in.
But what exactly should your football CV contain? Well, you can start with your details, like your name, address date of birth, etc. Then, mention your playing position, whether you play in defense, midfield, or forward.
In your football CV, you must also include your physical attributes, such as your height and weight, etc. Meanwhile, also give some space to talk about your education, which is also important.
You must also highlight your football achievements in your CV. Talk about the clubs you have played for, what leagues they were in, and what have you achieved with those clubs.
Meanwhile, your highlight reel should feature your skills, what technical abilities you possess, and how much you understand tactically. You must keep the video short and engaging, with all the important points included.
4- Attend football trials
Football trials and showcases are one of the best ways to show your talent. You will find that different coaches, scouts, and club representatives will be attending these trials as they look for new talents. If you become able to attract their attention, great opportunities can open up for you.
You must maintain a high level of fitness before showing up to these trials and showcases. Football is a team sport, and so teamwork is essential for success. You should demonstrate teamwork and leadership qualities.
You should also be adaptable, which means you should be ready to listen to feedback and improve your game. A strong work ethic also features very highly among coaches, so you should demonstrate you are hardworking through your play.
5- Get a football agent
Football agents’ work is similar to football scouts in the sense that both actively look for new talents and try to find them a new team. However, football agents also deal with players’ contracts and salaries.
Agents are people who have a lot of contacts in the world of football. Therefore, if you could impress an agent, you could then join a football academy. This is because agents have a lot of contacts and they can arrange trials for you. And if you become a successful player, they also succeed and get a profit. Therefore, it looks like it is in their interest if you find a club and become a success there.
However, the reality is that agents are around a higher level and it is very hard to access them and join a club with their help. This method may not produce results right away, but those who are committed to becoming an athlete will want to try everything to get an opportunity.
6- Be persistent
It is not an easy journey from searching how to join a football academy to joining the academy. You are likely to see failures along the way. However, you should be persistent and continue improving your game. That is the only way to success.
Keep working on your skills every day. Find out what your weaknesses are and try to remove them. Only hard work, determination, and resilience can lead you to success. Have you heard about Messi’s autism? The greatest footballer on the planet had reportedly Asperger Syndrome, an illness associated with difficulty interacting with society. But did that stop him from becoming such a huge success? No.
