| Former academy product speaks out about treatment at Town 21:57 - Feb 24 with 8568 views | MrTown |
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| Former academy product speaks out about treatment at Town on 01:11 - Feb 25 with 3136 views | IPS_wich |
The thing that struck me is around the attitude when he was injured. Sadly this appears to be endemic within sport.
On a totally different level, my 15 year old son attends a school in Perth where Rowing is the ‘pinnacle’ sport. Despite showing zero interest or aptitude in any sports he chose to give Rowing a go as a 13 year old and has proven to be pretty damn good at it. He has been in the ‘A Crew’ at U14 and then U16 level. And it’s bloody hard, 04:30am starts four mornings a week for five months of the year.
Anyway, this year he is eligible to row as an under age rower in the Seniors (U18) squad. And the attitude and approach of the senior coaches has shocked us all. We’d heard stories that seniors was all about ‘manning up’ and tough love, but it has been appalling. Just after Christmas, our son’s knee was troubling him a bit, he raised it with coach and the response was basically ‘perhaps you’re too weak for senior rowing’ and other comments that questioned his commitment - despite the fact that for two seasons running before this he won an award for not missing a single training session.
The first we heard about this was three weeks later when he was explaining to an orthopaedic surgeon about why he carried on training despite his knee hurting. The end outcome is as a 15 year old he needs surgery on his knee, is out of rowing for the whole competition season and will be off all sports for 4-6 months. All because he was essentially bullied by a coach into carrying on training. We’ve raised it with the school and the response was that rowing is an elite sport and it requires the toughest coaching regime. Suffice to say our son is questioning whether he rows next year in his Senior year. It’s clearly had a hugely traumatic impact on him.
So my heart goes out to this lad and any other young men who have to suffer this BS - I hope his honesty causes someone at the club to take a long hard look at how we get the best out of these really talented kids. |  | | |
| Former academy product speaks out about treatment at Town on 01:48 - Feb 25 with 3112 views | Hipsterectomy |
Sounds like Billy Reed who played for us was his grandad |  |
| Walter Smith's Barmy Army |
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| Former academy product speaks out about treatment at Town on 02:03 - Feb 25 with 3109 views | Ryorry |
| Former academy product speaks out about treatment at Town on 01:11 - Feb 25 by IPS_wich |
The thing that struck me is around the attitude when he was injured. Sadly this appears to be endemic within sport.
On a totally different level, my 15 year old son attends a school in Perth where Rowing is the ‘pinnacle’ sport. Despite showing zero interest or aptitude in any sports he chose to give Rowing a go as a 13 year old and has proven to be pretty damn good at it. He has been in the ‘A Crew’ at U14 and then U16 level. And it’s bloody hard, 04:30am starts four mornings a week for five months of the year.
Anyway, this year he is eligible to row as an under age rower in the Seniors (U18) squad. And the attitude and approach of the senior coaches has shocked us all. We’d heard stories that seniors was all about ‘manning up’ and tough love, but it has been appalling. Just after Christmas, our son’s knee was troubling him a bit, he raised it with coach and the response was basically ‘perhaps you’re too weak for senior rowing’ and other comments that questioned his commitment - despite the fact that for two seasons running before this he won an award for not missing a single training session.
The first we heard about this was three weeks later when he was explaining to an orthopaedic surgeon about why he carried on training despite his knee hurting. The end outcome is as a 15 year old he needs surgery on his knee, is out of rowing for the whole competition season and will be off all sports for 4-6 months. All because he was essentially bullied by a coach into carrying on training. We’ve raised it with the school and the response was that rowing is an elite sport and it requires the toughest coaching regime. Suffice to say our son is questioning whether he rows next year in his Senior year. It’s clearly had a hugely traumatic impact on him.
So my heart goes out to this lad and any other young men who have to suffer this BS - I hope his honesty causes someone at the club to take a long hard look at how we get the best out of these really talented kids. |
Could be it's a "modern era" thing in all sports & all professional clubs across the board - *but* - the reason I fell in love with ITFC was because, back in the '70s, we did things differently, & were a caring, "family friendly" club. Maybe that was down to just, you know, the people who ran it actually caring - the Cobbolds & Bobby Robson (& thereby no doubt backroom staff too).
Is there really any good reason we couldn't find success returning to do it that way, even in "the modern era"? Seeing as clearly the commercial alternative has seen us nosedive, what would we have to lose by giving it a try? Looking after academy kids as, well, the kids they are, might result in more parents being willing to send us their talented offspring to develop them instead of them going to premier league "factories" (as it were, not casting aspersions, just thinking of the numbers & thereby numbers 'rejected').
If ME/we could find a decent buyer ... |  |
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| Former academy product speaks out about treatment at Town on 02:18 - Feb 25 with 3111 views | BondiBlue |
Sounds like the coaches don’t realise that guys like Lewis (and no disrespect intended to him) are essentially still children. Not entirely surprising to hear some of his stories if you imagine the coach’s background - a child themselves who made it in that environment and then became a coach at the end of their playing career without any formal training in teaching children.
I remember asking one of the town academy coaches for a trial at the age of 16 after doing pretty well in one of the summer camps against some very decent players (I thought). He laughed and said I was too small. I wasn’t particularly disappointed at the time because it was a hell of a long-shot but I remember being struck by how unprofessional he was. Then you have blokes like Sean Thacker (now head of youth development at Col U I believe, who was superb with the kids. A mixed bunch, I guess. | |
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| Former academy product speaks out about treatment at Town on 03:35 - Feb 25 with 3094 views | BelsteadCav |
From my experience they only worry about 1 or 2 boys in each age group. Everyone else is there just to make the numbers up.
Plus there’s always boys there who aren’t good enough, but are in the squad because their dad is a friend of a coach. That will always happen.
I imagine it’s like it all around the country. Ipswich is no different to any other club |  |
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| Former academy product speaks out about treatment at Town on 06:36 - Feb 25 with 3029 views | textbackup |
| Former academy product speaks out about treatment at Town on 01:11 - Feb 25 by IPS_wich |
The thing that struck me is around the attitude when he was injured. Sadly this appears to be endemic within sport.
On a totally different level, my 15 year old son attends a school in Perth where Rowing is the ‘pinnacle’ sport. Despite showing zero interest or aptitude in any sports he chose to give Rowing a go as a 13 year old and has proven to be pretty damn good at it. He has been in the ‘A Crew’ at U14 and then U16 level. And it’s bloody hard, 04:30am starts four mornings a week for five months of the year.
Anyway, this year he is eligible to row as an under age rower in the Seniors (U18) squad. And the attitude and approach of the senior coaches has shocked us all. We’d heard stories that seniors was all about ‘manning up’ and tough love, but it has been appalling. Just after Christmas, our son’s knee was troubling him a bit, he raised it with coach and the response was basically ‘perhaps you’re too weak for senior rowing’ and other comments that questioned his commitment - despite the fact that for two seasons running before this he won an award for not missing a single training session.
The first we heard about this was three weeks later when he was explaining to an orthopaedic surgeon about why he carried on training despite his knee hurting. The end outcome is as a 15 year old he needs surgery on his knee, is out of rowing for the whole competition season and will be off all sports for 4-6 months. All because he was essentially bullied by a coach into carrying on training. We’ve raised it with the school and the response was that rowing is an elite sport and it requires the toughest coaching regime. Suffice to say our son is questioning whether he rows next year in his Senior year. It’s clearly had a hugely traumatic impact on him.
So my heart goes out to this lad and any other young men who have to suffer this BS - I hope his honesty causes someone at the club to take a long hard look at how we get the best out of these really talented kids. |
An ex girlfriend of mine was highly thought of at pipersvale gymnastics in Ipswich many years back, the man coach there st the time was an utter piece of sht. The things he was saying to 11-16 year old girls was awful. Nothing noncy, although I had my doubts, but attacking their weight etc.
Hence now I have daughters of my own, gymnastics is one thing I won’t actively support them doing |  |
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| Former academy product speaks out about treatment at Town on 06:52 - Feb 25 with 3003 views | 26_Paz |
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. The club is staffed by complete and utter incompetents at every level from the owner down to the caterers and stewards. |  |
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| Former academy product speaks out about treatment at Town on 07:08 - Feb 25 with 2985 views | Kieran_Knows |
The club has since appointed a ‘player care manager’ ...
Def info. |  |
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| Former academy product speaks out about treatment at Town on 07:18 - Feb 25 with 2978 views | Vic |
Feel sorry that this was his experience, but need to know if this is the norm rather than an exception before I start to criticize the academy. In any organization there is always someone who for whatever reason falls through the net of care and ends up feeling aggrieved. So basically, we need more facts and info before this is much of a story. |  |
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| Former academy product speaks out about treatment at Town on 07:25 - Feb 25 with 2971 views | hype313 |
It's a shocking tale, and like others have said they are essentially a commodity, cannon fodder for the 1 or 2 that they hope will make it.
As much as I'm sure we're not in isolation here as a club, it just proves that cost cutting exercises across the board have had a detrimental affect on the club top down. And when you're a club that has youth in its DNA, essentially your USP and you behave in this way, then word gets round quickly that going to Ipswich isn't the best place for your childs progression, then what do we have as a club?
Please sell the club Marcus, it's been one unmitigated disaster after another in your time here. |  |
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| Former academy product speaks out about treatment at Town on 08:42 - Feb 25 with 2882 views | Leaky |
| Former academy product speaks out about treatment at Town on 22:51 - Feb 24 by Bluefish |
I've got a couple of mates chasing the dream through their kids. They have abandoned everything to drive them to these clubs a couple of times a week. There is a small chance they could make it but an enormous chance they will waste their childhood and fall out of love with the game.
Most top sides just look for kids that are big and/or quick and then try to teach them robotic football. As soon as the growing stops or a bigger quicker kid comes along they are thrown out.
It is scandalous, so many end up losing love of the game and giving up altogether I have seen so many do it. The way you are taught in a academies doesn't always fit the non league game and the love is lost |
My grandson had a similar experience at Posh. Coaches were paid a bonus on kids reaching certain levels, so were only interested as you say in bigger faster kids. He's now playing non league football runs his own business |  | | |
| Former academy product speaks out about treatment at Town on 08:47 - Feb 25 with 2876 views | itfcjoe |
Not a good read, but obviously only one side of the story.
Some boys, and I'd include Lewis in this from the outside looking in, get put in pretty rubbish situations - brought in having not been at the club before, but also not brought in as the highly rated ones who get pushed along.
A long way from home, and in he squad filler role - things have to go very right to make it from there.
A tough balance to strike from club between ensuring they can mentally take what is required to be a first team footballer, and that the fact they are still children.......16 and 17 year olds are very different from even 20 years ago - soft isn't the right word, but they are much more sensitive to what is said, and on the flip side much surer of what they believe is right and wrong.
But again a case of being understaffed and costs cut in key areas. |  |
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| Former academy product speaks out about treatment at Town on 09:23 - Feb 25 with 2783 views | Durovigutum |
| Former academy product speaks out about treatment at Town on 22:34 - Feb 24 by Bluefish |
I do get annoyed though when you hear bitterness from anyone involved in academies. Football is a horrendous business fueled by greed. The greed is by clubs but also by parents willing to sell their kids childhood chasing the money. I told lots of parents to stay well away from it but if you are going down that route make sure you are supporting your child properly every single step of the way. Domt get spat out and then complain, it is a ruthless cold world |
Read "No hunger in paradise". If the banks treated grads the way football clubs treat kids, there'd be mobs with pitchforks outside Barclays. |  | | |
| Former academy product speaks out about treatment at Town on 09:46 - Feb 25 with 2744 views | xrayspecs |
Elite sport is a cut throat business. There are lots of kids chasing a small number of opportunities.
XRS junior was a decent cricketer and got selected by the county development programme. When he trialed, the coach leading the session said that success for the county is for one boy in each age group to secure a professional contract.
They selected 120 boys in his age group divided into five geographical squads, who played each other twice over the course of the summer. They county age group team was selected from the best players across the squads and had their own additional county match programme. All of the players had to trial at the start of each season for inclusion in the programme. At age 14, the squad was cut to twenty and each season after, more were let go. Not one player progressed out of this age group to secure a professional contract. | | | |
| Former academy product speaks out about treatment at Town on 09:55 - Feb 25 with 2710 views | monytowbray |
Capitalism doesn’t care about your mental wellbeing and convinces us suffering is part of the process now STFU and make us some money, pt. 472814. |  |
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| Former academy product speaks out about treatment at Town on 10:50 - Feb 25 with 2646 views | stopmoaning |
I'm not entirely sure what to think about this. I am not really sure what he expected to be honest?
The coaches aren't going to be sitting down and chatting about homelife with all the youngsters, clubs have loads of them, and usually what, one welfare person, who has to deal with all that - and I bet most their time is spent dealing with the logistics. The families they are placed with are meant to help with the social side of it, settling them etc, that's why they are with families and not in a big youth hostel surely?
Some coaches will be nice, some will be tough, just like teachers. |  | | |
| Former academy product speaks out about treatment at Town on 10:53 - Feb 25 with 2637 views | Ryorry |
| Former academy product speaks out about treatment at Town on 10:50 - Feb 25 by stopmoaning |
I'm not entirely sure what to think about this. I am not really sure what he expected to be honest?
The coaches aren't going to be sitting down and chatting about homelife with all the youngsters, clubs have loads of them, and usually what, one welfare person, who has to deal with all that - and I bet most their time is spent dealing with the logistics. The families they are placed with are meant to help with the social side of it, settling them etc, that's why they are with families and not in a big youth hostel surely?
Some coaches will be nice, some will be tough, just like teachers. |
Wow, you're all heart. | |
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| Former academy product speaks out about treatment at Town on 11:29 - Feb 25 with 2575 views | monytowbray |
| Former academy product speaks out about treatment at Town on 10:50 - Feb 25 by stopmoaning |
I'm not entirely sure what to think about this. I am not really sure what he expected to be honest?
The coaches aren't going to be sitting down and chatting about homelife with all the youngsters, clubs have loads of them, and usually what, one welfare person, who has to deal with all that - and I bet most their time is spent dealing with the logistics. The families they are placed with are meant to help with the social side of it, settling them etc, that's why they are with families and not in a big youth hostel surely?
Some coaches will be nice, some will be tough, just like teachers. |
You could probably benefit from some therapy if that’s your world view. | |
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| Former academy product speaks out about treatment at Town on 12:02 - Feb 25 with 2539 views | tetchris |
Club should have a welfare officer surely? it doesn’t look good on the club when you read this sort of thing. Maybe this is one of the things Lambert is referring to when he speaks about structure of the club? | | | |
| Former academy product speaks out about treatment at Town on 12:16 - Feb 25 with 2503 views | monytowbray |
| Former academy product speaks out about treatment at Town on 12:02 - Feb 25 by tetchris |
Club should have a welfare officer surely? it doesn’t look good on the club when you read this sort of thing. Maybe this is one of the things Lambert is referring to when he speaks about structure of the club? |
How many work places are actually good at MH matters though?
Not to defend Ipswich, but it is a wider problem well beyond footballers. | |
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| Former academy product speaks out about treatment at Town on 12:31 - Feb 25 with 2485 views | Canadafan |
| Former academy product speaks out about treatment at Town on 23:11 - Feb 24 by syntaxerror |
It is nice to know that one (or more) of the First team squad were looking after him.
Chambers and Skuse get a lot of flak on here, but clearly it was one of them. |
He had a lot of support from the first team players, especially a few of the Welsh players. I hope he gets the therapy he needs and support from his family and friends. |  | | |
| Former academy product speaks out about treatment at Town on 13:26 - Feb 25 with 2425 views | TractorWood |
Quite compelling and complicated.
As a few have said it's a cut throat environment and football isn't going to make it happen for you. You have to be obviously excellent every time there are eyes on you and get lucky.
That said, we should only take on few enough that we can actually look after. [Post edited 25 Feb 2021 13:28]
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| Former academy product speaks out about treatment at Town on 14:47 - Feb 25 with 2375 views | CBBlue |
| Former academy product speaks out about treatment at Town on 01:11 - Feb 25 by IPS_wich |
The thing that struck me is around the attitude when he was injured. Sadly this appears to be endemic within sport.
On a totally different level, my 15 year old son attends a school in Perth where Rowing is the ‘pinnacle’ sport. Despite showing zero interest or aptitude in any sports he chose to give Rowing a go as a 13 year old and has proven to be pretty damn good at it. He has been in the ‘A Crew’ at U14 and then U16 level. And it’s bloody hard, 04:30am starts four mornings a week for five months of the year.
Anyway, this year he is eligible to row as an under age rower in the Seniors (U18) squad. And the attitude and approach of the senior coaches has shocked us all. We’d heard stories that seniors was all about ‘manning up’ and tough love, but it has been appalling. Just after Christmas, our son’s knee was troubling him a bit, he raised it with coach and the response was basically ‘perhaps you’re too weak for senior rowing’ and other comments that questioned his commitment - despite the fact that for two seasons running before this he won an award for not missing a single training session.
The first we heard about this was three weeks later when he was explaining to an orthopaedic surgeon about why he carried on training despite his knee hurting. The end outcome is as a 15 year old he needs surgery on his knee, is out of rowing for the whole competition season and will be off all sports for 4-6 months. All because he was essentially bullied by a coach into carrying on training. We’ve raised it with the school and the response was that rowing is an elite sport and it requires the toughest coaching regime. Suffice to say our son is questioning whether he rows next year in his Senior year. It’s clearly had a hugely traumatic impact on him.
So my heart goes out to this lad and any other young men who have to suffer this BS - I hope his honesty causes someone at the club to take a long hard look at how we get the best out of these really talented kids. |
As another poster mentioned it sounds very similar to what's coming out about gymnastics at the moment. Kids bullied into training with injuries and young girls humiliated about their weight. There's an enquiry happening into it right now and more than half of the complaints received to their helpline were referred on to police/social services etc https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/gymnastics/56027261
This, along with your example and what's happening in the academy suggests it's an issue across all sports and something really needs to be set up to support and protect all these kids. | |
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| Former academy product speaks out about treatment at Town on 14:55 - Feb 25 with 2363 views | J2BLUE |
| Former academy product speaks out about treatment at Town on 06:52 - Feb 25 by 26_Paz |
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. The club is staffed by complete and utter incompetents at every level from the owner down to the caterers and stewards. |
Including Dyer, Bramble, Butcher, Klug? Probably harsh on lots of people behinds the scenes as well. When the structure is so tightly regulated from the top then people have very limited ability to succeed. |  |
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| Former academy product speaks out about treatment at Town on 23:30 - Feb 28 with 2094 views | Melford |
| Former academy product speaks out about treatment at Town on 10:53 - Feb 25 by Ryorry |
Wow, you're all heart. |
Big clubs like Man City do that, it was in their documentary. They take these young kids and do sit them down, they take good care of them, they'll even bring the whole family from Brazil and put them up over here if it'll make him happier |  |
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