Forum | Bit of a dilemmaâ€¦ by Hciwspi

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Bit of a dilemmaâ€¦ 18:50 - Oct 27 with 9019 views

My lad has been training with ITFC since the U7 age group and he’s now in the U9s so progressing quite nicely. He also trains and plays on a Saturday for Kesgrave Kestrels.

At his last game there was a scout from a club in Norfolk and today I had an email inviting him to their Advance Player Development centre. Which is a lovely compliment. Now we’ve got all the Norwich jokes and mock vomiting out of our systems we need to give this some thought.

Speak to ITFC and see if they’ll offer him a place in their equivalent centres? (He’s in the elite player development centre at the moment)
Do all three (after an initial two session trial?)
Tell them to stick it and hope that he scores a hat trick against them in the future!! ðŸ˜€

Just thought I’d see what the TWTD collective would do. At the moment it’s all fun but I have the feeling things might get a little more
Serious if he takes this next step.

[Post edited 27 Oct 2022 18:53]

Bit of a dilemma… on 21:37 - Oct 27 with 3544 views

Marshalls_Mullet

Bit of a dilemma… on 21:24 - Oct 27 by Hciwspi
Yep, I want him to have fun more than anything else. That’s the most important thing for me, is that he enjoys his football. Which he does. He loves playing and loves coming to watch ITFC at Portman Road.

Do you pay a fee where he attends?

These development squads are good in that they are fun and offer good coaching, but they are more of a safety net for academies than a pathway into academies.

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Bit of a dilemma… on 21:40 - Oct 27 with 3545 views

backwaywhen

If it’s a trial and he gets rejected , think about the impact it could possibly have on him , stay at Town and enjoy .

Bit of a dilemma… on 22:22 - Oct 27 with 3469 views

Jon_456

The only opinion that matters is that of your lad.

Football at that age should be all about fun. No one’s a premier league footballer in the making at 8-9years old.

Bit of a dilemma… on 23:32 - Oct 27 with 3429 views

DinDjarin

Are this club in Norfolk going to charge you to sign on and for any required kit?

If so stay where you are.

The development squad at both Ipswich and Norwich is all part of the community football on offer and the cost at Ipswich is £280 a season and you buy your own kit. I know as my lad does it and we treat it as extra training without any expectations as the difference between the EPDC and the Academy is a million miles.

[Post edited 27 Oct 2022 23:37]

Bit of a dilemma… on 23:36 - Oct 27 with 3420 views

Vic

But your lad is 19 yrs old!

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Bit of a dilemma… on 23:37 - Oct 27 with 3420 views

Hciwspi

Bit of a dilemma… on 21:37 - Oct 27 by Marshalls_Mullet
Do you pay a fee where he attends? These development squads are good in that they are fun and offer good coaching, but they are more of a safety net for academies than a pathway into academies.

Yep, we pay ITFC and Kesgrave Kestrels a monthly fee.

Bit of a dilemma… on 23:39 - Oct 27 with 3420 views

Hciwspi

Bit of a dilemma… on 23:32 - Oct 27 by DinDjarin

[Post edited 27 Oct 2022 23:37]

We don’t know for sure at the moment, but I would assume they would charge a monthly fee and we’d have to buy the kit.

Bit of a dilemma… on 23:44 - Oct 27 with 3418 views

DinDjarin

Bit of a dilemma… on 23:39 - Oct 27 by Hciwspi
We don’t know for sure at the moment, but I would assume they would charge a monthly fee and we’d have to buy the kit.

So no different to Ipswich.

With all respect if your lad was mustard he would have been snapped up into the academy by now. Not saying it wont happen but my lad plays EJA and believe me the scouts are everywhere looking for that 1 gem.

The Community Trust Programme is great but for every 200 lads on it I would be surprised if 2 or 3 make it to the academy and from there it is probable another 1 in 100 who makes it pro. Probably no different at any other setup including those North of the border.

Its probably harder then a couple of years ago at Ipswich now to move up through the pathway as they have dropped the shadow academy and now only have the academy and numerous EPDC sites across Suffolk.

[Post edited 27 Oct 2022 23:52]

Bit of a dilemma… on 02:52 - Oct 28 with 3385 views

textbackup

My mate had the exact same situation, well kind of, only difference being ncfc scouted him first.

He then spoke to ITFC who didn’t follow up, and make any moves to sign his kid.

They begrudgingly opted for ncfc… few weeks later ITFC call him up, he tells them why he made the choice… ITFC reply ‘well you are an Ipswich fan so just sack them off’

Which yeah, sounds all fun and games, but the fact is they made no effort to get them onboard to behind with.

Fast forward a year, his boy is now in the full ncfc academy and very well thought of there. Downside being he needs to leave school at 1400 twice a week to be at their training centre for training, with a late arrival time home. Not ideal for an 8/9 year old

Ps - Up the Kestrels!! Both my daughters play for them

[Post edited 28 Oct 2022 2:58]

	We’ll be good again... one day
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Bit of a dilemma… on 07:47 - Oct 28 with 3281 views

hype313

Bit of a dilemma… on 21:24 - Oct 27 by Hciwspi
Yep, I want him to have fun more than anything else. That’s the most important thing for me, is that he enjoys his football. Which he does. He loves playing and loves coming to watch ITFC at Portman Road.

If your dream is to become a professional footballer in the UK, looking at the statistics will hardly fill you with confidence. From all the children who play in academies at the age of nine, fewer than 1% will make it professional at any level of the game.

Its quite the sobering start in reality, so if your boy is loving his football where he is then I'd say let him continue to enjoy it.

Cream always rises to the top, so he won't miss out if he is one of the 1%.

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(No subject) (n/t) on 08:13 - Oct 28 with 3263 views

Metal_Hacker

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Bit of a dilemma… on 09:27 - Oct 28 with 3192 views

Hciwspi

Thank you all for your replies and thoughts.

The general consensus seems to be is if he’s enjoying it at the moment then leave things as they are, which is what we’ll do. He’ll attend the two trials but that will be it.

It’s nice to be invited to NCFC but as a lot of you say it’s almost impossible to make it as a pro footballer. I am realistic and I do realise that. He’s good, but not THAT good.

Bit of a dilemma… on 09:43 - Oct 28 with 3171 views

HighgateBlue

Bit of a dilemma… on 09:27 - Oct 28 by Hciwspi

I'm sure you'll do what you think is best for your own child. They are all different. He's still young. You know best what he will cope with, and what would be too much at this stage.

I'm sure you'll get it right, and if you don't, well, your kid will still have a parent who cares enough about his life to put real thought into trying to allow him to achieve his potential. And that will be worth more than playing for the greatest team in East Anglia, regardless of who he ends up believing that team to be ;)

Bit of a dilemma… on 11:16 - Oct 28 with 3116 views

xrayspecs

Bit of a dilemma… on 09:27 - Oct 28 by Hciwspi

I used to coach cricket and my son was for a while part of the Surrey youth set up. When he first trialled, the boys were told that the goal of their talent development programme was to get one player a season into their first team squad. At the time, (u13s), they selected what they thought were the best 100 boys, and were organised into five district squads. They selected the county side from the district teams.

Surrey disband the district set up once the boys reach u15, and just have a county squad.

Just one player from my son's age group secured a professional contract, and he has struggled to make an impression at county level, so would not be surprised if he does not get another deal. He was also one of the star players when my son was in the district. There were others who were touted for good things, but none of them made it to a professional contract.

Elite sport is a numbers game, and only a very few will make it. Even if you do get an academy place for U17/U18 seasons, the stats says most of the players will not be playing professionally in three years time.

My son is also a good footballer and was aware of who the best players in our part of the country were in his age group - Kent, Surrey, Sussex. Callum Hudson Odoi (Chelsea) and Ryan Longman (then Brighton) were seen as the best in his age group. Rob Street (Palace) is a year younger and Amari Hutchinson (three years younger) was on Arsenal's books.

Of these Hudson Odoi will do well, he is out on loan in Germany, Longman is a regular in the championship. Street has had loan moves to Torquay, Newport and now Shrewsbury, L1 is most likely his level. Hutchinson, who played against Town last season is in the Chelsea development squad, and too early to tell where he will end up.

It is really tough to make a living playing football, so enjoy the experience for now, if he is good enough he will get more opportunities.

[Post edited 28 Oct 2022 11:20]

Bit of a dilemma… on 13:23 - Oct 28 with 3049 views

Freddies_Ears

Bit of a dilemma… on 09:27 - Oct 28 by Hciwspi

Shame you can't easily ask Terry Butcher how he felt about trialling at N@rwich. (Spoiler alert - he wasn't keen...)

Worth noting that, despite the Budgies' excellent Nest facility, Town have been hiring people from many different areas of their club, all attracted by the understanding that we are on the up. And they aren't.

Bit of a dilemma… on 17:33 - Oct 28 with 2975 views

Pablokuqi

My lad did Ipswich EPDC and Norwich PDC at U8s.
Had to go to Bury for Norwich as that was where GK centre was. He liked the Norwich coaching didn't enjoy Ipswich so stopped it. Then the Norwich GK coach left so decided not to continue with either.
It was a lot of money and time. Last season u9 he wasn't at any of them and managed to get a 8 week trial at town. Sadly unsuccessful but was great experience for him.

Was offered place in town ATC for this season but turned it down due to cost and the traveling to Needham.

Happy playing grassroots ironically also Kestrels. If you have the money and he enjoys give it a go. I know a few who are in Norwich Elites and they have got to play up at the academy a few times.

And yes the gap between ATC and academy is huge let alone between EPDC and academy. My lad played against ATC while on trial and they beat them 23-2 and they had an extra player most of the game.

As long as he is enjoying his football that is the main thing.

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