The Scottish FA has commissioned a review of Youth Development, and specifically the player development pathway, in advance of the publication of a new 10-year strategic plan.
Following the publication of the Transition Report, which looked at innovative ways of maximising game time for young Scottish talent, this latest review provides a detailed look at the fundamental structures within the player development pathway and provides recommendations to better cultivate future talent.
The review was carried out by Chief Football Officer Andy Gould and Chris Docherty, Head of Men’s Elite Strategy. It compares the existing structures within Scottish football to the most successful development strategies in world football and sport.
The key findings are incorporated within three distinct age groups – 0-5, 5-12 and 12-16 – and include:
- A gradual phasing-out of the Scottish FA’s seven Regional Performance Schools.
- An overhaul of Club Academy Scotland programme
- A focus for the national association on cultivating players at the most impressionable ages through an ‘at home’ love of the game.
- A new approach to government investment in ‘free-to-use’ municipal facilities.
- An increase in education, mentoring and development opportunities to support all stakeholders involved in player development
Andy Gould, Scottish FA Chief Football Officer: “The Review of Youth Development in Scottish Football looks into global best practice in the development of young talent and examines how we can improve the pathway for our most talented players. While this naturally looks at trends within football it also looks at the commonalities between elite talent in other sports, as well as professions such as music and the arts.
“This has been undertaken in the context of how the Scottish football player development pathway has evolved since the launch of the performance strategy more than a decade ago: which initiatives need to be refreshed and updated, and which need to be revisited entirely.
“It’s no secret Scottish football has finite financial resource, so the recommendations have been made on the principle of maximising that resource to deliver the best results for talented young players – in the words of Arsene Wenger ‘to give every talent a chance’.
“The decision to phase-out our Performance Schools is not one that we have taken lightly. Based on our evidence from the review, the national association’s focus should be on the more impressionable age of birth to 12 years old, rather than potentially duplicating or conflicting with clubs’ own development plans.
“Similarly, a country of our size cannot credibly fund 27 academies while we have a well-known and long-standing challenge in seeing academy players graduate to first-team football. At present the criteria-based system is not producing top-class players and has become, anecdotally, a tick-box exercise to unlock funding. There are various models that exist, and we need to provide a better system for Scottish football, one that helps players maximise and – crucially – realise their potential, but also provides a flexibility of academy structure that clubs can choose based on their resources.
“This review is a commitment to harnessing investment in the right areas – as proven in the case studies we have highlighted. It is also to highlight the importance of looking beyond formal, organised, structured football and looking at a holistic approach in the early years, with emphasis on mastery of the ball and love of the game: founded on a freedom of expression and increasing free-to-play environments.”
The next step is to work with all stakeholders to agree on a new model for Club Academy Scotland, including alternative games programmes, via the Scottish FA Professional Game Board.
KEY RECOMMENDATIONS
Age 0-5:
- The Scottish FA should look beyond formal, organised activity, and consider how to
begin a project which targets parents and encourages every child to have access to
multiple balls at home during infancy. - Nationwide education programme for parents on the holistic benefits of engaging their
children with a ball – this can encompass nursery and primary school age groups. - A revised player journey to include consideration to 1v1 prior to established Fun 4s and
4v4 format at early ages.
Age 5-12:
- Remove mandatory ‘Best v Best’ games programme for elite to reduce travel and
maximise contact time with the ball. - Grassroots & Children’s Education should focus on falling in love with the ball, rather
than focusing on a games-only approach. - ‘Seven Days of Practice’ principle including dual registration system to allow children to
train and play with professional clubs, grassroots clubs and in school. - Children encouraged to master the ball with daily practice and spend hours practicing
outside of organised football training programmes. - Technical “skills clinics” around the country to enhance development along with
online/YouTube presence to inspire young people. - Creating free-to-use “space to play” facilities via building football cages, campaigning
government to unlock school facilities, and creating access to indoor facilities (school
gym halls) in winter. - Innovative methods to tackle the Relative Age Effect.
- Develop a Movement Skills Curriculum with video content, to be shared with grassroots
clubs (for warm-ups) and Primary School teachers (for PE lessons). - Consider how to widen and improve the quality of workforce for grassroots football, such as
developing a deploying young coaches via C Licence Qualification and College & University
programmes related to sport, who partner with parent volunteers and deliver the Scottish
FA curriculum to children at Grassroots level.
Age 12-16:
- Reform Club Academy Scotland programme.
- Employ experts in youth development, who can work closely with our top academies on
an ongoing basis. - A strategic approach to the Youth National Team structure, focused on working with a
wider group of players for longer, including late developers. - Phase out Scottish FA Performance Schools and reallocate resource to new Scottish FA
Regional projects. - Explore the possibility of a National ‘Full Residential’, with a focus on players not
selected for academies (such as late maturing players) and those from rural areas. - Consider regional elite development centres for children born in the Islands.