‘Things getting back’: compromising player welfare
Parents, guardians and others in the support network must take a vested interest in the holistic development of the person and not just them as a player. I would go as far as saying those groups need to be more focused on the development of the whole person than anything else.
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"They are jealous but then they’re completely free aren’t they"
Love it or loathe it, the process of growing up and developing socially involves discovering our own spaces. It is something that has occurred in countless generations. But for young males who commit to professional football clubs, the process is different.
"You're taking the pi**, sort it out"
Perhaps the biggest lesson from this is that as a parent/guardian/family member, you need to understand this could be the culture of an academy, and watch for instances of it.
It's just "bants" mate
Whether this environment should be like this is a matter of wider debate, and plenty of debate exists. For us, however, at this point, what is important is that it is like this. This is an environment that you will have to thrive in to succeed in football