The Path To Academy Football Trials

1. Football Academy Scouts – how to attract enough attention for a try-out
2. Licensed Football Agents – the role of an agent to get you a try-out
3. Attending Football Trials – What to do and what not to do
4. Seeking help from Coaches – The role of a coach in getting a try-out

Try-outs Day

1. Creating a training plan – How you can approach the try-out day
2. Mental prep – Absorbing pressure and adjusting to situations
3. How not to give up – What you need to do if your try-out doesn’t go well

In any endeavor in life, be it education, relationships, or work, a strong foundation is essential for success. The same principle applies when it comes to football. With a great foundation, your chances of making it to the professional arena increase by at least 2-fold.

The foundation of this dream can start at an academy.
Kids who grow up watching football on tv idolize the football stars. They aspire to follow their footsteps and someday have their name behind a jersey.

For a player to succeed as a pro, enrollment at a Football Academy is considered the stepping stone.
An academy has a significant role in shaping you into the professional footballer you always dreamt of becoming.

This is where talent is fine-tuned into professionals. Young players who join have one shared goal – to learn the sport’s foundations while mastering the right technique to plot a path to become world-class players.

Football academies is the livewire of football. Almost all of the professional age players have spent their fair share of time with an academy.

Take a page from the most successful academy system in the world – the Barcelona Academy – La Masia. This great academy has produced the cream of talent to the world of football, and at one point, FC Barcelona fielded a team entirely of academy talent.

The proud list of Barcelona graduates starts with the maestro himself, Lionel Messi, and includes players of the stature of Victor Valdes, Gerard Pique, and Andres Iniesta.
Second to only Barcelona, Manchester United (had one of the best academy structures in history, but not anymore).

The famous class of 92 produced perhaps the greatest generation of players starting with David Beckham, Gary Neville, Ryan Gigs – players who were instrumental in United’s success in the 1990s.

The academy is what propelled United to succeed under Sir Alex Ferguson where the team took home the Premier League on 13 occasions from 1992 to 2013.

Additionally, Ajax, Benfica, Sporting Lisbon & Real Madrid to name a few, make the top 10 list of the best football academies in Europe.

Going Professional, Through The Academy System Is Tough

Today the playing field is competitive than ever before, and clubs have high expectations for selecting players. Coaches and scouts often highlight several aspects before making their move on a player.

And one of the paths to make it to the professional stage is to establish a great relationship with a professional academy early into your playing career and then build your way up
Your ticket to getting into an academy is going to be your trial.

How Do You Get Through To An Academy Football Trials?

One of the most frequented questions from aspiring footballers, their parents, and coaches is how they could make the academy football trials.

Before we jump into all the prospective ways in which you could try your luck at making it to an academy, let’s get something out in the open.

Getting a trial with a Football Academy is tough

But, it is not impossible.

In the high realms of competition, intricate details such as speed and agility might steer you away from earning your way into an academy.

So how do you get academy football trials or a try out at a professional academy? Here is a quick snapshot of all the possible ways to get a trial.

Football Academy Scouts

“one who has his intentions in the right place”

Getting your way into an academy football trials with the help of a scout is one of the best possible ways to commence your professional career.

You will find scouts everywhere in Europe, searching for the next big find. Established clubs such as Real Madrid, Manchester City, FC Barcelona have extensive scouting networks that reach the grassroots level.

Scouts even make it to university league games and junior leagues to keep tabs on prospective players.

To catch a scout’s attention, a player will need to bring his ‘A’ game. Playing the best possible form of football while staying the fittest is one way you could impress a scout.

Also, if the team you play for also excels, it helps your cause since the higher your team climbs, the more spotlight you will receive.

But to be successful and stand out, you need to show something more than tactical and technicality – but also discipline and teamwork.

A scout with the best judgment skills and one who has his intentions in the right place will look for a player who shows team spirit.

A scout knows precisely how their respective teams and academies work regionally and have the wisdom to guide you on the right track to get you a trial at the club that they represent.

Licensed Football Agents

“the registered ones”

Licensed Agents act as representatives that promote your cause to scouts and academies. An agent is your representative and has established relationships with clubs, coaches, and scouts.

Agents can range from local to international, and they take the stress and the burden off the player.

A player has his complete focus on football by having an agent and does not need to burden himself from the tiresome struggle of finding a trial.

In return, agents expect a percentage of your salary or an upfront fee for their effort (or both).

On most occasions, scouts do not have complete visibility of what you represent and your talent. But, thanks to technology, agents now rely on video content to take your player profile global.

Video footage was what sealed the deal for what is supposedly the academy signing that changed the scope of modern day football.

Barcelona’s most successful academy recruitment – the signing of Lionel Messi in 2000 came through Joseph Maria Minguella. He invited Leo Messi and his family over to Barcelona after watching a series of tapes of the 13-year-old play in Argentina.

Back then, we hadn’t been operating through the internet on a daily basis as it had not been developed yet in all parts of the world. Because of that, I had to rely on videos I received from Rosario, where Leo Messi was playing. After seeing some videotapes of his games and highlights, I decided to invite him and his entire family to Barcelona, so the people from the club could meet him
Joseph Maria Minquella

Attend Football Trials

Periodically, plenty of Football Clubs or trial companies (like Idsoccer) goes on a recruitment drive where they look to enlist potential talent. Based on where you are located, there will be open or paid trials held during selected months.

These trials try to find untapped talent as well as recently released footballers that have potential.

Academies hold trials primarily for players aged from 9-14 and 14-18, signing them young to nurture them to be professionals.

There are also football trials for ages from 19-26 depending on your nationality (Idsoccer is offering senior paid trials for EU, non-EU, African footballers), where the lookout is for more established players who can be fitting contract signings for clubs.

The tryouts are like job interviews. The coaches are the recruiters, and your interview is the time you spend showcasing your skills.

However, the catch is that there might be limited slots for these open tryouts, and/or you might also be asked to pay a fee to sign up.

Contrary to all other options available, trials might have the best chances of you getting through, especially if you are over 23 years old – out of the academy system.

Contacting An Academy Directly

Asking for an academy for a tryout by contacting them is a bold step, and you are not the first person to think of doing so.

An academy in the leading clubs in the world, such as Ajax Youth Academy, Barcelona Academy, Benfica Academy, Manchester United, Sporting Lisbon Academy, receives thousands of such requests daily.

With the excess volume of requests, expect yours to be one out of the thousands that go unread.

But with that being said, it is not entirely impossible to get an academy football trial. The top tier clubs might not entertain your plea due to the number of requests, but several second-tier or lower-tier academies are willing to give it a shot.

There are ample division I, II, III or lower division outfits in Greece, Spain, Portugal, United Kingdom and France to name a few that also have good academies and are more than willing to provide you a window to trial.

The academy will need your playing records and any other recommendations before giving you the green light to train.
You will get at least two to three days to prove your worth.

Most clubs will not honor your request, so you will need to prepare for rejection, but there might be one club that says yes out of the 50 requests you send.

Seek Help From Coaches

Another method to get yourself a trial at an academy is with the help of a coach. A coach necessarily knows inside out of your sporting career and understands your strengths and weaknesses.

Taking into consideration your capabilities, a coach can link you to a few coaches that will help you progress.

If your coach actually believes in you, he will definitely go the extra mile and send in opportunities your way.

Brazilian coach Betinho was one such individual.

He was the person behind the discovering of Neymar Jr. Betinho found this talented boy on the beach playing a game of football. Since then, Bethinho has coached the now PSG player until he landed his first professional contract.

At the age of 11, Betinho ensured that Neymar signs for Santos Football Club in Brazil – an academy that changed the life of the kid from Sao Vicente.

It was from there that he transferred to Barcelona before finding his way to PSG for a record fee.

The Next Challenge – Try-Outs Day

the real challenge starts now

While making it to a Football Academy or an academy football trial is itself a quest of its own, the real challenge opens up during your trial.

You finally made it through, and you have your trial scheduled with an academy. Here is where everything needs to be planned out and tracked until the assessment date.

A trial can be both a physical and mental challenge. You will set foot on unknown territory, adapt to conditions, and showcase your worthiness – all in a concise window.

Here’s a quick set of things that you need to keep in mind before you make your way to a trial-day

Create A Trial Training Plan

Be physically and mentally prepared to face the challenges ahead of you. You are walking into unknown territory and will need to blend in with an entirely new set of players within a short period.

Getting Your Mind In The Right Place

Mentally, you will need to play the trial in your head. A lot is riding on your plate, and a player can have shaky legs on their first run.

Remember to relax your nerves and visualize positive experiences to be more comfortable and adjust to playing in your element.

Stay Hydrated And Eat healthy

Usually, a trial can last from a few hours to a few days. During the time, you need to bring out your A-game.

For the best results, you need to have enough carbs in your system to keep going.

Make A Good First Impression

Your first impression will leave a lasting effect on the coaches on the day. Get the right training gear, and most importantly, don’t be late.

Make It Count!

Academy football trials are time trials. You have limited time to impress and don’t waste time standing around.

From the word go, try to give nothing but your best. Be ruthless on-field and put up an excellent show for the recruiters. You are there to prove a point and earn a place in the team – always remember that.

Based on what you deliver, an academy can line up a potential contract for you and plot your professional career.

Don’t Give Up

“your journey just started

Mistakes happen even during academy football trials. You might miss out on a few chances, but that does not mean that you don’t stand a chance to earn that contract.

You will need to think less about what took place and focus on the next few tasks and ensure you execute them to perfection.

And most importantly, not all trials are successful. To make it big, you will need to keep playing through the rejection. Don’t let one unsuccessful attempt halt you from making it pro.

Be determined, and things will eventually work out for you.