Monday, 9 November 2009 10:59 PM
Most of us just sit back in the comfort of our lounges and admire the sublime skills and performances of the world’s elite footballers. Pay TV has ensured that any worthwhile game across the globe is only a press of a button away from our remote control as long as we’re prepared to get up at any ungodly hour required, since there’s a different beauty in watching a game live without knowing the result. We’re all taken aback by the stratospheric salaries, the intrigues surrounding upcoming big-name transfer deals, the often sold-out capacity stadiums and the fans’ adulation of their heroes that knows no bounds. For the majority of us, self-conscious of our lack of physical prowess, will always be followers, admirers and aficionados of the world’s greatest game. However, that’s not the case for all. How many youngsters in Australia harbour dreams of playing on the world stage and emulating their heroes? Literally tens of thousands! You see them daily in the street and in training sessions, wearing their favourite strips. It’s obligatory to have the back of football jerseys embossed with the name of their star player: Ronaldo, Torres, Messi, Gerrard are some of the few. How many of these aspiring youngsters will reach these elite football ranks? A handful at best but countless will make the attempt! Dreams are not quashed that easily, they are immune to statistical reality.
But what does it take to play professional football? What are some of the rigours that one must endure? One group of fortunate youngsters and their accompanying parents has just been exposed to this arduous journey. The South Melbourne FC Under12 football team under the supervision of coach Ange Dallas, has recently returned from a two week tour of England. The schedule was hectic. It began with a tour of Wembley and an intensive two day training session at the David Beckham academy in London. Several friendly matches were played against academy and academy-related teams from Tottenham Hotspurs, Reading, Blackburn and Bolton. The team performed admirably, winning two matches and narrowly losing the other two, with 2-1 scorelines. The whole group was hosted for lunch at the John Madejski school in Reading, a state of the art facility that ensures the educational needs of boys are not ignored while developing their football talents. There were also visits to Liverpool’s Anfield and Manchester United’s Old Trafford stadiums. In the evenings the group was able to experience first hand the atmosphere and passion of English football crowds by attending several EPL and Champions League matches.
At Tottenham’s White Hart Lane, after being put through a gruelling two hour training session, the team was paid a surprise visit by Spurs’ star midfielder David Bentley. He fielded questions by the boys and provided insights on professional football life. Later on the boys were mesmerised by a breathtaking freestyle display by football tricks master, Billy Wingrove.
What impressed everyone on the tour were the quality of infrastructure and the level of professionalism at the clubs that hosted them. Even at this young level, kids are expected to train a minimum of 15-20 hours a week. Such is the dedication required. Despite boys starting at academies at young ages, serious talent-spotting and fast-tracking doesn’t usually occur until the ages of 14-15, simply because the onset of puberty and adolescence is such a wild card. A boy’s size, height and strength can change so drastically in just a few years. Overall the trip was quite an eye-opener for all involved, from being exposed to the mechanics of football club operations to appreciating the level of hard work and commitment required to reach the top level. All the clubs commented that although they receive foreign teams often, this was the first time they had hosted such a young team from Australia. They didn’t know what to expect but were quite impressed and keen to foster links with South Melbourne FC. The steep costs and the enormous organisational effort to pull off such a trip shouldn’t be underestimated. The invaluable lessons and the everlasting memories gained from the tour will no doubt be talked about for years to come by the youngsters and their parents. We wish the boys every future success.