City’s Academy

[Sexton Blake]

Excellent article by Stuart James on Devon Live. Well worth reading and it will make you really proud to say that Exeter City is your Club.

 

[IndoMike]

I often take the p+ss out of Devon Live but Stuart James" article was comprehensive and well-written imo. Hopefully DL will get to grips with City updates and match reports and also separate City's page from Torquay's page (there's enough about bleddy gulls already).

 

[Sexton Blake]

I often take the p+ss out of Devon Live but Stuart James" article was comprehensive and well-written imo. Hopefully DL will get to grips with City updates and match reports and also separate City's page from Torquay's page (there's enough about bleddy gulls already).

Agree completely about DL but credit where credit is due that was a well researched and well written article.

 

[grecian-near-hell]

HAd enough time to write it though

 

[iscalad]

HAd enough time to write it though

Do you mean while he was on holiday?

 

[Stelios]

Very proud and pleased to have our academy. Plus it's basically our only major revenue stream, isn't it?

But

The issue I've always had with all academies/youth coaching is how much is it down to the academy and how much to the natural talent of the young player? Ethan Ampadu would have been brilliant when he was 8 or 10 years old. Why have Fulham signed a 15 year old from us when there are millions of other kids around London? Why do Liverpool sign 16 year olds when they've got one of the best academies in the country and players who have been there since 8 years old? Grimes was another who had such natural skill and composure. That wasn't taught.

You clearly can't produce class players if they don't have a certain level to start with. If our academy is so good why don't we produce 3 or 4 first team players every year? Why doesn't every other academy? The natural ability seems to be determined since birth rather than at an academy.

Jordan Storey was an academy 'success' but would he have played as many times for us as he did for Preston in the Championship? I don't know. Although MT loved Dara O'Shea to be fair. If they're at the required level he will play young players I think.

 

[Andy_H]

Very proud and pleased to have our academy. Plus it's basically our only major revenue stream, isn't it?

But

The issue I've always had with all academies/youth coaching is how much is it down to the academy and how much to the natural talent of the young player? Ethan Ampadu would have been brilliant when he was 8 or 10 years old. Why have Fulham signed a 15 year old from us when there are millions of other kids around London? Why do Liverpool sign 16 year olds when they've got one of the best academies in the country and players who have been there since 8 years old? Grimes was another who had such natural skill and composure. That wasn't taught.

You clearly can't produce class players if they don't have a certain level to start with. If our academy is so good why don't we produce 3 or 4 first team players every year? Why doesn't every other academy? The natural ability seems to be determined since birth rather than at an academy.

Jordan Storey was an academy 'success' but would he have played as many times for us as he did for Preston in the Championship? I don't know. Although MT loved Dara O'Shea to be fair. If they're at the required level he will play young players I think.

So in essence the question is, is it Nature or Nurture? For me the Nature has to be there initially, to then bring about the Nurture.

 

[Boyo]

So in essence the question is, is it Nature or Nurture? For me the Nature has to be there initially, to then bring about the Nurture.

Raw talent + quality coaching = exceptional players.

Youth scouts will be primed to look for players with"natural" ability who can be coached to be quality players. Without decent coaching those with the raw talent won't make it very far.

The article provides a really interesting insight to what the Academy does and offers an explanation as to our recent successes.

 

[jrg333]

Why have Fulham signed a 15 year old from us when there are millions of other kids around London? Why do Liverpool sign 16 year olds when they've got one of the best academies in the country and players who have been there since 8 years old?

Willing to be corrected but I believe we have 'cornered the market' so to speak when it comes to south-western football talent. I do a bit of work around the South West, including Cornwall, Dorset, Somerset, and North Somerset. I regularly hear about kids playing for Exeter's academy; kids who have come up playing for small, local teams that never will have been scouted by Liverpool, etc.

While our location may discourage more established players to sign, it also helps us reach parts of the country where the 'big leagues' scouting infrastructure is poor or non-existent.

 

[Boyo]

Willing to be corrected but I believe we have 'cornered the market' so to speak when it comes to south-western football talent. I do a bit of work around the South West, including Cornwall, Dorset, Somerset, and North Somerset. I regularly hear about kids playing for Exeter's academy; kids who have come up playing for small, local teams that never will have been scouted by Liverpool, etc.

While our location may discourage more established players to sign, it also helps us reach parts of the country where the 'big leagues' scouting infrastructure is poor or non-existent.

The article includes comments from a father who regularly travels down from Bristol to our Academy, so I think there's probably some truth in what you say. I guess the requirement to train three times per week and play games does limit travelling distances. The massive Clubs in the NW and London are just too far for Devon kids still at school. That said, I'm aware of at least one Exeter based boy on Southampton's books. His parents make the round trip to Southampton twice per week.