Sonny Pike

[MK Shrimper]

From child prodigy to cabbie, screwed up by signing for Orient. :winking:

Must say I've never heard of him.

http://www.theguardian.com/football/2016/feb/25/sonny-pike-football-prodigy-head-finished

 

[londonblue]

My son was asked to join an academy at 3 years old. We said no.

If he's ever going to become a footballer the fact that he turned down an academy at 3 isn't going to make one jot of difference. What will make a difference (as far as I'm concerned) is that, by not joining the academy, he won't be playing football 3 times a week, and has time to enjoy other things such as swimming, tennis and guitar (although his guitar teacher has suggested he stop until his hands grow).

3 times a week at his age, I reckon, would have lead to him becoming bored and burnt out by the time he's 6, which is tomorrow!

 

[EastStandBlue]

My son was asked to join an academy at 3 years old. We said no.

Not doubting that for a second, but the minimum age any child can join a professional academy - even if it's pre-academy training - is nine years old. It's what's led to most grassroots clubs developing links with professional set-ups, as it allows them access to players at a younger age than is formally allowed.

(As an aside, there's a great story doing the rounds at the moment about one London club handing a nearby grassroots team a crop of U7s so they could play regular games, only for the coach appointed to them to take them all to their biggest rivals)

If you were approached about your son when he was three, I'd suggest it was either a chancer pretending to represent the pro club, or one of these now-common "development academies" who charge parents a weekly fee, promise the world and deliver very little. If you'd have accepted, I can almost guarantee the next offer would've been exclusive one-on-one sessions.

Pike's story is an interesting/damning one, but thankfully times have changed. Youth development environments, at least at the professional level, are a million miles away from what they were even five years ago, let alone 20. You wouldn't get anything like the behaviour Pike was subjected to, both from coaches and on the sidelines. Great example of this is Chelsea who now supply parents with DVDs of their child's games alongside their respective Long Term Development Plans, so they know exactly what the player is working on and when. Idea behind it is that parents then only encourage players and understand when they're played out of position or try new skills that don't immediately come off.

 

[Ricky Otto]

I remember Sonny Pike, was all over the news and TV when he signed for Ajax. Had forgotten all about him until you posted this, what a blast from the past

 

[londonblue]

Not doubting that for a second, but the minimum age any child can join a professional academy - even if it's pre-academy training - is nine years old. It's what's led to most grassroots clubs developing links with professional set-ups, as it allows them access to players at a younger age than is formally allowed.

(As an aside, there's a great story doing the rounds at the moment about one London club handing a nearby grassroots team a crop of U7s so they could play regular games, only for the coach appointed to them to take them all to their biggest rivals)

If you were approached about your son when he was three, I'd suggest it was either a chancer pretending to represent the pro club, or one of these now-common "development academies" who charge parents a weekly fee, promise the world and deliver very little. If you'd have accepted, I can almost guarantee the next offer would've been exclusive one-on-one sessions.

Pike's story is an interesting/damning one, but thankfully times have changed. Youth development environments, at least at the professional level, are a million miles away from what they were even five years ago, let alone 20. You wouldn't get anything like the behaviour Pike was subjected to, both from coaches and on the sidelines. Great example of this is Chelsea who now supply parents with DVDs of their child's games alongside their respective Long Term Development Plans, so they know exactly what the player is working on and when. Idea behind it is that parents then only encourage players and understand when they're played out of position or try new skills that don't immediately come off.

That's the other thing, it wasn't even an academy attached to a club.

This isn't a chancer in any way, it's a very well run football training facility. They work with local schools to provide after school lessons, and also provide lessons away from school. They also run their own Sunday League, where most of the players that have lessons with them also play. The academy teams have extra coaching sessions, and play against boys and girls at least a year older than themselves.

 

[MK Shrimper]

That's the other thing, it wasn't even an academy attached to a club.

This isn't a chancer in any way, it's a very well run football training facility. They work with local schools to provide after school lessons, and also provide lessons away from school. They also run their own Sunday League, where most of the players that have lessons with them also play. The academy teams have extra coaching sessions, and play against boys and girls at least a year older than themselves.

Is that one of these Kick...something or other franchises. I thought that it maybe a good idea for my daughter as she likes a kickabout. I guess the pressures on girls would be substantially less.

 

[londonblue]

Is that one of these Kick...something or other franchises. I thought that it maybe a good idea for my daughter as she likes a kickabout. I guess the pressures on girls would be substantially less.

It sounds like that, but this company don't work on a franchise system. They run everything themselves. There's also no pressure on the kids at all, they just learn to kick a ball and have loads of fun in the process, and that is how we wanted it to continue.

Nearly every school holiday is taken up with football camp with the same people, so my two have got very friendly with most of the other kids. My eldest then plays against them on a Sunday too (my youngest will next season when he's old enough). It's all very well run, and really good fun.

 

[Uncle Leo]

It's all very well run, and really good fun.

Which is, of course, the most important thing. I've started taking my lad (five) to classes on Saturday morning and he just loves it.
I do too - great to see him having such fun playing the game, even if it is pretty cold, wet and miserable most mornings at this time of year!

 

[londonblue]

Which is, of course, the most important thing. I've started taking my lad (five) to classes on Saturday morning and he just loves it.
I do too - great to see him having such fun playing the game, even if it is pretty cold, wet and miserable most mornings at this time of year!

Yep. I love watching him play. The only annoying thing is my wife does too, so I have to alternate Sundays with her! When my youngest starts next season it won't be an issue...

One thing I notice is that when my son plays against the academy teams he tries harder because he doesn't want to be beaten by boys younger than him. Maybe it's my imagination, but I also think the academy players seem to be under more pressure to win, and get quite upset when they don't.

What really makes me laugh though is that most of the players in my son's team are also in the same class at school, so afterwards we often have one of the other boys over for the rest of the afternoon, and funnily enough they go straight out into the garden and carry on playing...

 

[EastStandBlue]

That's the other thing, it wasn't even an academy attached to a club.

Ah, then if it’s not a professional academy they’re not bound by any particular rules. They’re not so much inviting your boy to train as they are inviting you to give them money.

The academy teams have extra coaching sessions, and play against boys and girls at least a year older than themselves.

There’s a massive surge of these “academies” at the moment, and I can certainly see why they’re popular. Professional set-ups are seen as the be-all and end-all, with your bog standard Charter FA grassroots clubs painted as not fit for purpose due to uneducated coaching staff and the imagery invoked by Daily Mail articles like the one on the Surrey FA earlier this week. Inspired by the likes of Coerver a lot of coaches have tried to fill the gap between the two, some even claiming to act as a conduit to get kids into academy set-ups. They claim to offer “top quality” coaching and arrange games with other “academies” to appear that they know what they’re doing, but half the time they’re no more beneficial than your archetypal Saturday/Sunday weekend outfit.

[BARNA]I got invited to coach a few sessions for a fledgling one in Eltham at the start of the season. The sessional rate was good, but the academy in question was billing itself as an early start to “your child’s future football career”. Absolute nonsense.[/BARNA]

I’d be weary of any “academy” offering that amount of coaching to kids younger than seven or eight. At that age it’s all about fundamental movements, and allowing kids to enjoy as many different sports as possible.

 

[Ricky Otto]

Ah, then if it’s not a professional academy they’re not bound by any particular rules. They’re not so much inviting your boy to train as they are inviting you to give them money.



There’s a massive surge of these “academies” at the moment, and I can certainly see why they’re popular. Professional set-ups are seen as the be-all and end-all, with your bog standard Charter FA grassroots clubs painted as not fit for purpose due to uneducated coaching staff and the imagery invoked by Daily Mail articles like the one on the Surrey FA earlier this week. Inspired by the likes of Coerver a lot of coaches have tried to fill the gap between the two, some even claiming to act as a conduit to get kids into academy set-ups. They claim to offer “top quality” coaching and arrange games with other “academies” to appear that they know what they’re doing, but half the time they’re no more beneficial than your archetypal Saturday/Sunday weekend outfit.

[BARNA]I got invited to coach a few sessions for a fledgling one in Eltham at the start of the season. The sessional rate was good, but the academy in question was billing itself as an early start to “your child’s future football career”. Absolute nonsense.[/BARNA]

I’d be weary of any “academy” offering that amount of coaching to kids younger than seven or eight. At that age it’s all about fundamental movements, and allowing kids to enjoy as many different sports as possible.

I know a couple of the guys who run PASS and whilst they have put a good few kids into clubs they don't sell it like that.

"P.A.S.S. Soccer is an independent soccer school founded in 2002 by ex-professional footballers who have a vision for all children to enjoy football and progress to the best of their ability. We have successfully coached children over the last 12 years aged between 4 and 16 who are of all different ability levels."

Dan Bentley was even picked up by Arsenal from PASS. The kids enjoying it has always been the priority with them though. Very good set up.

 

[Beefy]

I remember Sonny Pike, was all over the news and TV when he signed for Ajax. Had forgotten all about him until you posted this, what a blast from the past

I remember him being on Fantasy Football League.

 

[Floval Flyer]

I remember Sonny Pike, was all over the news and TV when he signed for Ajax. Had forgotten all about him until you posted this, what a blast from the past

Sad story that, but there have been many a child prodigy before, remember Nii Lamptey, supposed to be the next Pele, or Freddie Adu etc...

 

[Berrichonne shrimper]

That's the other thing, it wasn't even an academy attached to a club.

This isn't a chancer in any way, it's a very well run football training facility. They work with local schools to provide after school lessons, and also provide lessons away from school. They also run their own Sunday League, where most of the players that have lessons with them also play. The academy teams have extra coaching sessions, and play against boys and girls at least a year older than themselves.

So in short they just wanted to make more money out of you as a parent.

 

[Floval Flyer]

Another on was Wayne Harrison, now this is tragic...

At one point in his career, Harrison was the most expensive teenager in world football, with Liverpool paying a sizeable 250,000 pounds for his services as a 17-year-old shortly after he tore the Reds apart in Oldham's 4-0 FA Youth Cup win at Anfield in 1985.
Despite having made only five appearances for Oldham, Liverpool manager Joe Fagan paid through the nose to bring Harrison on board, telling the press at the time: "You hear reports about a special player perhaps once in 20 years. That's why we bought him."
By the time 1991 came rolling around, Harrison had already forcibly retired, having undergone more surgical procedures (23 in total, 12 on one knee alone) than years he'd been spent on the planet (22).
The cavalcade of woe began with Harrison on the very cusp of making his full Liverpool debut, when the youngster fell through a greenhouse, very nearly dying due to the amount of blood he lost.

A parade of injuries followed, including a double hernia, multiple groin problems, knee cartilage issues, a dicky shoulder and a shattered cruciate ligament that forced him into early retirement without playing a single first-team game for Liverpool.
Indeed, his body was so badly beat up by the time he retired that when Liverpool granted him an honorary testimonial game in 1992, he wasn't even fit enough to hobble into the centre circle to wave to the fans.
Sadly, Harrison died on Christmas Day in 2013 at the heartbreakingly young age of 46 after struggling with pancreatic problems.