How to Choose a Soccer Academy for Your Son
Greetings from Sportcamptravel! Today we would like to discuss the process of choosing a soccer academy. A lot of thought goes into the decision-making process for families to let their son train and study in Europe for a long-term period. It is a great experience for the child to learn new languages, improve their soccer skills and get an EU education. It is also an excellent opportunity to sign with a professional club in Europe, the MLS in the United States or get a scholarship to play for a prestigious US university.
Below we will list our recommendations for choosing a soccer academy:
1. Do your research.
There are many soccer academies out there and we would recommend you do your research and see what academies offer to their players. For example: how many hours do players train per day, where do the players live, how many tournaments do the players play per month, etc. Our agency has more than 10 years of experience and is always happy to consult our clients on which academy is the best to choose for your son.
Sportcamptravel has been working with Spanish and Portuguese soccer for many years. Soccer is big part of the culture in both of these countries, which also share excellent conditions for training and a mild climate year round. Food is another high point: plenty of fruits and vegetables, seafood, etc. These two European nations harbor a very competitive soccer environment; soccer agents are always looking for the soccer stars of tomorrow by attending tournaments and friendly matches. Soccer academies create a great environment for soccer players to live in safe conditions. They have everything in one place: schools, cafeteria, 24-hour security, accommodations, and leisure activities. Also, some academies provide media exposure so your son can learn to speak with the media from a young age.
The best age to come train in Europe is 14 years old. Sometimes parents of younger players move with their kids to live in Europe. Usually, the parents rent an apartment or house not far from the academy and drop off their son in the morning and pick him up in the afternoon.
2. Plan ahead.
It is important to take visa work into consideration (if you have an EU passport, this will not be required). Some countries may require a visa, depending on your country of origin. Also, you don’t have to know Spanish or Portuguese when you come train in Spain or Portugal. All the coaches speak English and later, your son will learn the language while living in the country and going to language lessons. However, if you have some extra time, it’s a great idea to learn the basics of the language and study a bit about the culture before arriving at the academy.
3. Before coming for a long-term program, consider coming for a 2-week program.
Academies have different types of programs: summer camps, short-term programs during the year and full-time programs. Some academies have a 2-week tryout for soccer players. This is great way to experience the day-to-day routine, which is usually 5 hours per day of soccer and fitness combined, and also school in the morning. So it will give your son a first-hand perspective on how it feels to live and train overseas.
4. Ask questions.
During the 2-weeks program, your son will have a meeting with his coaches and staff to discuss any questions. Prepare any questions you may have in advance. It is a big decision so it is important that both you and your son feel comfortable in taking this next step in his soccer career. For any additional questions, Sportcamptravel is always here to help.