After making his professional debut in Australia, Stefan Mauk embarked on a career that would see him win the A-League and play in multiple continents. But his pathway to professional football was not easy. In this article, Mauk, now playing in Japan for Fagiano Okayama, reflects on his childhood playing football, the biggest factors in his development, and how adversity helped drive him to become a professional footballer. In This Article A Sporting Childhood Mauk traces the origins of his career back to a childhood…
talent identification
Talent Identification is an essential component of youth football; in order to help players develop, we must identify both their potential and the environment(s) in which they can receive an appropriate variety of challenges. But is our current approach to Talent ID giving kids the best opportunities to enjoy the game and thrive? Below, Nick Levett, former Head of Talent ID at the English FA, discusses competing perceptions of talent, the potential pitfalls of assessing talent in younger age groups, and how we could improve…
In this Masterclass Webinar replay, we are joined by PhD Researcher, Megan Hill from the University of Bath for an in depth discussion on growth and maturation in youth football. Talent development and understanding performance versus potential is a complex topic. The progression from childhood, through adolescence to adulthood is characterised by an individual experiencing growth, maturation, and development. This process is unique to each child, it can be slow and steady or be full of huge growth spurts and challenging injuries. These influences can…
In this article, AFC A licensed coach Andrew Oakley shares his perspective on a significant issue in Australian grassroots football. Andrew discusses the risks of trials, recruitment and talent identification, outlining the importance of belonging and cohesion in a young footballers developmental journey. Why do we keep shuffling the cards in hope of a ‘winning’ hand? At the end of every season in Australia’s youth football landscape, a ritual is repeated that isn’t doing our clubs or players any favours. The annual circus of retention,…
Ken Lynch is a High Performance Athlete Development Consultant at High Performance Sport New Zealand and works with sports people across a range of codes. Originally from Ireland, Ken is an expert in high performance athlete pathways, athlete talent identification and high performance strategy. In this Masterclass Discussion, PDP Editor, Dave Wright hosts Ken for an informative conversation about the role of HPSNZ, talent development pathways, sports science in youth sport and ensuring the athlete sits at the centre of the learning process. A fantastic…
In this Live Webinar Replay, PDP host Nick Levett & Steve Lawrence for an in depth conversation on talent identification and relative age effect. This discussion is honest and passionate as Nick and Steve debate various points. Our Masterclass Webinar discussion will include: Nick Levett is now the Head of Talent & Performance at UK Sport. At the time of this conversation, Nick was Talent Identification Manager for The FA in England where he has worked in a variety of roles. Nick’s philosophy is simple…