It’s incredibly frustrating when you know that you are a good player, but you can’t seem to get that lucky break. Your coach tells you, your dad tells you, even your team mates say it; “You’re a great player. You could go far.”
Sure, but how?
Luck. You can be lucky. You can be playing in a match where a scout or coach is present looking for a player like you. The coach is looking for someone at your level and likes what he sees. After the match he invites you to a trial at the club that he is representing. But that won’t happen every day. If ever. No, you need much more than luck. You need a plan.
Getting a club trial is a difficult thing to achieve on your own, but there are ways to get yourself in front of the right people. The show case event is one of those ways.
A showcase is either a full or half day event where you can play and train in front of invited scouts and club representatives from clubs of all levels. Should you perform at a high enough level you may be invited to the club training ground for a trial.
What if I get chosen?
Any player whose details are requested by a pro or semi-professional club will and invited to trial, will be contacted as soon as possible by a member of our team. We will not share your personal details with anyone without first gaining express permission from the player (if over 18) or a parent for those under 18.
Should you be selected for a club trial then the club will contact you once your details have been shared, to arrange the details of your visit. In some cases clubs may ask us to liaise with you in order to arrange such a visit.
What happens at a club trial?
A club trial can take many different formats and will vary from club to club. Some clubs will invite players to train with their youth academy. This allows them to observe how a player measures up against those players who have already been signed. Some clubs have “shadow squads” or “development squads” which run alongside their academy cohort. These squads may act as feeders into the main academy squad. So players may be invited to these sessions, too. In summary, a club trial gives a player a more extended opportunity to showcase their skill directly to a club’s coaching personnel, on their premises to see if the opinion of the scout concurs with that of the club.
Some clubs track players during the season that they have spotted at a Showcase event. If they feel a player is worth watching, but haven’t got any suitable vacancies or feel that the player is currently not at a high enough level, they may send regional scouts to watch them in a competitive match play situation. Should such a trial be requested, we would inform the player and / or his parents or guardians.
So, the Showcase is the way to go. To get that first step up. After that, it’s up to you to show your best.
IH Manchester have been organising Showcase events for a while now. Scouts from Manchester City, Manchester United (Emerging Talent Squad), Everton and other Premier League clubs attend and are looking for good, new young players just like you. Scouts and coaches from lower league local clubs will also be attending, including those from grass roots amateur teams and semi-pro clubs.
But, you have to make that first important move yourself. And sign up to a Showcase event. IHM Football Academy’s next Showcase is on Wednesday 17 April at the 10 Acres Training Ground.
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