Pre-Academy Football: A Parent's View
Most of what is written about pre-academy football comes from clubs, coaches or companies selling sessions. Very little comes from the parents who have actually driven to training once or twice a week, stood on the side of the pitch and had the difficult conversation in the car when it ended.
So Football Parent put fourteen questions to the parent behind The Pre Academy Player, a book and Instagram account about the pre-academy years. Their son was approached by a Category 1 scout at an under-6 festival when he was only four, trained at that club's pre-academy, was let go, and later signed for another club. They write anonymously, so we have kept it that way. Their answers are below, in their own words.
About The Pre Academy Player
The Pre Academy Player
Parent and author
The author of The Pre Academy Player (2026) is a parent whose son went through pre-academy football from under-6, first at a Category 1 club and then at a second club, where he signed. The book covers that journey from start to finish, the highs, the lows and the lessons learned, for parents heading into it for the first time. They now have a younger son at the same age, and share their experience on Instagram at @the_pre_academy_player.
How the Invitation Came About
Football Parent asks
How old was your child when they started pre-academy, and how did the invitation come about?
The Pre Academy Player • Parent and author
My son was playing in an U6 tournament/festival. He was only four, almost five, so he was playing a year up.
A Category 1 scout approached me after one of the games. He had scored a good goal, so I can imagine that caught his eye, but I can also imagine someone had highlighted to the scout that he was a year below.
Who Ran the Pre-Academy
Football Parent asks
Was the pre-academy run by the club's own academy staff, or by a separate coaching company working with the club?
The Pre Academy Player • Parent and author
Yes, the pre-academy was run by the club's own academy staff, which I really liked.
What Pre-Academy Was Actually Like
Football Parent asks
What did you expect pre-academy to be, and what was it actually like?
The Pre Academy Player • Parent and author
Being the first time I had experienced it, I had absolutely no idea what it would be like. Before attending, I asked a lot of people for advice but didn't get much, which is part of the reason I wrote the book.
There are a lot of parents who have experienced pre-academy football but whose child hasn't ended up signing for an academy. I felt that some of those parents would turn their nose up at the experience a bit.
I always looked at it as free coaching with good coaches, and that's essentially what it was.
A Typical Week
Football Parent asks
What did a typical week look like: sessions, travel, time?
The Pre Academy Player • Parent and author
It depends on what stage of pre-academy you're at.
For me, at U6 and U7, it was training once a week for 1.5 hours. At U8, it was training twice a week for 1.5 hours, with games incorporated into that as well.
If you're attending multiple clubs, that could mean training almost every day. I didn't do that. I didn't feel it was necessary and actually thought it could hinder his development.
I picked one club, the one he enjoyed the most, and stuck with it.
What It Cost
Football Parent asks
Roughly what did it cost per month, including kit and travel? Were there any costs you didn't expect?
The Pre Academy Player • Parent and author
For me, the only real cost was petrol for the car.
Keeping Grassroots Football Going
Football Parent asks
Did your child keep playing grassroots football alongside it? How did that work?
The Pre Academy Player • Parent and author
Yes, he kept playing grassroots football, both games and training.
For me, that's really important at that age. That's the fun part, playing football with your friends.
Feedback and Knowing How It Was Going
Football Parent asks
How did you know how it was going? Did the coaches give feedback, and what form did it take?
The Pre Academy Player • Parent and author
There wasn't much feedback at all, but I didn't really want any, to be honest. I didn't feel the need for it.
I also felt I could judge his level and compare him to the other players quite well.
When he was at the Category 1 academy, I didn't feel he was quite at the required level at that time. When he was at his next club, I felt he was at the level and he signed.
I know it isn't as simple as that for everyone, and I probably got lucky in that sense. But from my experience, I never felt the need for much feedback because I could see it quite clearly myself.
Trust the process. Track the progress.
Track their goals and assists, log their progress and keep coach feedback in one place, season after season.
The Hardest Moment
Football Parent asks
What was the hardest moment, for you and for your child?
The Pre Academy Player • Parent and author
The hardest part for both of us was telling him that the Category 1 club didn't want him back anymore.
He cried his eyes out, which in turn affected me. At the time, I didn't fully understand what he was so upset about, but I later realised it was the fact that, in his mind, he had been told he wasn't good enough.
It was the hardest moment, but also one of the best things that happened. He was a different boy after that day.
The Waiting and the Comparing
Football Parent asks
How did you handle the waiting, and the comparing with other parents?
The Pre Academy Player • Parent and author
I steered clear of all the pitch-side parent chit-chat. I would only really engage in conversation with people I knew on a personal level.
I didn't feel the need to get involved. There can be a lot of gloating, gossiping and comparing, and I'm just not interested in that, to be honest.
What Nobody Tells You at the Start
Football Parent asks
What did nobody tell you at the start that you wish they had?
The Pre Academy Player • Parent and author
Nothing in particular.
One thing I always tell parents of five and six-year-olds is that there is no rush because there really isn't.
Going into a pre-academy at such a young age could potentially cause more harm than good. That said, it all depends on the individual child, so you have to be careful because there isn't one right or wrong answer.
What Happened After Pre-Academy
Football Parent asks
What happened after pre-academy?
The Pre Academy Player • Parent and author
For me, it ended well.
My son ended up at a club that suits him, a club he enjoys and a club that I think has a great setup and coaching staff.
We got lucky to a certain extent because I know there are so many families whose journeys didn't end the same way.
Would They Do It Again?
Football Parent asks
Would you do it again? What would you do differently?
The Pre Academy Player • Parent and author
Yes, I would do it all again and, with him, I would do it exactly the same way.
But with my younger son, I would do things differently based on what I've learnt.
The reason is simple: he is a different child with a different personality, and the way I approached it the first time may not necessarily be what's best for him.
Advice for a Parent Whose Child Has Just Been Invited
Football Parent asks
What's the one thing you'd say to a parent whose child has just been invited to a pre-academy?
The Pre Academy Player • Parent and author
Don't even think about your child becoming a professional footballer. The chances are so slim that you're only setting yourself up for disappointment if that becomes the focus.
Rather than thinking about the long-term goal, focus on the short-term goals and enjoy the small moments along the way.
Don't chase academy football. Let academy football chase you.
Why They Wrote the Book
Football Parent asks
Why did you write the book, and who is it for?
The Pre Academy Player • Parent and author
The main reason I wrote the book was to help people who are going into the unknown of the pre-academy journey and to help them understand what it can actually be like.
Being around this age group again with my younger son, I also get asked a lot of questions about pre-academy football. I felt that putting my experiences and opinions into a book could help answer some of those questions and give parents a better understanding of the journey.
Final Thoughts
What comes through in these answers is how ordinary pre-academy football can be when a parent refuses to make it bigger than it is. One session a week at under-6 and under-7, two at under-8. Petrol as the only real cost. Grassroots football carried on alongside it, because that is where the fun is. One club, chosen because the child enjoyed it most, rather than several at once. If you want the structure behind all this, our guide to what pre-academy football is and what ages it covers sets it out.
A few points are worth drawing out for parents at the start. Very little feedback is normal at this stage, so don't read silence as a bad sign. Being let go by a Category 1 club is not the end of the road: this family's son signed at the next club, and our guide to understanding academy release covers how to handle that conversation at home. Keeping grassroots going matters too, and you can read more on whether academy players can still play grassroots football. And if you are tempted to sign up to several clubs at once, it is worth reading how much training is too much before you do.
The line most parents will remember is the last one: don't chase academy football, let academy football chase you.
The full story, with the highs, the lows and the lessons learned along the way, is in their book The Pre Academy Player. You can also follow them on Instagram at @the_pre_academy_player.
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Editor's Note
The views expressed in this interview are those of the author of The Pre Academy Player, who writes anonymously. Football Parent regularly interviews coaches, experts and parents to present a range of perspectives on youth football.
