Our focus this week is on the nurturing of academy footballers that goes beyond simply developing them as footballers. There is a need to develop them as human beings, as rounded individuals, and to ensure they are mentally prepared to deal with life’s stresses as much as they are the stresses of football.
Joe Francis, head of education and welfare at Charlton Athletic, lives and breaths with a desire to support young people. Young people. And that is key. To him, the young people that enter Charlton’s academy are exactly that. People first, footballers second.
We talk about the importance of the language that needs to be used to ensure the mental wellbeing of those within the academy is protected, the personal development the club seeks to ensure takes place through its player care programme, the opportunities for education for players at academy level and beyond that is one of several options to avoid the development of a dangerous athletic identity, creating life-long relationships that don’t simply end once a player’s time in the academy is over, and the improvement that is happening across all academies as the focus on education and wellbeing intensifies.
If you’re new here, follow the podcast on Twitter and Instagram @WellBallingPod. Follow me on Twitter and Instagram @K_AndrewsPhotos, and most importantly of all, keep well, keep safe, and keep talking about mental health.
