What are the odds that your child will be the next Lionel Messi? Researchers in Europe found that 6% of young players in Spain end up going pro. The study examined 10 years of data from 198 male soccer players in Spanish soccer academies. “95% of teenage players aren’t ‘making it’ to pro football,” Dr. Jason Moran said. “Yet they are continuing through these academies incurring the stresses and strains that go with intensive professional training,” Future professional ball players tended to show higher levels of self-confidence and superior ball control skills. Shooting and passing ability did not correlate with going pro. (Study Finds)
Phone Topic: Do you think competitive environments are good for children?