Is it Possible to Balance Performance and Well-Being in Football Academies? Dr Francesca Champ - Meaningful Sport Series

Becoming a professional footballer is a dream for so many young boys, but we know that only a very small fraction of them will ever play in senior-level professional sport. What are the implications for being involved in the talent development programmes in football academies for the identity development of these young people? What about the vast majority of youth players who never "make it"? Can they look back and say that being involved in a talent pathway was an enriching experience, despite not fulfilling their aspirations?

Dr Francesca Champ is a lecturer in Psychology in Football at Liverpool John Moores University (UK) and an applied sport psychology practitioner, who has explored these questions in her research and practice. Her doctoral research was a practitioner-researcher ethnography in a professional football environment in the UK where she delivered applied sport psychology support over three seasons. In our conversation, she shares her experiences and observations about the culture of professional football and what implications it can have for the development of youth players. Importantly, she also shares the practical ways she has worked towards supporting broader identity development in youth players.

Francesca's research has focused on psycho-social development and identity in professional football, organisational and cultural sport psychology, applied sport psychology consultancy and mental health in sport. You can read about the findings from her doctoral research in these articles:

An exploration of the experiences of elite youth footballers: The impact of organizational culture A tale of three seasons: a cultural sport psychology and gender performativity approach to practitioner identity and development in professional football 'Through the lens of ethnography': Perceptions, challenges, and experiences of an early career practitioner-researcher in professional football

And remember to follow Fran on Twitter: @fchamp1