Playing football as a hobby is a great idea but if you’re thinking of pursuing it as a career, then you need to equip yourself with the right knowledge and skills. There are several career choices in football such as coaching, managing, etc. but you need to set your heart on one domain and fuel it with passion.
How Hard It Is To Become A Pro Football Player?
Let’s put it out there; there’s no shortcut to becoming a professional player, no matter what field it is. The same goes for football; hundreds of players try out their luck to be selected for the pro leagues. However, the differences in the skills, talent, on-field presence of mind, and other factors determine who gets through.
Professional players who have made their name in the industry claim to have started training even before the age of 10, and it’s true. Most academies begin accepting junior players and many parents enroll their children in local clubs so that they can begin their journey at an early age.
That being said, it still requires vigorous training and dedication for many years to come. You can start on your own by watching live football insights, training videos, and more online. Also, you can go for Cox Internet which features NFL RedZone featuring exciting games you can learn a lot from.
Getting Started: How to be a Pro Football Player?
If you’re here that means you’ve finally decided to become a pro at football. Well, we didn’t doubt you in the first place. So, here are some tips and tricks shared by the pros that you need to keep handy for becoming a pro at football:
Finding the Right Coach
Even though you’re going training at an early age, you can still begin if you’re in your teens. But the real key is to find the right coach. You certainly don’t want to train under someone who doesn’t have the latest tactics or follows old-school gameplays.
Most people think that training with someone who watches football will help you learn. No disrespect to the parents who are inputting a great effort for their kids but without professional help, the skills of your kid will remain unpolished.
Hence, finding and training under the right coach is important because it helps in shaping your skills. Moreover, the right coach will not only help you hone your skills but also help you build the right mindset for what lies ahead.
Managing Your Diet
Diet takes a lot when it comes to preparing for any kind of sports or athletics. Considering football, it takes a lot of endurance and strength to perform on the field. Hence, it only makes sense to follow a nutritionist-advised diet.
Not only following the right kind of diet is important for sports but it also shows your passion and the will to become a pro. Scouts that are actively looking for talents keep an eye on the diet patterns of the players.
They do so because it tells a lot about the player; whether they’re willing to take on a professional diet plan and have the will to stick with it or not. Hence, if you’re looking to see yourself in the big leagues, then it’s better to start early and maintain your diet.
Joining a Team
If you think that training and playing on your own will get you noticed, then you’re wrong. No matter how small it is, you have to join a team and play locally. Scouts look for talents around the globe and they can notice a player with potential when they see one.
Remember Adam Sandler’s ‘Hustle’? He went to Spain and found a gem from a street basketball match. True, it was basketball but scouts do operate that way. So, it’s only beneficial for you to get started in a team. Be it a school or college team or even a friendly community match.
Preparing for Scouting
Once you start playing for a team, you’ll definitely find your skills and knowledge put to a good test. There are times when you learn a lot but when you’re on a field, you’re unable to do anything.
But that’s all behind now that you’re actually playing. Once you’re versed with the team, have played several matches, and competed in a couple of tournaments, let your coach know that you’re available for scouts on a talent hunt.
Your coach can definitely put up a word out there for the scouts to reach out to you. He can build your reputation and even negotiate on your behalf when approached by any scout. Meanwhile, you should be putting together your resume and adding relevant information, highlighting your education as well as football skills.
Football Careers – What Are Your Options?
From refereeing to coaching to actually playing, you’ll find your plate with several options to choose from as your career. Some people play until they can find a coaching position for a local team. Others go to play professionally and play until they retire, and later switch to coaching or even become a manager for a pro team.
Furthermore, there are positions of a physiotherapist, and dieticians, careers that lie outside the field. These positions require qualifications and certifications to get hired by local or big-league teams.
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