So that's both boys signed by Plymouth Argyle now - we went up to Home Park to do all the paperwork with Fin this evening. They were even allowed to sneak on the pitch to knock a ball about for a bit - a rare treat. Very tough to get into the team so obviously we're very proud. There's eight lads in Fin's age group that have now been signed - that's from all over Devon and Cornwall. Great work - and will be much better for travelling to training - except for matches that is. Example - in a few weeks Billy has an away match against Birmingham on the Tuesday, Fin plays against Birmingham in the same week on the Thursday, also away! I think this could be a long term problem - well not actually a problem because we're stoked for them both, and the longer the term the better. We'll do whatever we have to do to support them. We sold the minibus in anticipation that the fuel bill may well rise - looks like it's been a smart move to switch to a Mondeo estate! Anyway, nice one Fin.
It can be a lengthy old process breaking into the team. You start with your school team, then you trial for Wadebridge. Establish yourself in that team, get spotted and you get invited to the Plymouth Development Centre at Newquay, do well there and you get invited to the Bodmin one. Then you wait for the big call which is to trial at the Centre of Excellence at Ivybridge. You can wait here for years. If you get the call you have six weeks to do your thing. It's very serious - the training is very intense. Two and a half hour sessions, pretty well non-stop skills and drills. The coaches are unbelievably dedicated to the cause and they don't take any nonsense. If you're not good enough, they send you packing. Most get sent back at this stage, only a very few who make it to trials get signed. That's why there's so many anxious parents on the side - it's not nice. If you think in Billy's team there are fourteen on the books and in Fin's, eight. Throughout Devon and Cornwall that's a lot of competition for so few places. It's a big old pyramid. Billy went to the trials very focused - played hard and signed on the dotted line prior to the six week deadline.
For Fin it's been a quicker route. With Plymouth's bigger problems - they closed down the Bodmin Development Centre for the summer break a bit earlier, but gave six of the players at a shot at an early trial at Ivybridge - one of them being Fin. You've got to take your chances and that's what Fin did. Billy and Fin are very different players - Billy's the right winger, speed merchant, quick pass and go, creates chances for others. Fin is a defender - if you've got the ball and you're heading in his direction, you should know two things - 1) Fin's going to get it back 2) it's probably going to hurt! My top tip - pass it before you get anywhere near him. That's what made their trials so interesting. Billy a bundle of energy with huge work load on and off the ball. Findog much more laid back choosing to stand his ground and pick off the players who have the cheek to play with 'his' ball. There's a lot of good players there and to be honest, there's very little to choose between them. When I watched the under 15s at training last week I tried to pick out those who stood the best chance of going on to great things. They all looked pretty similar to me!
Coming out of trials onto the team is different too. During trials the idea is to play your best, play to your strengths, show the coaches what you can do. Once signed the message is the complete opposite - they want you to try stuff that you can't do, stuff that you struggle with - so that by the end of the year your weaknesses are much improved. They get some breathing space, and of course, if play relaxed, you play well. It's a great message.
Having both boys there is fantastic - what an opportunity for them. The path now is quite simple - do what you have to do to stay in the team through the age groups, that's all you have to do. A simple path, but not an easy one. The door is open, just need to keep it that way. As the head coach says, "It's not the best player here today that will make it, but the one who puts in the most work."
ps. we're on 10%!
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