One of the most common questions for those who dream of becoming a professional football player is where to start.
Since this is a big dream, whether it’s the player’s own dream or their family’s, it’s important to highlight some fundamental points so that you can follow the right path and achieve your goal.
With so many football schools, players, such a vast yet closed market, it’s important to take some steps to stand out.
On Scout will give you some tips that can help you on this long and competitive journey.
First, answering the question: How to become a professional football player?
There’s no magic formula; there’s a process, a lot of dedication, effort, and a bit of luck.
Tip: Evaluate your future
Before thinking about starting a career to become a professional football player, it’s important to consider some relevant questions about your future.
- Ask yourself if this dream is yours or if it belongs to someone close, like your parents or relatives. It’s important to begin the process with this in mind so that you don’t get disappointed tomorrow. After all, you’re not doing something to please someone else; you’re putting your own future at stake. In other words, the dream has to be yours, not someone else’s.
- Prioritize your studies! Consider that in the process, you may face various difficulties, including an injury that could force you to give up. If that happens, what will your future be like without a profession? Have you ever thought about that? You can indeed balance being a football player with your studies, and not only can you but you should!
- Are you willing to be far away from your family if an opportunity arises? This is another question that cannot be overlooked for those who want to become professional football players. Even at the beginning of an opportunity, you’ll probably have to give up being close to your family to maybe go live in a distant place, with people and a routine you don’t know or aren’t used to, or even speak a language you don’t know. Are you willing to do that? If the answer is no, there’s no point in trying because it will compromise your on-field performance and your future.
You might be wondering:
– Are you trying to discourage me?
No, we’re not! We just want to show you that becoming a professional football player isn’t all glamour; you will face challenges, and you’ll have to deal with them before giving up everything for your dream.
Now, let’s get to the good part?
If, for all the items mentioned above, they are well defined, and you’re certain that this is the path you want to take, let’s move on to the steps you need to take to become a professional football player.
1 – Start by practicing
To become a professional football player, you need, above all, to practice. Only regular practice will help you improve your technical skills.
We can take Cristiano Ronaldo as an example. He’s not an extremely skillful player, but he became a player well above average due to his constant training and discipline.
If we compare him to Ronaldinho Gaúcho or Neymar, Cristiano Ronaldo wouldn’t have the same specific skill that the two of them have, but he has been voted the best in the world several times precisely because of the fruit of his dedication and discipline, giving him unparalleled tactical and technical experience.
Imagine if you combine all these attributes with practice, skill, and technique; where could you go?
2 – Seek help to refine your technical and tactical skills
Alone, you won’t get anywhere. To improve your technical and tactical skills, only professionals can help you in this regard.
Look for a football school to help you enhance your skills. Here at On Scout, in our partners section, you’ll find many schools with prepared and qualified professionals to guide you, and perhaps even open the first doors for you to become a professional football player.
3 – Discover your position
Often, it’s not just because you dream of being a goal-scoring forward with fame and money that you were necessarily born to be a forward. That’s why item 2 in this text is important. A professional analyzing your playing style can help you find your best position. With their professional experience, they can tell you what your best position is based on your performance, allowing you to stand out through your skills and become a reference or the best player in that position, helping the entire team. After all, football is a team sport, not an individual one.
4 – Be responsible
To become a professional football player, it’s necessary to be responsible for your actions in your daily life and to respect those who believe in you.
Very often, you’ll have to give up a outing or a party to study, dedicate yourself, train…
Furthermore, good nutrition and good health are essential so that you can give your best when asked in training and evaluations you participate in, because only then will you stand out.
5 – Be accompanied
As mentioned earlier, alone, you won’t get anywhere, so to become a professional football player, you need (whenever possible) to be surrounded by people who can positively guide you, always aiming to support you in achieving your dream.
- If possible, be accompanied by a coach, whether from the football school or private.
- Seek physical guidance from a professional physical educator.
- Be concerned about your nutrition; only a nutritionist or dietitian can provide you with the best nutritional information to help you achieve your maximum performance.
- Your emotional balance is essential! Psychological support will help you keep “your head in the right place” as well as cope with pressures on and off the field.
– Great advice, but I can’t afford to be accompanied in the way you suggested.
That’s okay!
There are social projects in all areas related to the above, whether in colleges, football schools, or sports projects. Lack of means should not be an obstacle to you becoming a professional football player.
The best scenario is indeed to be supported by a multidisciplinary team, but this cannot and will not be an impediment. Seek assistance from specialized organizations in your city.
6 – Be seen
The best way to increase your chances of becoming a professional football player is to be seen.
For that, you’ll need to
participate in championships, tryouts, and games. After all, there might be a scout at the location who will see your skills and maybe give you the opportunity you desire.
But there’s a slightly simpler way, you know?
On Scout! Our platform exists to bridge the gap between athletes, clubs, and agents.
Your role is simply to enter all your technical, tactical, personal, and physiological data, and we at On Scout have the mission of bringing clubs, agents, and scouts into the platform, making it easier for you to be found.
We’ll leave here some profiles and channels that will help you become a professional football player.
by Juliano Alvarenga
On Scout
