19 July 2017

Wednesday, July 19, 2017 ❚ dompost.co.nz B10 College Sport in association with the Massey University Journalism School Access denied: Schools lose patience f you attend a high school in Black Caps, said. Wellington, especially one of This project has thus far focused on the academies in Wellington. Today Liam Hyslop ‘‘So I do think some of these the traditional boys’ schools, young fellas are missing out a bit I the expectation is you play looks at the struggle schools in the area have in getting access to these players. not playing for their college and your sport for them. having all their mates watching. That’s fine when it comes to 34 It’s a special time in their sporting of the 35 sports College Sport career.’’ Wellington offers. Not football John Hornal retired as though, where there is growing executive director of College Sport frustration among college sports Wellington two weeks ago after 28 directors and co-ordinators about years in the job and said the the availability of footballers for football space was one of the college games. biggest challenges he had ever It comes from the ‘‘one faced. environment’’ approach football ‘‘What will happen ultimately, academies and clubs want to take and I think parents are the drivers to developing their footballers. in a lot of this as well as the They feel playing and training academies, but ultimately if the with a school team will clutter academies force the issue the their mind and detract from what schools will say ‘all right, we will they are trying to teach them. not provide football for those kids Ole Football Academy don’t let in the academies. If you’re in an their kids play or train with academy you’ve made your anyone else, while the Wellington decision of where you want to Phoenix and Kaizen academies do play’. so on a case-by-case basis when ‘‘Ultimately, the young person workloads permit. Even that leads is going to be the loser here to conflicts about perceived because they get probably a two or favouritism to some schools over three year window to play at the others. top level in their school team in Other clubs in the area have their lifetime and that provides a even taken to playing high school whole lot of opportunities around kids as low down as Capital 2 sport, not just football.’’ (fourth-tier) men’s football to Some have suggested moving preserve their one environment the top college leagues to approach, rather than allow them St Pat’s Town student Liberato Cacace, left, playing for the Wellington Phoenix under-20s in last St Pat’s footballer Manyumow Achol, right, in action for his school against Wellington College this Wednesday night to allow the to play for a college first or second season’s national league. PHOTO: PHOTOSPORT season. unavailable players to play, but XI on the weekend. that wouldn’t work given the Wellington College have 550 Keat said their football difficulties, although moreso at the director. human beings. Part of that is academies train four days per footballers out of a total roll of programme compared well with under-15 level, rather than with "I do think some of Neither Keat nor Millmow showing loyalty to, and pride in, week. 1700. Sports director Dave Keat the other operators in the area, their first XI. these young fellas expected the elite-level players to your school. Conversely, the You can’t just do away with said the aim had been to with first XI coach James Webb ‘‘Our frustration is they’re at be turning out for their first XIs. academies and clubs’ primary goal school football altogether. Moving collaborate with the academies taking his A licence, a fulltime our college and they should be are missing out a The likes of Liberato Cacace (St is to develop footballers. 45 games from college grounds to and clubs about who was available strength and conditioning coach playing for us,’’ St Pat’s director of Pat’s) and Jacob Masseurs (WC) Millmow pointed to what the council grounds isn’t really and when, but it hadn’t worked and their own artificial turf to sport, Jonathan Millmow, said. bit not playing for play regularly at Central League kids would lose socially by not feasible. this season. train on. ‘‘But it is a complex beast and I their college and level, which both directors agreed having the opportunity to play for There isn’t a silver bullet ‘‘It’s a matter of negotiation ‘‘There aren’t many clubs who don’t know what the ideal outcome was better for their development their school. The traditional solution, unfortunately. It will between the clubs and the schools can actually offers those things we is because a lot of these youngsters having all their than playing for their school. But matches will have the biggest continue to need discussion and to be perfectly honest it hasn’t offer the boys. We’re very lucky are going to these academies to get both found it hard to fathom the crowds the vast majority of the between the schools, clubs and worked because from our and we understand we’re very good coaching and try and get on mates watching." value of playing down divisions, or kids will ever get the chance to academies to work out the way perspective the clubs want lucky, there are many schools who the pathway. I don’t have a ready- Jonathan Millmow, St Pat's director only turing out in the Sunday play in front of. forward. everything and there’s not a lot of struggle, but it’s become a bit of a made answer, but I do think by of sport under-17 Capital Football ‘‘I played a bit of international However, the most important giving back. We’re really trying to frustration from our point of and large if you’re going to a competition. sport, but some of my greatest thing to remember in all this is allow these boys to play for the view.’’ college you should be playing for improve their football programme, What seems to be at the heart of memories are still playing first XV that stuck between the rock and clubs, but we also believe there is a Wellington College’s biggest them.’’ so he brought in Kaizen to help the issue is a clash of ideologies. rugby for St Pat’s Town all those the hard place are a bunch of place for them to play for the competitor, St Patrick’s College, Millmow said he was with coaching, including Stu A school’s primary focus is years ago,’’ Millmow, who played teenage boys, who, at the end of the school as well.’’ Wellington, have faced similar challenged by parents this year to Jacobs as the first XI’s technical developing the kids to be better five one-day internationals for the day, just want to play football. 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