The development of a football academy at Paola Hibernians Nursery : a feasibility study

Abstract

Football (also known as soccer) is a group sport which transmits social values and psychological values to its players. Apart from learning the game itself, football enhances the relationship with the environment surrounding its players, including group identification. Participation in football itself enhances the players’ self- discipline, responsibility, punctuality, good communication and manners. This kind | of sport offers its players the possibility of adopting a healthy lifestyle including the importance given to physical fitness, well-being and nutnition. “People play and watch soccer because they love the game itself and they experience inner feelings of enjoyment, satisfaction, and achievement trough playing soccer.” (Hargreaves, 1990) The objective of attaining goals helps youths to stimulate self-control while keeping them motivated in their academic and sporting life. These sociological and psychological values and the love for the game are a better explanation of what makes football, the most popular sport worldwide.