Quote Originally Posted by Hunter403 View Post
Your comment seems to infer that any club in B or C is idle on youth. I can assure you that my club certainly isn't and that would be the same for most clubs from a NL1 back ground.
We run 2-3 training sessions per week, have wet weather alternative football training venues, provide pre season and wet weather gym sessions, dedicated coaches and brilliant admin backing it all up.
I'd suggest that clubs like mine are far from idle and are probably more active than some previously designated NPL clubs.
The difficulty remains that talent still thinks they get a better future playing for a club whose seniors are in the NPL over the NL1 and that there is not enough talented kids out there yet.
It’ll take some time to shift the mindset.
But we are heading in the right direction.
There will be some NPL clubs happy to change their squads each year based on their first grade/NPL status and collect the $$$$, offer little in return other than a year in the jersey, players and parents move on.
Clubs that build youth and compete against the better youth teams will build their reputation accordingly. I hope. Especially this NL1 clubs that take it seriously.

Only a couple of clubs seem to be getting a good overall program from JDL, PYL to NPL.

Some clubs will always value and do youth programs better. Unfortunately, it seems the “best development” pathway involves switching clubs a few times as different clubs have different strengths.
Not necessarily a problem, but it would be the goal to give everyone development opportunities all the way through.