«Mind the gap» for the PAOK Academy youngsters
Aiming for the multi-faceted development of the personalities of their young players, and above all their holistic education, the PAOK Academy attaches particular importance to initiatives towards this end goal. On the occasion of the “Mind the gap” project, which is managed by FIFPRO (Football Players Worldwide), of which PSAPP (Panhellenic Association of Paid Football Players) is a member and aims to help players transition to a post-sports career of their choice, there was an interesting meeting at the Academy House.
Our young players from Under-19, Under-17, Under-16, and Under-15 age categories worked in groups, where they studied, recorded and presented issues related to life after football, professional rehabilitation, alternative options in cases where the football dream and goal are not achieved, as well as the mental burden when age or possible injuries put an end to the football career.
In these sessions, coaches, trainers, PAOK Academy analysts, and people who have played professionally and at the same time studied to prepare for the next steps after their playing careers, took part and talked about their own experiences. The student manager of the Academy, Ioanna Charalambous, presented the changes in school education (let’s not forget that we are talking about children who play sports, but they are primarily students), and the options for future professional rehabilitation, while the psychologist Irini Rera spoke about mental empowerment and the ways to deal with the «gap» that is inevitably created at some point in every athlete’s life.
The goal in any case is none other than to strengthen the interests and abilities of young players, which will be important resources for their future.
