Development Programs, Clubs and the Cost of Confusion

I am often asked by parents about development programs run by our federation.

Which one is best?
Which one matters most?
Which one will get my child noticed?

It is an understandable question, but it is also a revealing one. Because beneath it sits confusion, pressure and a quiet fear of getting it wrong.

My instinctive response is usually simple, stay with your club.

Clubs are more than development programs. They are football families. They provide belonging, continuity, identity and a place to grow over time, not just as players, but as people.

That said, I also recognise that development programs can suit some players, at certain moments, for certain reasons. Families should explore what is on offer, ask questions and make their own decisions.

What troubles me is not choice.
It is the confusion that surrounds it.

A History of Programs and Acronyms

Tasmanian football has seen a long line of development programs over the years.

TIS.
NTC.
SAP.
TSP.
Skillaroos.
NDC
FA Academy

Full-time programs.
Part-time programs.
Festivals, challenges and national championships.

Some have been well intentioned. Some have been well resourced. Some have quietly disappeared, replaced by something new with a different name and a similar promise.

For families on the outside, it can feel like a moving target. The names change. The structures shift. The purpose is often unclear.

Ironically, the complexity of the system often proves the very point parents are grappling with, that there is no single, guaranteed pathway.

We like acronyms. We like neat labels and catchy phrases that make programs sound special, exclusive and important. Kids understand them. Parents remember them. They give the impression that this is where development really happens.

But development is not a brand. And when the label matters more than the learning, we risk confusing visibility with progress.

The Fear That Sits Beneath the Choice

What I hear most often from parents is not ambition. It is fear.

If my child doesn’t get into this program, will they be overlooked?
If they don’t attend extra sessions, will they fall behind?
If they stay loyal to their club, will that be held against them?

This fear is powerful, and it shapes decisions long before any benefit is clear.

Young players worry they are missing out. Parents worry they are failing to provide opportunities. Clubs feel the pressure when players are pulled away from team environments that were working well.

Development should build confidence. Too often, it builds anxiety.

Clubs as the Original Pathway

Not that long ago, clubs were the pathway.

State teams came together at the end of the season. Players trained hard for six weeks. They played for their state, then returned to their clubs.

There were no year-round programs removing players from club environments. There were no parallel systems running alongside each other. Development happened where football lived, at clubs.

Outcomes were not worse. In some cases, they were better.

What changed was not the quality of players, but the belief that development had to be separated from community to be effective.

When Programs Become Disruptive

From a club perspective, some programs have been genuinely disruptive.

Training scheduled on club nights.
Girls’ sessions placed on Sundays, which are match days.
Players missing consistent team training.
Mixed messages about priorities and expectations.

At the same time, clubs are mandated to meet increasingly strict licensing requirements. Coaches are required to hold qualifications, or work towards them, often at significant personal cost. Academies are built, structured and resourced to develop players for senior football.

Then, in the same breath, players are removed from those environments in the name of “better development”.

It is a strange contradiction.

Especially when many club coaches are highly qualified, deeply experienced and working with players week in, week out, in real competitive environments.

One size does not fit all, particularly in a small state.

Tasmania Is Different

Tasmania’s size magnifies every issue.

We have fewer players. Fewer clubs. Smaller talent pools. Fewer places to hide mistakes.

What might work across thousands of players on the mainland does not always translate cleanly here. National technical directors quite rightly take a big-picture view. But small states need adaptive models, not replicas.

Flexibility matters.
So does context.

The Promise of Talent Identification

Development programs often come with an implied promise.

Visibility.
Selection.
Opportunity.

But talent identification is not a straight line. Late developers exist. Confidence ebbs and flows. Physical maturity varies wildly. Connection to a club environment can matter more than exposure to another session.

Removing players from clubs does not automatically make them better. In some cases, it makes them less connected, and less likely to stay in the game at all.

That cost is rarely measured.

There Is More Than One Pathway

A very close friend of my family, Andy Brennan, did not come through a state-run development program.

His pathway was through South Hobart, then South Melbourne, then Newcastle Jets.

Andy had natural talent, but he also had strong grounding, continuity and several years of coaching under Ken. He stayed connected to his club. He played regularly. He was known, trusted and supported.

That was his pathway.

It wasn’t flashy. It wasn’t branded. But it worked.

So, What Should Parents Do?

There is no single right answer.

Clubs matter.
Programs can help some players.
Fear should not drive decisions.
Belonging should count for something.

My advice is usually this:

Ask questions.
Understand the purpose of any program.
Consider the impact on club football.
And remember that development is a long game.

Clubs are not obstacles to development. They are where football lives.

There has never been one perfect pathway. There never will be.

What matters most is that young players are supported, connected and allowed to love the game long enough to see where it might take them.