School football is also really fun! There is a real tension - do you completely change a working system for the needs of the elite?
This is a fair question. Is school really the place for elite player development? Probably not.
Schools seem to think that their first XI is the elite - when the reality is at teenage years, players will be growing/playing at different rates with different needs. Do school cater for this well?
How well does it work for others in terms of providing lifelong playing, enjoyment, and skill growth - which is still relevant?
Are schools setup to provide well structured coaching programs? Do they rely on parents to coach? How do they support parents to gain skills if they are new to coaching?
I'd argue for the later group that Schools struggle to do this well, or more importantly nowhere as well as Clubs manage to do.
In Wellington John Hornal has been the major roadblock for any time of innovation in this space. His retirement after nearly three decades is at least cause for some hope that change might be possible.