AI tells me
the Wellington Phoenix Academy has a total of eight age-group teams: five men's teams (U-14, U-15, U-16, U-18, and U-20) and three women's teams (U-16, U-18, and U-20).
So maybe around 120-150 kids at the Academy all up?
Can completely understand the Phoenix not publishing what the annual fees are.
A myriad of reasons why parents and the club may want to keep that in house.
But I imagine around age group football circles the approx annual fees, are an open secret, so parents can start to prepare themselves financially if they want to send little Johnny or Jane to Weenix.
And yes you would expect there will be some families paying less. That's what scholarships are for.
The majority of kids ('supporting cast') yes won't progress to the first team, let alone a European club. But there are other pathways like a free US College education (sports scholarship), that are made easier to obtain as the Academy helps open doors. I guess families have to weigh all that up, with a long term lens.
At the end of the day the Academy has been of huge benefit to the NZ football scene. How many of the current AWs squad have gone through Weenix?
And a big debt is owed to Welnix for their sizeable investment in setting it up.
the Wellington Phoenix Academy has a total of eight age-group teams: five men's teams (U-14, U-15, U-16, U-18, and U-20) and three women's teams (U-16, U-18, and U-20).
So maybe around 120-150 kids at the Academy all up?
Can completely understand the Phoenix not publishing what the annual fees are.
A myriad of reasons why parents and the club may want to keep that in house.
But I imagine around age group football circles the approx annual fees, are an open secret, so parents can start to prepare themselves financially if they want to send little Johnny or Jane to Weenix.
And yes you would expect there will be some families paying less. That's what scholarships are for.
The majority of kids ('supporting cast') yes won't progress to the first team, let alone a European club. But there are other pathways like a free US College education (sports scholarship), that are made easier to obtain as the Academy helps open doors. I guess families have to weigh all that up, with a long term lens.
At the end of the day the Academy has been of huge benefit to the NZ football scene. How many of the current AWs squad have gone through Weenix?
And a big debt is owed to Welnix for their sizeable investment in setting it up.