The role of family and football academy in developing


 This study aimed to examine the influence of families and football academies on the
pathway to football expertise of Brazilian players. Built on the ‘contextualised skill
acquisition research’ framework, data were generated through the triangulation of
three methods: contextual analysis; participant-observation, and; interviews, with the
latter providing substantial information for the present study. Data were organised
according to the mesosystemic context of Bronfenbrenner’s bioecological model of
human development, thematically analysed, and explained through the perspective of
the framework of the ecological dynamics. The findings highlight how players navigate
through their environment in relation to the social, emotional, psychological, and
educational support they receive, as well as in relation to the clubs' supply of quality
football training programmes. The findings provide the basis for practical
recommendations to help clubs and their coaches in the task of developing and
nurturing their human talent.

