Rekindling the dream of becoming a star

Chapter 60 Youth Training Secrets
After all, they were students and it was impossible for them to spend several hours on a meal. When Chen Fang walked out of the restaurant, the sun was still shining in the west.

Each of them finds their own mother, goes back to their own home, takes a shower and changes clothes.

After making an appointment with Yue Gang to meet at the stadium tomorrow morning, Chen Fang grabbed Kou Feng.

Kou Feng and Han Nuo were going back to school. Chen Fang hesitated for a moment, but still wanted to talk to Kou Feng.

The two of them sat outside the hotel entrance and chatted, with Han Nuo and Sun Lexian listening.

“Does the sports school also have a contract?”

"Yes, there are two situations for entering a sports school." Although he didn't know why Chen Fang asked this, Kou Feng felt that this was not a private topic and could be discussed.

"The first type is those who come at their own expense, and the second type is those who are discovered, and for this type, they need to sign a cultivation contract."

"What kind are you?"

"The second option, but I went to the sports school at my own expense, and then after performing well, I signed the contract."

"Why are you asking this?" Kou Feng asked.

"Oh, I've never been in a sports school before, I'm quite curious. Does this kind of contract restrict you?"

"Yes, but there are several types of contracts in sports schools. Generally, it depends on the length of time. The longer the term, the more restrictive it is."

"Mine was for five years, and I signed until I was 18, but my physical development was lower than the predicted bone age at the time, so I was out of luck. Then the coach came to me and gave me some advice."

"suggestion?"

"It's actually a choice. Either terminate the contract and part ways amicably, or stop training and wait until I'm 18."

"It's a bit outrageous." Chen Fang frowned.

"Do you know how much it costs to train a professional player?" Kou Feng asked when he saw that Chen Fang didn't understand.

"A few hundred thousand or so." Chen Fang replied.

"Haha." Kou Feng laughed, and said, "The amount you mentioned is the cost for one year."

"What?" Chen Fang was shocked.

Seeing that he didn't believe it at all, Kou Feng explained in detail: "Start from U8. By the time you reach U16, it's almost clear whether you can play professionally."

"Eating, drinking, defecating and urinating for these eight years is an expense. In order to ensure nutrition and physical development, they must eat better than the average family."

"When you turn 12, you basically have to live in the school dormitory, and the expenses are even higher."

"For example, the training expenses of the coaches have to be shared by everyone. Generally, there are four or five coaches in a team in a sports school. Then there are logistics and equipment upgrades. These expenses also have to be shared."

"We are considered poor. Many sports schools in the south hire youth training coaches from Europe and the United States. The coaching fees are at least doubled."

"The next step is the competition. We have a lot of competitions. In order to match with the right opponents, we have to travel all over the country. The travel expenses are another expense."

"There is also rehabilitation, maintenance, and recovery from injuries. Everyone has to go through these a few times, and this is also necessary."

“In addition, some of the seedlings are really good, and there are monthly allowances.”

"As for clothes and sneakers, just ignore them."

Kou Feng shook his finger and asked, "How much do you think it will cost now?"

"Eight years! Two million?" Chen Fang said.

"About $200,000 a year. Among many sports, basketball is considered cheap!"

"We also have football, volleyball, and table tennis in our sports school. The cost of these is no less than basketball."

"Then doesn't that mean you've made a profit?" Chen Fang reacted.

"It's a double loss." Kou Feng sighed, "I'm not a full-time student, I'm a day student. My family also paid a lot of money. In fact, my contract is renewed every year. My best performance was when I was 12-14 years old. I developed early. I was almost 180cm tall at that time. I was also very strong. At that time, I was the top player in our team in the sports school."

"Starting from the year before last, everyone grew rapidly, and I went from being the tallest to the shortest all of a sudden."

"At that time, I started to feel very uncomfortable. I couldn't play games smoothly. But after all, the sunk cost was here, and the school didn't want to give up, so they started to inject growth hormone and take nutritional supplements. Anyway, they tried all the methods they could use, and it lasted for a year."

"And now, I'm back to school, hehe!" Kou Feng's face was full of desolation.

"This means that if this project fails, we are doomed to lose money if we continue to invest in it?" Sun Lexian couldn't help but interrupt and ask.

"That's what I mean. Maybe you don't know." Kou Feng explained, "The best seedlings are picked at the age of 12, and then picked again at the age of 14. Basically, if they are not picked at the age of 16, they can be declared dead."

"Then why sign in at 18?" Han Nuo asked curiously.

"If you don't sign until you're 18, you can wait for a free sign-up, which saves a lot of fees. You'll definitely have to extend your sign-up. We're a sports school, and the club's own youth training is 8-10 years. If you're not 22, you won't be allowed to be free."

"At 22, if no one wants you, you're basically useless!" said Sun Lexian.

"This is equivalent to calculating the value of a person in its entirety." Chen Fang said speechlessly.

"It feels like I'm in a cage." Han Nuo's face showed fear, and the look in his eyes when he looked at Kou Feng was different.

"To put it bluntly, sports schools are about selling people, and it's a long-term business." Kou Feng smiled and said, "It was because of this incident that I did some research and learned a little bit."

"If I am already over 16cm tall at the age of 190, then Shandong Hi-Speed, the former golden club, will take a fancy to me and will go to the sports school to negotiate a transfer."

"This transfer fee is called the youth training fee. Part of it is in cash and part of it is deferred."

“There are also some private youth training camps that sell directly for cash.”

"postpone?"

"Yes, when I joined the club's first team and signed a Class A contract, the club and I both had to give money to the sports school."

"But this is not absolute. The contract is not rigid and many things can be negotiated!"

"Can we talk?" Chen Fang became more energetic.

"Yes, if you are strong, any conditions are acceptable."

"Why are you asking these questions? Why, do you want to go to a sports school?" Kou Feng came back to his senses.

"I can't tell you now. I'll explain it when I have a chance." Chen Fang smiled.

Drip!

Suddenly I heard a horn, and when I looked up, it was Wang Yuan.

Wang Yuan stopped the car on the side of the road and waved to Chen Fang.

Before he could even ask, Wang Yuan rushed over and said, "Hurry up and get in the car. We have something important to do."

"Okay, uncle!" Chen Fang roughly understood what was going on, and nodded quickly, then said to Kou Feng and the others: "You guys go back first, I have something else to do here."

"Captain Chen is very busy today!" said Han Nuo.

Sun Lexian didn't respond, his eyes rolled around, and no one knew what he was thinking.

In the car, Wang Yuan explained the reason why he was so anxious.

"I was just trying it out, but the old secretary does have connections, and when he heard it was you, he agreed right away. Now everyone is here, just waiting for you to come over."

"This is too fast." Chen Fang felt it was magical.

"Good things are like this, just like waves, one after another, everything is like this."

"The old secretary was calling his student. He had worked in sports schools and youth training camps before. It was also a coincidence that this time, his second child was born and he was on leave to take care of the baby at home."

"I'm going back to the south in the next two days, so I'm just lucky."

"My name is Jin Yuan, which is a very auspicious name. When you meet me, remember to call me Teacher Jin."

"I know, thank you uncle. To be honest, I don't know how to repay you." Chen Fang was very moved. In his past and present life, Wang Yuan had always helped him. The two of them really had a bad temper.

"I should thank you for helping me play basketball. If I become famous in the future, I will have something to brag about. You are not allowed to deny it then."

"You have to admit it. Write a sign saying Wang Yuan is my mentor. Hang it around your neck and parade it through the streets to admit it!"

"Haha!" Chen Fang's description made Wang Yuan very happy. He admired this kid's frankness and confidence.

Soon, the car arrived at the suburbs, a place where towns meet.

There are mountains, water and farmland here, creating a pastoral landscape.

"The old secretary lives in that small Western-style building." Wang Yuan said, pointing to a three-story building with red tiles and white walls not far away.

When he reached the door, it was not closed, so Wang Yuan pushed it open and went in.

"Old Secretary, I brought the child here."

"Come in." An old voice came from the hall.

As I entered the living room, I saw a set of mahogany chairs placed in the middle, with a tea table in the middle. The main seat was occupied by Secretary Zheng, the coach who had taught me sports during the last game. Sitting next to him was a middle-aged man, who was looking at Chen Fang with a sharp gaze.

"Sit down." The old man glanced at Chen Fang and waved his hand.

Chen Fang sat down obediently and respectfully.

"This is Jin Yuan. He works in the south and is also involved in basketball." The old secretary did not elaborate, but just gave a brief introduction.

"Hello, Teacher Jin." Chen Fang quickly stood up to show his respect.

"Wang Yuan didn't explain your matter clearly. After all, he didn't attend the meeting." The old secretary said slowly.

Chen Fang concentrated his mind. He knew that every step was crucial now. Although he had not prepared anything recently because he was busy preparing for promotion, he had been planning in this regard since his rebirth.

"The other party's name is Liao Hui, and this is his business card." Chen Fang handed the business card to the old secretary first.

Wang Yuan nodded slightly beside him. Chen Fang was very precocious, not a brat. He knew his limits, had emotional intelligence, and was as smart as he was when playing basketball.

The old secretary took a look at it and gave it to Jin Yuan.

After reading it, the latter handed it back to Chen Fang, who quickly stood up, bent down and took it with both hands.

"That's right. The scouts' business cards are specially made for the club. The borders have textures. If you look at them with a magnifying glass, you can see the full name of the club." Jin Yuan started by sharing a piece of little-known knowledge.

Chen Fang continued: "He expressed his willingness to recruit me, and then said that he had sent my video back to the club, waiting for further confirmation."

"Yes, he doesn't have the authority to recruit directly. He is just a recommender. If the club approves his recommendation, someone will come to Nanyang soon to interview you."

"Brother Wang said that you have some concerns. It happens that I know a little about this industry. You can tell me directly. There's no need to be polite or nervous." Jin Yuan was very gentle.

"Thank you, Mr. Jin. I am mainly worried that the contract will restrict my future development." Chen Fang also got straight to the point. He is currently a student, and it is not right to be too cunning. "In fact, it means that you are not free, right?"

"Yes, I am afraid that I will not be free in the future."

Jin Yuan smiled and looked at the old secretary, whose expression did not change, so he said, "Actually, your concerns are correct."

"But there is a logical reasoning here that I need to explain to you first, and then you can look at this concern from the other side."

Seeing Chen Fang nod, Jin Yuan continued: "First of all, a profession means a business behavior, and the best constraint for business is a contract."

"The money and time that the club spends to train a person, including the quota you take up, are real expenses."

"Yes." Chen Fang agreed.

"Then as you, you need to devote time and energy."

"From a mutual perspective, the club is not doing charity. Its primary purpose is to make a profit, to get more with less. Spend one or two million and over a few years, it will turn into 10 or 20 million."

“From this perspective, the sports industry is very profitable.”

"Yes, ten times the profit is huge." Chen Fang agreed.

"Actually, this is a misunderstanding. Let me give you an example. The club's U16 and U18 teams may have about 30 to 40 players in the entire echelon. Can all of them be promoted to the first team?"

“It should be difficult.”

"I have tracking data here. Although it's from the year before last, it's basically applicable now. I can tell you that out of these 40 people, only 3-4 people will make the first team."

"The elimination rate is also 10 times?" Chen Fang was surprised.

"Yes, and he has joined the first team and signed a Category A contract. As long as he doesn't transfer, his actual value cannot be cashed in."

"To put it bluntly, at present, domestic professional clubs are losing money through youth training."

"As for ticket revenue and advertising, these are just a drop in the bucket. The club needs to rely on transfusions from sponsoring companies to sustain itself. This is the case for all clubs at the moment."

"So, every transfer between clubs is actually worth tens of millions. I'm referring to the immediate combat power."

"This is the general environment. Let's get back to the point. No contract is absolutely fair. It all depends on your own choice."

"If you think you can make the first team, then a youth contract is meaningless."

"But the reality is that many young players from the youth training system are neither good nor bad. At this time, the contract makes them very uncomfortable. They want to change places to see if they can have more hope."

"So, how to sign the contract, how many years to sign it, how to divide responsibilities between the parties, and how to share risks all need to be carefully considered word by word."

"In addition, there is another key point that needs to be noted. That is, choosing a club that suits your development prospects is the core."

"For example, Shandong Gold, now known as Expressway, has Ding Yanyu and Xiaoshaqi on the front line. If your position in the youth training is a forward, your chances of getting into the first team are much smaller. On the contrary, they are very short of defenders. If you play as a defender and show a level that matches your profession, it is a sure thing that you will get into the first team, because it costs a huge amount of money to introduce a qualified domestic defender."

"Which club do you choose? First you need to know whether you have a chance in the first team of this club."

"Have a drink of water." The old secretary suddenly spoke.

"Thank you, teacher." Jin Yuan was very respectful. After taking a sip, he continued, "Back to the original topic, the contract will definitely make you less free, because after you join the team, the club will start to provide you with training, resources, competition opportunities, food, clothing, housing, transportation, and everything else."

"As for you, you can only improve your own value and reach a professional level, so that the club's investment will not be wasted."

"On the other hand, if you don't perform well, the club won't ask you to pay compensation. When the contract expires, you will become a free agent again."

"Now who do you think is at a disadvantage?"

"Therefore, clubs are very cautious when signing youth players and the standards are very high. If you have such an opportunity, the first thing you should consider should not be the contract. This is not what a wise person would do."

"I understand. Thank you, Teacher Jin, for clearing up my doubts." Chen Fang expressed his gratitude sincerely.

"Don't be so polite. It's a great thing that Nanyang can produce a local youth training. It also makes up for the regrets of us as Nanyang people. Old Secretary, right?"

The old man snorted and looked at Chen Fang: "Last time we played, I felt that you had talent, but I didn't expect that you were only 16 years old. If I had known then, I would have called Jin Yuan over early in the morning, but gold will shine, and you were still chosen."

"Now, there are many things that you don't need to consider. Wait for the reply from Qingdao. Before you came, I informed Jin Yuan that he would not leave until this matter is finished."

The old man's words were tantamount to making it clear that he would see to the end of this matter. From Jin Yuan's conversation and comparing it with Kou Feng's previous words, Chen Fang believed in his professionalism.

"Thank you, old..." Chen Fang stood up and suddenly didn't know what to address him.

“Just call me grandpa.” The old secretary snorted.

"Thank you, Grandpa." Chen Fang shouted loudly without any hesitation.

"Well, like us Shandong men, generous and decent." The old secretary nodded.

"Beep." Wang Yuan's cell phone suddenly rang. He didn't want to answer it at first because it was a very important situation, but when he saw the caller ID, he answered it immediately.

"Well, it's me."

"Brother Liao, oh, okay, no problem, OK, see you later."

After hanging up the phone, Wang Yuan first looked at Chen Fang, then said to the old secretary and Jin Yuan: "It's done."

"It worked?" The old secretary was a little surprised, but more pleased.

"Yes, Liao Hui said that Director Zhang from the club's youth training department will come from Qingdao tomorrow."

"So he's asking you to meet him now?"

"We need to take Chen Fang to the hospital for an X-ray to measure his bone age, and also get his family's height data for reference analysis." Jin Yuan interrupted.

"Yes, he said he wanted to see Chen Fang now." Wang Yuan said.

"Chen Fang." Jin Yuan suddenly said seriously.

"Well, Mr. Jin, you go ahead."

"Has your age been changed? I heard that you are a sophomore in high school. Logically, you should be 17 now."

"No, I skipped a grade in elementary school because I was taller at the time and I had already completed the pre-reading for elementary school culture, so I skipped from fourth grade to sixth grade."

"What are your parents' plans for your life? Will they support you in going to youth training or pursuing a professional career?"

Chen Fang hesitated. He understood his parents' deep love for him, but if he went to youth training now and gave up his studies, it would be difficult for his mother to pass the test.

"Also, how tall are your parents? I can estimate your height now." Seeing that Chen Fang did not answer, Jin Yuan skipped the topic.

“我母亲的身高应该在168-170这样，父亲是186。我爷爷是182，奶奶也有160以上。”陈放开始回忆：“我二叔有183，他儿子今年18岁，有188。”

"My second aunt is 172cm tall. Her son is one year older than me this year. He was about 188cm tall during the Spring Festival."

"Is there anyone in the family who is over 190?" Jin Yuan asked.

Chen Fang shook his head: "Maybe, these two are the closest families. You need to ask your parents for details."

"That shouldn't be a problem. Now let's see if the epiphysis is still there and whether the bone age is late or early."

"With systematic training and good nutrition, 190cm should be no problem." Jin Yuan said with a relaxed expression, "I haven't watched your video yet. If you play as a guard, this height is definitely enough."

"Qingdao's defenders are not good either. Our Shandong defenders are of average quality and have a very low germination rate."

"Overall, Chen Fang's future is bright." Jin Yuan finally made the final decision.

Chen Fang was not happy at all, because height was the least of his worries. If he grew taller again, he couldn't guarantee that he would be the same as before, but it couldn't be much less.

201 is the one he is most satisfied with.

"Then let's go and meet him first?" Wang Yuan looked at Jin Yuan.

"I won't show up first, so as not to make the other party nervous and make trouble. If you have any questions, you can ask the teacher. I have been on the phone 24 hours a day."

"Then old secretary, I will take Chen Fang away first?"

"Go ahead, don't delay."

Chen Fang also bowed again to express his gratitude. After the two men left, the old man asked, "What do you think?"

"Neither humble nor overbearing, mature early."

"Thoughts?"

"He listened carefully when I was talking, but his expression changed when I mentioned whether he would play in the first team."

“It’s normal for young people to worry about this.”

"No, teacher, I can see that he seems very confident. In fact, it has only been two hours since he knew he was chosen, and he behaved very calmly. This is what makes me very interested in him."

"At least emotionally, he matches the requirements of the profession."

"He seems to have been preparing for his career a long time ago." Jin Yuan expressed his judgment.

The old man fell into deep thought. He recalled: "When Wang Yuan called me for help, we talked about how he met him. He said that Chen Fang took the initiative to apply for the game, and he was very relaxed when he was on the court. He didn't look like a 16-year-old at all."

“Not rebellious, but proud, confident but not selfish.”

"This child is worth helping."

"Don't worry, teacher."

"Are you complaining about me not letting you reveal your identity from Dongguan?" the old man asked.

"Of course not. I'm just a passer-by. Of course, this identity is quite intimidating. In fact, my authority is not high."

"That's great. You've worked so hard for so long. I heard that Dongguan is very dedicated to its local community."

"Yes, if it is Guangdong's local youth training, Dongguan treats them as their own sons. They are willing to pay for them in terms of salary and contracts. Compared with other clubs in the country, Dongguan is undoubtedly the first in youth training in terms of humanity and security."

"Then what do you think?"

"I haven't watched Chen Fang's game yet, so I can't make any promises. Of course, once it's confirmed, I believe that as long as we make a move, no one in the country can compete with us." At this point, Jin Yuan exuded a strong sense of self-confidence.

"Very good. Chen Fang is the one who has the best chance of becoming a professional in Nanyang. Please work hard."

"Don't worry, teacher. I believe Qingdao will give him a trial. Then, I will take action."

"Drink tea."

　On the last day of September, as a work that started updating on the first of this month, I updated 9 words this month and received more than 25 monthly tickets. Thank you very much! My collection is not that big! I will continue to update and advance the plot in October.

　　Starting from October, the Nanyang chapter will begin to end, and the plot will enter the [Youth Training Time]. Chen Fang will encounter stronger challenges and more exciting plots.

　　I'll say it again, even though the book has failed, it doesn't mean I've lost my passion and confidence in this story. I will use better content to provide emotional value in basketball for the readers who are following me!
　　
　
(End of this chapter)