PARENTS could pay as much as $1200 a season for their children to play junior football at an elite level, the president of one of Sydney's largest junior competitions says.
Frank Parisi, of the 15,000-player Canterbury District Soccer Football Association, said he feared a pilot program to be unveiled by Football NSW Premier League could take advantage of parents who thought their child is a budding superstar.
Children could still play in regular competitions for $140 a year but Mr Parisi said the new program, if successful, would provide an elite academy-style structure for players who could afford to pay, regardless of their ability.
''I understand it's been proposed that under this elite format, children from nine to 11 years of age will pay up to $30 an hour for a 32-week program which involves training twice a week and playing a game. I believe the prices will be higher for older kids,'' he told The Sun-Herald.
Mr Parisi warned parents risked disappointment and debt if they thought the impending program was a ticket to success.
''These are young kids we're talking about, from nine years up, who aren't fully developed,'' he said.
Mr Parisi said he already knew parents who felt pressured to pay the fees because the new Premier League system was seen as the only way their child would progress in a sport that rewards superstars with multimillion-dollar contracts.
''They see it as the pathway. They want their son to play for a high-profile team like Sydney Olympic,'' he said.
The system could be compared to the parents of a junior rugby league player paying for their son to train and play for Canterbury Bulldogs or Wests Tigers junior squads.
Supporters said, however, that the new system was no different to parents choosing between a private or public school.
''The clubs involved are also talking about putting multiple teams in age groups which means more money,'' Mr Parisi said. ''But I can't see where the eliteness is in having teams of children who pay their way into a system.''
Andy Favaloro, the president of the Southern Districts Football Association, also expressed concern at the motive behind the Premier League scheme and its expected costs.
''The Premier League has what they call a standing committee, which gets together and tries to come up with ideas on how to ensure their system is profitable and viable and so they can continue,'' he said.
The Football NSW chief executive, Eddie Moore, said the program would be closely monitored, though he repeatedly declined to put a figure on how much parents could expect to pay.
''We're very much about ensuring the assets of the game for the youth is [offered] at the most competitive prices we can present,'' he said.
''It varies by club, by postcode [because] some clubs pay very high prices to councils to hire the ground while other clubs own them, so the price structure varies.''
However, Mr Moore said children from disadvantaged financial backgrounds would not be prevented from participating in the program.
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