According to the Chinese Football Association (CFA), from 1990
to 1995, 650,000 youngsters registered as Chinese men's
footballers, reaching all-time highs. Today there are only 30,000.
Football schools have also decreased from more than 4300 to about
20. CFA Vice President Yang Yimin disclosed this information during
a speech at a seminar on national youngsters' football.
In retrospect, decision-makers made mistakes on the development
of youngsters' football after the professional reform of Chinese
football. At the beginning of the reform they neglected to
cultivate teenage reserve forces housed in local amateur football
schools. In this way, they abandoned an important channel that
could nurture teenage talents. Moreover, they did not pay enough
attention to the teenage players academic studies. This caused
parents to worry about their children's future.
In recent years, decision makers haven't directed proper support
toward local football schools, thus causing a severe lack of
footballers. Even worse, when the professional reform began
decision makers forced the professional clubs to shoulder the
responsibility of cultivating young footballers. This practice is
divorced from reality. Some football schools are
over-commercialized with bad management and employ mediocre
coaches.
"Chinese football has no chance if decision makers don't pay
sufficient attention to the teenage footballers." Yang said.
(China.org.cn by Li Xiaohua November 22, 2007)