In our latest Industry Insider, we’re off to West Yorkshire and the world of academy football as we sit down with Evan Hall to talk about his role as Head of Academy Player Care, how he got here, and more.
Tell us about yourself, what do you do in your current role and what roles have you done previously?
I am currently Head of Academy Player Care at Bradford City AFC – previously I worked for 3 years as Academy Player Care Officer at West Ham United FC, and prior to this, NCS and Health Coordinator at Huddersfield Town Foundation. I have found a career path for myself supporting people and processes within football – either directly engaging with players & families to support their next steps, helping them in the moment with questions and direction they may need, or supporting the processes behind the teams to help an academy or club function and operate well.
What three words would you use to describe your role?
Evolving, differential & supportive – Player Care is a relatively new space, with continued evolution in the ways we look to support people & ways different clubs/academies operate their Player Care functions. Differential – it can be a real difference maker in the smooth and professional welcome, in particular, to people in the club or academy. A good induction creates a positive image from the off. Supportive – the base function is to make people feel cared for, with people who are there to invest time into them and support their best interests and their futures.
“Normal” isn’t a thing in sport so what does an “average” week look like for you?
In my experience, the roles have provided me with flexibility to work the hours that fit with demands and timings for those you engage with. For example, I will work later on a Monday and Friday evenings to engage with younger academy players/parents/guardians. On a Tuesday-Thursday, the hours will be more regular, working what you would expect normal working hours to be. I will always look to attend a fixture per week in an academy age group too, to be present and invested in the games of our academy.
How did you end up where you are right now? When did you know you wanted to work in sport?
I truly believe the first opportunity for me to work full-time in professional sport at West Ham United was good timing & the right luck at the right moment. It can be difficult to break into a top-level club, but taking a risk at an age I could, to move to London on an initial 1-year contract opened many doors for my future. A mentor of mine told me to always be open to moving to get that first opportunity, and I do think this is right. At Huddersfield Town Foundation in my first role, as a graduate I learnt many work skills and boosted my project management abilities, which help me to this day. And at Bradford City – I have continued to develop by taking on more responsibility for line management of multiple staff, again, keeping this forward movement. Sport has always been the career I have been best invested in making my own – there’s nothing I would rather be doing to engage my interests and contribute to making a difference.
What is your number one focus when it comes to your work?
My number one focus is to provide an honest and authentic level of support, engaging with players/families to provide them with information on realistic options and signposting to support mechanisms for their future progression. Transition is a key focus, I would say, and I have enjoyed building transition frameworks in academy player care.
What’s the most important lesson you’ve learned in your career so far?
To be diligent, organised and reliable. Keep good evidence logs of work, delivery, and be on top of your task lists (with reminders set, notes to self where needed) – and you can build a positive reputation as a dependable staff member.
What are you excited about in your industry at the moment?
Academy football is always an exciting place to work, and I would say this space excites me the most to see where those you have worked with progress to in their careers – celebrating this whether they have stayed within football, or progressed in their careers elsewhere.
If you could change one thing about your Industry, what would you change?
I would always emphasise the hard work and care that goes into supporting young academy players and their families from player care professionals across the country. There are many good people working tirelessly to try and offer positive and supportive learning experiences to young players, and who give their time and interests to look to provide positive outcomes to every player in each academy.
Sport is a hectic industry, what do you do to switch off?
Padel and general exercise! I always have to keep active and it provides some clarity before the day starts. An experience I have had when moving away from home to live in London – as I moved for the job, I dedicated a lot of hours to the role, and was available out-of-hours regularly – whilst this is needed at times, I would always recommend having a switch off and other interests for yourself too.
If you were to give a piece of advice to someone wanting to do your role, what would you say?
Be open to moving locations, gathering experiences from other relatable fields before looking to transition into professional sport and always be curious to how the skills you have developed could be transferrable to keep yourself moving forwards in new ways.
Thanks for reading our Industry Insider feature with Evan Hall! You can keep up to date with Bradford City AFC’s on X here.
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