Getting in the game and getting on the move: family, the intergenerational contract and internal migration into football academies in Ghana

Abstract

This article examines how young Ghanaian football players and their families actively engage with the processes and decision-making that lead them to migrate internally to academies. In particular, it explores whether moving to an academy is understood within the family setting as a precursor to international migration and as such, might feature as part of a broader household livelihood strategy. Drawing on empirical data collected during nine months of ethnographic fieldwork in Ghana, the article sheds light on the experiences of players who encounter the recruitment processes employed by academies and how these are shaped and informed by Ghanaian family arrangements and in particular the social norm of intergenerational reciprocity. By uncovering these wider dynamics, this study challenges the popular assumption that African youth and their family members unambiguously view academies as vehicles for international migration and future prosperity.

Notes

1. Pseudonyms are used throughout and the names of particular academies are omitted in order to ensure the anonymity of the participants in this study.

2. The two main European academies in Ghana, the Fetteh Feyenoord academy and Red Bull Ghana, have terminated their operations in Ghana since this research was conducted.

3. Most academy players experienced a justify, which could take the form of a one-off tournament or a residential trial at an academy. Based on interviews with (former) academy players, this latter type of trial was as short as three days or upwards of several months and essentially ended when a player was either sent home or was offered a place at the academy. During such justifies, players experienced the daily routine and activities of the academy.