The aim of this presentation is to demonstrate how Hungarian football academies operate as educational environment within the secondary education system and we examined their legal environment. The Hungarian football academies, since they were established, have been closely bound to politics, to the person of the Prime Minister. We would like to learn about the academies structure, aims and methods and we take a look into the life if the academies. Besides, we would like to compare three football academies with each other in the different research’s aspect. We also outline the academies’ functions and structures and the relationships to sportpedagogy. Finally, we examine whether any of the sport academies provide opportunities for disadvantaged children. The theoretical background draws upon history and concepts related to Hungarian sport schools and talent development (Lehmann 2003, 2005, 2011). Besides, we analyzed some research’s results in abroad (Hagen 2011, Platts 2012, Trikalis et al. 2014).  We suggest that there are three very distinct types of academies. Currently, there are 17 football academies in Hungary. As previously noted we identified three types of academies. The first group is called pro-sport oriented academies, the second group is called developing academies, and the third group is named parochial support academy. The first aim of the research focuses on site visits to the academies where we chart the academies’ professional occupation and their pedagogic occupation and their legal environment. 

Our first research’s method was the fieldwork and the participant observation, so we were some trainings and team meetings. With respect to methods we used a questionnaire to seek the views of young footballers in the academies. We analyzed all 88 questionnaires among children of academies (mixed-age classes, from 12 to 19 years old). Interviews were also conducted with the three technical directors and ten coaches from the academies, and we made interviews football players who lived and improved long ago some academies. And we also analysed various documents, for example deed of foundation, some curriculum, HFA, Act on Public Education, Sports Act and homepages. When we analyzed interviews, we used Kvale’s book (2005).

We found significant differences between the three academy groups. The pro-sport oriented group has a developed infrastructure and the highest qualified coach base. For example, these academies has the most sportsgrounds and staff. The parochial support academy’s operation has a parochial structure. This academy has a similar image as developing academies. The developing academies’ structure is similar to the pro-sport oriented academies, but these academies do not have sufficient facilities, coaches do not have the highest level qualification and these academies don’t have sufficient resources. This academie’s category has the most academies in Hungary. We analyzed the interviews and we got some results. For example, satisfaction of Technical Directors and special attention to education. We got some conclusions about the research. The first is that serious professional work at the academies. A lot of coaches talked about our motivation: the love of football. All people cooperation for the focus on the common goal. This research provides a new analysis of coaches and other members of sport academies, and provides insights into the lives of young football players’. We examined the legal environment of the academies, the laws and regulations that are relevant to their existence and operation. We wished to find out at what level these institutions were defined in the various documents (HFA, Act on Public Education, Sports Act). At the end of our survey we provided a brief description of the three academies that we had examined earlier in more detail. Our results suggest that football academies are still under defined in the various legal regulations and other documents, despite some initiatives that were made earlier.

Hagen, K. (2011): Young Swedish athletes’ perceived social support and well-being in football academies. Master – thesis in sport psychology, 91 – 120 ECTS credits. School of Social and Health Sciences. University of Halmstad, Halmstadt. http://www.diva-portal.org/smash/get/diva2:446447/FULLTEXT01.pdf Kvale, S. (2005): Az interjú. Bevezetés a kvalitatív kutatás interjútechnikáiba. Jószöveg Műhely Kiadó, Budapest László, Lehmann (2003): Sportiskolai rendszer szakmai koncepciója. http://www.nupi.hu/download/sportiskola/a_sportiskolai_rendszer_szakmai_koncepcioja_lehmann_laszlo_2003.pdf László, Lehmann (2005): Az új típusú sportiskolai rendszer kiépítésének előzménye, helyzetértékelése és jövőképe. http://www.nupi.hu/download/sportiskola/sportiskola_elemzes.pdf László, Lehmann (2011): A sportiskolai rendszer, a sportiskolai típusok és formációk meghatározása és viszonyrendszere, a sportiskolák jogi és tartalmi szabályozása. http://www.nupi.hu/sportiskola/tanulmanyok Platts, C. (2012): Education and welfare in professional football academies and centres of excellence: A sociological study. University of Chester PhD thesis. http://chesterrep.openrepository.com/cdr/bitstream/10034/253657/35/chris+platts.pdf Trikalis, C., Papanikolaou, Z., Trikali, S. (2014): Developing Youth Football Academies in Greece: Managing Issues and Challenges. Department of Physical Education and Sport Science. International Journal of Sport Management Recreation & Tourism, Vol.14, p.1-20, University of Thessaly, Greece 1997 évi CLVI. törvény a közhasznú szervezetekről [Act CLVI/1997 on organizations of public benefit. http://mkogy.jogtar.hu/?page=show&docid=99700156.TV 2013. évi V. törvény a Polgári Törvénykönyvről [the Hungarian Civil Code]http://net.jogtar.hu/jr/gen/hjegy_doc.cgi?docid=A1300005.TV 2011. évi CLXXXIX. törvény a helyi önkormányzatokról [Act CLXXXIX on local governments].http://net.jogtar.hu/jr/gen/hjegy_doc.cgi?docid=A1100189.TV 2004. évi I. törvény a sportról http://net.jogtar.hu/jr/gen/hjegy_doc.cgi?docid=A0400001.TV [Act I/2004 on sports] 2011. évi CLXXV. tv. az egyesülési jogról, a közhasznú jogállásról, valamint a civil szervezetek működéséről és támogatásáról [Act CLXXV/2011 on associations, public benefit statis and the support on NGOs] http://net.jogtar.hu/jr/gen/hjegy_doc.cgi?docid=A1100175.TV A civil szervezetek gazdálkodásáról szóló 350/2011 (XII.30.) Korm. rendelethttp://net.jogtar.hu/jr/gen/hjegy_doc.cgi?docid=A1100350.KOR [Government Decree #350/2011 (XII.30.) on the financial management of NGOs] A nemzeti erőforrás miniszter 4/2011 (II.28.) számú rendelete az állami sportcélú támogatások felhasználásáról [Decree # 4/2011 (II.28.) of the HR Minister on government subsidies granted to sport] http://net.jogtar.hu/jr/gen/hjegy_doc.cgi?docid=A1100004.NEM 2011. évi CXC. törvény a köznevelésről [Act CXC/2011 on Public Education] http://net.jogtar.hu/jr/gen/hjegy_doc.cgi?docid=A1100190.TV 20/2012. (VIII. 31.) EMMI rendeleta nevelési-oktatási intézmények működéséről és a köznevelési intézmények névhasználatáról [Decree #20/2012. (VIII. 31.) EMMI of the HR Ministry on the operation and naming of institutions of public education] net.jogtar.hu/jr/gen/hjegy_doc.cgi?docid=A1200020.EMM