Kieran Shannon: How parents can nurture child’s football dream closer to home

When trying to explain to parents how they can protect their kid in this crazy football world, Stephen Finn sometimes uses the analogy of a mechanic.

Suppose that trade rather than football was the one your 16-year-old son — or daughter — had a flair and a passion for. And suppose they said that after sitting their Junior Cert they wanted to take up the apprenticeship they’d been offered.