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So can someone shed some light as to the model in England? How do the youth there grow up in relation to club ball vs school ball etc.?



Can't speak for England, but I can for the German exchange student we had living with us.
There was no such thing as a school team, only club (they don't call it club, but I forget what they do call it).
The "club" team was almost like a mini professional league. Didn't pay them, but provided things for them (help with future "university" costs, housing, transportation,...etc)

As a side note: He absolutly loved playing high school ball. He was amazed how close knit the players were to each other. He commented he was closer to his high school team mates (that he only played with for a few months), than his German teammates that he had played with for years.

“It’s the most wonderful time of the year”