Arsenal fans worldwide will be delighted to see 18-year-old Myles Lewis-Skelly come through the Hale End academy to the first team and perform like a star. However, there is more to be happy about from the same family, as the player’s mother Marcia Lewis is taking intentional steps towards protecting youngsters like her own son from the dark side of the world of football.
For the last few decades, there have often been breakout stars who have hit the biggest stages in the sport at a very tender age. With that kind of performance comes a certain level of attention that can easily overwhelm the best of the best, and younger players need guidance to navigate their first experience of the same.
To help such players, Marcia Lewis has earned a degree in football business and has become a qualified football agent. After doing that, she started a community initiative targeted at the parents of young professional footballers to offer them guidance and support on how to deal with their child’s journey in pro sport. In doing so, Lewis aims to make such parents aware of the ups and downs of professional football, and how each family can deal with them in the manner best-suited to them.
Marcia Lewis, mother of Arsenal’s Myles Lewis-Skelly, has earned a master’s degree in football business, qualified as an agent, and launched a community offering support and education to parents of academy footballers. pic.twitter.com/tnWWhmka5l
— Carol Radull (@CarolRadull) January 30, 2025
Marcia Lewis’ drive and poise come through from her intentions, and have trickled down to her son as well, who has been incredible for Arsenal’s first team this season as he has shown great character for a teenager.
Former wonderkids who failed to make it big
The world of football is no stranger to teenagers breaking onto the world stage and immediately being compared to former legends and greats. Several players have come through in the past where they have been likened to a Pele or a Maradona, but failed to live up to the expectations and saw their careers take some obscure turns.
In the past, players like Ravel Morrison at Manchester United, Bojan Krkic at FC Barcelona, Gai Assulin at Manchester City, and many others, have failed to realize their true potential in the sport. Be it the distractions that come with fame and money, or losing the drive to perform once they reach the top level, these players started their careers at the top but faced big falls.
To prevent this from becoming a recurring theme for a majority of the youngsters coming through in present day, Marcia Lewis’ initiative seems to be heading in the right direction.
