A New Standard: A New Direction
- Ian McClurg - MSc Performance Coaching
- Jul 18
- 2 min read
This week we secured direct pathways into Crystal Palace FC in the Premier League, and Sevilla FC, Real Betis, and Cádiz CF in Spain.
That's not a small update. That's a shift in what IM Play Pro is.
We didn't build this business to send players on trips. We built it to send players who are ready. Direct access to clubs at this level changes the standard we hold every player to before they travel.
Why This Changes Everything
Doors like this don't stay open for players who aren't prepared. Clubs at this level don't give second chances. One trial, one window, one impression — that's it.
So the pressure isn't on us to find opportunities anymore. We've done that. The pressure is on preparation. On making sure every player who steps onto a Crystal Palace training pitch, or a Sevilla academy field, is ready to successfully compete.
That means our standards are going up. Starting now.
Performance Assessments: Non-Negotiable
We are increasing the frequency and rigour of our Performance Assessments across every player in the program.
No player travels to the UK or Europe without hitting the required benchmark first. Not because we're gatekeeping opportunity — because we're protecting it. A player who arrives underprepared doesn't just waste their own opportunity. They damage the relationship we've built with the club, and that relationship is what makes future pathways possible for the next player behind them.
This is how professional environments work. We're not going to treat player development any differently.
The Online Training Platform Becomes the Gateway
Our Online Training Platform is getting a significant upgrade — better content, sharper individual learning plans, more direct feedback loops between what a player does at home and what we see in assessment data.
Here's what's changing: engagement on the platform is no longer optional supporting material. It is now the gateway.
Every player being considered for training or a formal trial opportunity at a professional club must be fully engaged on the platform. No exceptions. If you're not training on the platform, you're not in the conversation for selection.
That's the line, and we're holding it.
Fall Pro Club Tours — Selection Starts Now
This fall, we're running two Pro Club Tours:
Ages 12–14
Ages 15–18
Selection is open now. These tours are the proving ground for the pathways we've just secured — Crystal Palace, Sevilla, Real Betis, Cádiz — and we're building the squads for them the same way a professional academy builds a squad: on data, on evidence, on readiness.
To be eligible, a player must have:
Completed a Performance Assessment
Full, active engagement on the Online Training Platform
No shortcuts. No exceptions for reputation or history. If you want a place on one of these tours, the two boxes above have to be checked first.
Where This Leaves You
If your Performance Assessment isn't current, book it now. If you're not fully active on the Online Training Platform, that changes today.
We've done our part. We've built the pathways. Now it's about who's ready to walk through them.
If you cannot attend the August 11/12 Player ID event in Burlington, you can book an indvidual assessment here
