khenry has pointed out that America has this plan and information guide in their forums which is very useful for training prospects. It also contains links to some very important information that everyone should keep in mind.
Train a U21 player? What's in it for me?Quite a bit! Unlike the National Team, any manager in any league has the means to train a U21 worthy player. And there are real and tangible benefits to do so:
1. Increased merchandise money for your team. That's right, you get more merchandise money every week that your player is on the team. Seriously, you get paid for it.
2. Owning a quality young player. At the end of spending four seasons training a rookie, you will have a young, well trained, and valuable player. This is a player that will not depreciate in skills for at least 12 more seasons, a player that you may be able to continue training as some freakish monster superstud, or a player whose youth and skills will command a premium price on the transfer list. There are no bad options having a player with youth and ability!
3. Play the game better Especially for new or lower division managers, training a U21 player is an excellent way to learn the details and skills of the game and become a better manager. 48 minute single-position training, game shape management, and understanding training pops and the elastic effect are just some of the more advanced game skills that you master when training a U21 prospect.
Sounds too good to be true. What's the catch?The catch is that there is no guarantee that your player will be put on the team. Even if you follow this guide and meet all the minimums for a U21 quality player, there are only 18 roster spots each season and usually only 10-12 players play in the majority of games. However as Scotland has such a small pool of players it is highly likely that if you train a player they will play.
I'm sold! What kind of player do I need?You to either draft or buy the right kind of player:
1. Guard
-18/19 year old
- At least starter (4) potential
- Ideally 25 skill points in the 6 guard skills
2. Big Man
- 18/19 year old
- At least star (5) potential
- Ideally 19 skill points in the IS/ID/RB/SB skills
3. Small Forward
- 18/19 year old
- At least starter (4) potential
- Ideally 50 skill points overall
If you are planning to train a player to become a full international player then add 3 to each of the players potential.
What kind of trainer do I need?A level 4 (advanced) trainer is the minimum needed here. Any lower and your guy may not make reach the basic requirements by the time he's 21.
How do I train?Your player will need to play at least 48 minutes at the training position each week. He will need to be trained single position (i.e. only at PG for passing) whenever possible for the most efficient training. A good guide to the basics of training is here: (
(http://www.buzzerbeater.com/community/forum/read.aspx?thr...))
What's the big deal about game shape?Game shape significantly affects a player's performance, and the U21 coach will not consider any player in less than 8 game shape for the team. Players already on the team will likely not be played if not in 8 or 9 game shape. Not only is this important when the player is 21, coaches will look to see how a player's minutes were managed in previous seasons to see that a manager understands the concept. Here are the game shape basics: (http://www.buzzerbeater.com/community/forum/read.aspx?thr...)