[Tubby Rower]

For those of you thinking of starting on the new youth squad next season here is an article that I found that kind of summarizes what HT has been saying. Also of note is that you can have both systems running in parallel.
http://www.toron.be/bn/node/141

quote:The new youth system: a summary
Submitted by JerkMaster on Sat, 2007-02-24 09:42. Global

Dutch version

As there are still many questions to be answered about the new youth squad system, Beltrick Nieuwsblad decided to search for the answers. We’ve gathered all the facts based on HT statements. Before you start reading this article, we advise you to read the editorial on Hattrick, so that you have the basic info about the youth squad.

The youth team
You will have the possibility to let your youth team play in a youth division, together with your friends. You can create these divisions yourself, and the amount of teams playing in a division will vary between 4 and 16. The largest divisions can only be created by ‘Hattrick Supporters’, but all users can join them. Divisions can be made private, so only teams that are invited can join. You can also choose the exact moment when league matches will be played, up to 5 minutes accuracy. But you will only be able to play one match every week: either a league match or a friendly.
Only after 11 weeks (i.e. 11 scout reports) your youth team will be completely filled with your own youth players. Until then your youth team will be filled up with ‘the neighbour’s kids’, these are players without considerable capacities.
Every week you will have the possibility either to let your scouts search for a talent for your youth team (new system), or to promote a player from your youth squad (old system) to your A team. Apart from that, you will be able to promote a player from your youth team (new system) to your A team, at least if he has been there long enough. Both systems can be managed parallel, but only one youth pull per week is possible. Which system you choose can differ from week to week, and will be determined by pulling a player in one of the systems. This also means that you’re not obliged to use one of the systems. The parallel system might disappear in the future.
The youth players will not receive any wages, but the youth matches won’t give any profit too.
The youth team will be mostly independent from the A team: matters as team spirit and flag collections will be independent, at least if they are implemented, which is not a certitude.

The players
Only after a certain time you will have the chance to promote youth players to your A squad, because therefore they must reach a minimum age. This age will at least be 17, and probably higher.
Probably it’s best to wait until the player is fully-grown, then it’s possible that he’s even older than that. But such a player has advantages: he can be trained on more than one skill and he will be better than the average youth pull from the current youth squad. On the other hand, you won’t get such a player every week. On the long term, this means that there will be less youth players, but their average level will be better.
Players in the youth team also have a cap for their qualities in a certain skill: at a certain moment the player won’t improve anymore, because he has learned everything there is to learn about that skill. Because you can’t see the skill of a youth player, you will have to watch his performances to determine whether you should stop training him on a skill or not.
It’s impossible to sell or buy players who are in the youth team. Also, the transfers between your youth squad and the A squad is one way traffic, i.e. you can’t place any players from your A team in your youth team.
The training type for your youth players is independent from the training type for your A squad. On the other hand, the performances of your A team will influence the motivation of your youth players on training. Youth players who see their team lose every week, will train slower. This is to prevent people from giving up their A team to fully concentrate on their youth team.
Similar to the older players, youth players will have a chance to get injured or get cards in matches.

The scouts
The scouts will supply you with new players for your youth team. The maximum number of scouts will be 3. When you ask for the scout reports, they will present you their player one by one. For each presented player you will have the choice either to accept him or to send him away hoping that one of the next scouts presents you a better player. Be careful, once you’ve rejected a player, there’s no possibility to take him back.
If you choose to check the scout reports, you can’t do a youth pull in the old system that week, even if you reject all the presented players.
You’re not obliged to have 3 scouts. If you have less than 3 scouts your wage cost for your scouts will be lower, but the chance of finding real talent will also be reduced. The total cost for 3 scouts will be similar to the cost of the current youth squad.

One part I found interesting that effects my current season's activities is this line in the article. It sure bodes for staying in a lower league until you can compete in the higher league.

quote:On the other hand, the performances of your A team will influence the motivation of your youth players on training. Youth players who see their team lose every week, will train slower.