EHM The Blue Line

I run a Swedish team and noticed that many European teams have very young players playing in high-level leagues. Some players on top-level teams are as young as 17 or even 16. I signed several very young players who have good potential (according to my scouts), but I'm not sure whether to have them on my big team or assign them to my junior team. Some of these young players have good physical abilities and good skills, but have low mental attributes. Will the mental attributes improve more at a high level of competition or at the junior level?

Some of my teen-agers are very promising and have attributes better than the veterans on my team. It's tempting to throw them into my second or third lines and move the veterans down, but will this hurt the young players' development? For example, does a player's "influence" improve more when he's a big fish in a small pond or when he's a small fish in a big pond?

Note about my coaching: I have coaches who work well with youngsters on my big club, but I have no control over coaching on my junior team. I can't even see who coaches that team.

If they're good enough to fit into your line up, go for it, give them a chance, let them play for a few games, and see if they perform. If their ratings are low, give them time to grow in the junior team. But if they manage the big league, I see no reason to keep them on a lower level.

I haven't payed much attention to how the players develope in different environments, but if the game follows real world facts at all (and I'd be surprised if it didn't), then it must be better for the youngsters to play in a league that offers challenge and teaches them new tricks, than a league, where they shine like a superstar with no effort at all. It's not at all uncommon in Finland and Sweden (don't know about other Euro leagues) for promising players to be offered a spot in the league team at a very young age. Although usually they're third - fourth line material (simply because of the quality of the veteran players).

I agree with Tasku: if they can make the big team, give them a chance to prove they're ready for it Furthermore, they'll benefit from the veterans' experience to teach them many things

Try to put at least one veteran on any line where a kid plays. This way, the veteran player will handle the pressure of the line, letting the kid devellop without too much pressure on him

Of course, if the kid doesn't play well enough (ie average rating under 6, or even 6.30), send him down to juniors.