The Academy

Content Warning: This section of the guide includes discussions of bullying.

The London Dragons Youth Academy summer camp is a high-intensity environment that would be difficult for any soccer player since it is the chance of a lifetime. As an American in an English-led sport and alone in a new, much larger city, Leo’s struggles with his confidence are entirely understandable, especially when he comes to understand the privileges and caliber of the students by whom he is surrounded. However, Leo is ultimately able to overcome his fear of failure as he gains more confidence through improving his skills and realizing that he should not sacrifice the fun of his favorite sport in pursuit of perfection.

Leo’s fear of failure arises from the sense that he is much different from the other students, many of whom have been training for an opportunity like this one their whole lives. When Leo first encounters Robbie, he’s shocked by his roommate’s single-minded determination and rigorous preparation through his club team coaches. Later, when Samantha asks him if he’s ever had formal training, Leo’s impostor syndrome flares up again as he tells her that “I’d been playing my whole life, in the backyard and the neighborhood park and the YMCA leagues.