THERE was a time when sport was something you did at school as the healthy aspect of the curriculum and if you found out you were any good at a particular discipline, you could join a local club to enhance your talents.

Maybe you could even go further and be spotted by a scout who might hand you an opportunity to make a career out of it.

For 99 per cent of us, our after-school sporting life turned out to be more in the role of spectator, possibly with the odd evening session of five-a-side or squash thrown in as a bit of exercise.

I may be sounding like Ron Manager of Fast Show fame – jumpers for goalposts and all that.

But times have certainly changed and the way of getting our kids into sport at an early age is something up for constant debate.

Nowadays sport is big business. At the very highest level those who had the talent as youngsters are earning big money and the clubs that employ them even bigger riches.

And in this X-Factor age there are many youngsters who crave that fame and fortune as much as the prestige of being a professional.

So the draw, albeit somewhat different to the reasons a generation ago, is still there – it is just about providing the facilities and opportunities.

Big events like the London Olympics two years ago and this year’s Commonwealth Games, also on these shores, have been huge in respect of inspiring youngsters.

Seeing the likes of Jessica Ennis, Chris Hoy and Mo Farah doing their thing has left an imprint and it is fantastic to see the huge strides being made in sports like cycling and athletics as far as participation is concerned.

Football is coming late to that party after what I believe has been an oversight brought on by complacency and now there is an element of panic.

FA chief Greg Dyke is having to field questions about what football is doing – even with St George’s Park now in full swing.

The poor World Cup showing only exacerbated the issue but at least boss Roy Hodgson is giving younger players a chance now – as long as they are not tired of course.

But football can no longer just accept the majority of kids will follow their fathers’ and grandfathers’ path from park to pitches.

There are other sports in the mix now and the battle is not just against the other distractions of computer games and iPad apps.

Football is still the national sport and the conveyor belt will not just stop.

But the focus has to be on making sure it speeds up again before those talents are lost elsewhere.