The success of the Spanish national soccer
team has led many other nations to
investigate how they develop such wonderful
creative talents as Xavi, Iniesta, Fabregas,
Villa, and Silva. The World and European
champions dominated the shortlist for this
year’s Player of the Year award [Ballon d’Or],
with seven players among the 23 nominees.
Why are so many developed in Spain?
Tip of the iceberg
The true
essence
of
learning
Author and lecturer, Alfie Kohn writes and
speaks widely on human behavior, education
and parenting. He is perhaps the country's
most outspoken critic of education's fixation
on grades [and] test scores. One of his recent
quotes caught my attention and made me
think deeply about how this applies itself to
physical education, and specifically, youth
soccer:
“Measurable outcomes maybe the least
important results of learning” (Kohn)
An obsession in youth sports with winning
and losing is a sad characteristic of poor,
misguided ‘coaching’. Measurable outcomes
like a win and lost column are NOT concrete
pieces of evidence that any learning has
taken part. The use of league tables that
document the success and failure of a soccer
season was designed for adult league play.
Since it’s inception, youth soccer also forced
young children to play on over-sized fields,
full-sized goals, and in an 11v11 format.
I argue that these factors fail to place the
child’s needs at the centre of the learning.
3.
It is reported that only 10% of an iceberg is
visible above sea level. Translated into soccer
= much of why the Spanish FA (Real
Federación Española de Fútbolare) are so
successful at producing talented players can
be identified during the formative years of a
young soccer player’s development. During
the last 16 years below senior level, Spain’s
U16-U21 youth teams have either won or
been finalists at 20 tournaments. That is
some long-term plan coming to fruition in the
present day.
Developing the
right environment
“The tragedy of coaching young players
focuses on the fact that many coaches may
know a lot about the game, but they don't
know their young pupils” (Wein). Exposing
young players to overly complex training
practices and programs can easily stunt the
physical and mental developmental growth.
Knowing what environment to create to suit
your players is an art. I like to think we have
created a balance between fun and
functional, between str uctured and
unstructured play [practice], and between
the level of detail in technical and tactical
concepts. Making soccer too serious loses the
emphasis on who the game is truly for: the
players.
“Encouraging creativity and expression
should not stop with players in the youngest
age-groups” (Brooking). Demanding a young
soccer player to “boot it” away when under
pressure does not support this. It is a sure
sign of a coach that fears failure. Think about
what does speaking directly to the player in
possession of the ball achieves? Let the
p l ay e r t h i n k . T h e n , t h r o u g h g u i d e d
discussion, question the players and have
them find the solution.
The true essence of ‘learning’ takes place in
the process of discovering the answers, NOT
in the win and loss columns at the end of the
season.
BFS Athletics