Klinsmann and the journey

 Interesting debate going on after the national soccer team’s coach made the statement that “we can’t win the world cup.”  Some people seem to be quite offended by this statement. Others have seen this and questioned whether this is “UN American.” Others state that it is a tactical maneuver by the coach.

Let’s take a look at what he said before he said what he said. (Whoa) He stated that they team would have to play “seven games of their lives” to have chance to win the cup. Interesting to say the least. If you read the whole article from the New York Times a different picture emerges.

While some people say that you should never tell your team they can’t win, or state it publicly. You are admitting defeat before you even start. Maybe, maybe not. There are times as a coach; you know your team is not going to e in contention for a championship season. How do you address that paradigm?

Do you practice with your team each day trying to win something that day? Do you try to get better yourself? Do you try and make the team better. Have you ever played against a team knowing they were better and that you really had no chance at victory? Did that knowledge make you fold up your tent and quit? Did it make you try harder? Even though, at the end of the day, and you lost, didn’t the fact that you persevered, and put forth your best effort, teach you and your teammates a life lesson? Did you get better?

When my college team played in a particular championship playoff game we got beat 12-1. With 10 minutes to go in the game we still had not scored. I pulled the goalie when we got a power play. I knew we couldn’t win, my team knew, the refs knew, hell everybody knew, but that did not stop us from trying our hardest.

Never once in the 21 years as a head coach in college hockey, did I ever say to my team we had to win, or we couldn’t win. We never discussed winning. It is a result at the end of a journey, a hoped for destination.

Oh sure I have played and coached some games where a team just gave up. The score got lopsided and you could see the emotion and passion leave one or BOTH teams. It happens.

But if you look more closely and listen to what this man has to say, he is making a point, I believe, that has a direct bearing on our children and what we teach at Frozen Shorts every day.

 It is about the journey. You can’t always win. You want to test someone’s character? Put them in what appears to be a very difficult situation and see how they react. If they react well, just imagine how well they would react when things got better, when their base for handling adversity is much higher.

I believe what the coach is saying is that we put too much emphasis on scores of game. Since no one really knows how to win a game, he is saying that the only thing you can control is getting better, and that takes time and may or may not be judged by the final score in a game. He is not saying that you shouldn’t try your hardest.  But what he is also saying is a statement on US soccer in general. You should compete, and compete hard, no matter what the situation is, and the adversity that follows.

There are no genetic differences between athletes here in the USA, Europe, and South America.

Think about it.