Klinsmann part 2

 The coach has said that wants players on his team that will do whatever it takes to get in better shape, play at a higher level against better talent, I agree with that.

He also states that this program of player first will then make the team better. I disagree. Now at some level I understand that I am splitting hairs. But it is very important to understand the confusing message being sent to young players and coaches around the United States. It is akin to the message of “we play our best players.’ No, you play the players who are playing the best.

In this same context the coach is saying that by having the individual get better the team will benefit, and at some level this is true. However it misses the big picture, and actually the picture that 99.9% of kids playing soccer should see as well as their coaches and parents. It is still a team game. And any successful team will subjugate the individual talent and statistics, and sacrifice the individual’s goal for the long term benefit of the team.

If you don’t believe me, I check out the San Antonio Spurs and their run to the NBA championship. Their stars play less minutes, accrue less individual stats than players in their same position on contending or NON CONTENDING teams, and their unselfish passing is incredible. That dedication to passing and sacrificing individual stats is an integral part of their success. They even take less money to play in San Antonio to be around other players and a coach who subscribe to the team first mantra, and to be in a place that helps them have an excellent chance to win.

At Frozen Shorts we constantly talk about if the team plays better, the individual will get better. It is stated that it takes a whole village to raise a child. We say it takes a whole village modeling behavior in the long term best interest of the child to raise children in a community.

Now on the world stage it may very well be that the great players elevate their game to an amazingly high level during a game. But, that is for a much chosen few. That talent cannot be bought, and it comes at quite a price as you can see from listening and watching athletes talk and play.

With no players ranked in the top 100 in the world, the U.S. is ripe for the very kind of thing we love, the underdog.

It is this dynamic, all across the sports world that actually fuels the inner team competition so vital for long term athletic development of our young athletes.

But I also believe strongly that the coach has set this team up so that just the opposite can happen. Players unexpectedly could rise up in what could be a one bracket only tournament for the U.S. squad. But it is my contention, just as we see in the World Series, The Super bowl, or even the Stanley Cup playoffs, is the rise of a certain individual who sparks a team’s success.

This individual did not suddenly get better. What he did get was a chance, once again proving our belief at Frozen Shorts, that  a coach, a team, an organization has to keep running players out on the field, court,  or rink, to find out who is going to be able to play their best when their time arrives. And they cannot do that if they have been sitting on the bench all year.

This belief in true competition, not another form of entitlement, is what has been missing in youth and high school sports for years, and I truly hope that Mr. Klinsmann and his squad bring it to the forefront whether on purpose or by accident for all to see.

Let the players have fun and teach them to play together and the resulting journey, and what is learned along that journey will enlighten and or surprise you.

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. 

Landon Donovan part II

Am I to believe that somehow genetically European soccer players have some sort of genetic gift that inexplicably has a root in them being born in one part of the world over another that allows them to play soccer better than here in the United Sates? How would that be possible since we are talking about a micro second in the history of the world to make this dramatic genetic change.

No one is entitled to playing time based on what they have done in the past. When a player is not playing well, other players should be given a chance to play, and if they play well, they should have earned more playing time in the eyes of the coach, regardless of their stats on the team.

Over and over again, I see in youth and high school sports, one or two players getting preferential treatment on a team based on their reputation, not their present day performance. What I see, and others may not, is the detrimental effect this philosophy has on the player being given that treatment, and the other players suffering because of it.

There is a mentality in sports, driven by the amount of money, which certain players, once they have achieved a certain status, are entitled to play their way through any problems they have. Even if there is a conflict with the coach, or a certain “air” about the player, they should be allowed to play more than the other layers because they are perceived to be more talented. NO

I have said on many occasions in talks I have given and the workshops I do, that I would bench my mother in the last five minutes of a game if she was playing poorly and it wouldn’t faze me. And I want to go on the record as saying I am a HUGE momma’s boy, and proud of it. I love that woman with my entire heart and soul. I could never thank her enough for what she did for me growing up and I think about her every day. I am so appreciative to what she and my father taught me.

If we truly want to find out who the best is, there has to be repeated chances for those who may not be at the top talent level to get to play. Their play and enthusiasm are an essential part of any teams make up and for any business to embrace. Too many times I see someone, based on reputation, being given special preferential treatment, or demanding it, while others, who may not be as talented, but bring other benefits to the table, sit around and “wait their turn” like that is not just another form of entitlement, or the rules apply to everyone but me.

Pre puberty let them all play equally, and learn to play together with the freedom to experiment with different sports and activities. Let them enjoy playing and learning how to get along with others. Let them know that making mistakes is okay, and that at the end of the day everyone involved should be having fun and enjoying themselves, not worrying about status and the mythical D I scholarship.

That is the base needed to develop future champions and leaders. Even for those who just want to play and have fun, let’s give them repeated chances to do so. We need to encourage with positive reinforcement, a child’s innate ability and desire to try new things, cope with failure, and adjust and grow at their pace not ours. It takes all kinds to make this world go, and that involves inclusion, not exclusion all the way up to age 13.

Landon Donovan Part !

Landon Donovan Part I

This week Landon Donovan was left off the United States World Cup roster for 2014. Many people have spoken out about this truly great player’s perceived snub. But if we look deeper into this, we may find, for the first time in a long time, a National coach setting the precedent that it is truly “play by performance” when it comes to making an elite team and  subsequent playing time no matter what your credentials are up to that point.

Donavon, the MLS all time leading scorer has started to get old. Aren’t we all? But in a game that increasingly has gotten younger, as seen by the deletion of some all time names form the participating nation’s World Cup rosters, a hidden fact is emerging as what we can only hope is a mantra that filters down all the way to high school and post puberty youth sports.

Those who play best play most. And playing the best players means the players who are playing the best at that time, not necessarily the most talented players. This is a fluid situation, not one cemented in stone. It means both a mental and physical commitment to a team. You can only get that, or ask for that, if all who play, get an equal and repeated chance to play and excel, thus lifting the entire team’s performance.

And no that does not mean a 12 year old child has to play one sport year round, miss a family vacation, or miss another activity, just so a youth or high school team can show off its control over their players under the guise of commitment. That full time commitment should only happen when the player turns 16 and has been given repeated chances to play any sport they want, for as long and as little time as they want.

You see Donovan has only one goal so far this year on his club team. He was pulled from a game with the national team. Last year, he took time off, which he deserved to do, if that is what he wanted. And look, there is still time between now and the World Cup, and maybe things will change. Maybe he will get to play and this exercise will be a wakeup call for everyone involved in soccer.

But the simple fact remains that the U.S. squad has not won a world cup with him on the roster. Now I am in no way blaming him for that fact. But if what you are doing is not working out, why would you not change? The U.S. has not won a World Cup or even gotten a medal in the Olympics in soccer.  Why continue to do the same thing over and over and expect different results?

Why not bring in some new players, some very young players, and let them give it a go? Let that “new blood” bring enthusiasm and a different approach to a team. Why not encourage multiple sport athletes and develop the athlete first, and the player second? Let’s see over time what sport they choose, not a single sport chosen for them.

 Inner team competition is the only way to truly get better as a team and as a player. You then take that competition into a game, and see how you stack up versus an opponent.

Playing Time

I had a conversation with a parent about her son. He had made the varsity team and was not playing. Certain things may or may not have been said while he was playing junior varsity, but as I explained, that is in the past.

The parent wanted to know what she should do. I understand that parents want what’s best for their children. I do too. But what a life lesson their son is learning in this environment. He will be faced with adversity in his adult life and this is a good, safe place for him to learn that life is not fair.

He is a good student and the parents run the risk of putting so much emphasis on this that he loses his value of getting great grades.

You see, it really is none of the parents business. I know this is harsh. I could write to you  about all the grey areas involved here but the bottom line for 99% of the children playing youth sports, is that the it is the child’s choice, the child’s life, and any problems he should deal with on his own.

This is not to say I am not sympathetic with the parents’ plight. Their son has shown a acumen to play sports and the parents have spent a lot of money and time with him doing this activity. But it was their choice. And now when they see something they don’t like or may be unfair they react. To their credit, they came to me first.

When a younger player was called up that too irked them. Maybe I said your son could befriend this kid. How cool would that be?

Maybe you could stop going to the games and sitting in the stands. I have seen parents trying not to make a scene, but there body language says they are. They shake their head, fidget in their seats, and secretly hope another child makes a mistake so their son can get in.

It’s really just another form of entitlement. If another parent intervened with their child, although if they were a friend they would be sympathetic, they would see that parent looking to get an edge, and they would not like it. The rules apply to everyone but me.

Now let’s say this boy goes on to play college ball and as a freshman has a chance to play. The coach plays a senior because he’s a senior over their child. Roles reversed. How do you feel then?

I know this is difficult. But your child is going to face these problems later on in life at work and in relationships and isn't this an excellent place, a safe place for him to learn on his own, how to cope with adversity isn't this a great place for him to find his own path? Isn't this a great place for him to figure out how to deal with problems in a group setting?

Sectional Points

It is the time of year where once again the talk around high school sports points to the sectional playoffs in each sport. Along the way, while working with many coaches, athletes, parents, and talking to Athletic Directors I have heard a curious new mantra. “We need to get as many sectional points as possible for seeding purposes.”

Now this in itself is not disturbing or new. A team wanting to get a higher seed in a tournament is part of why we play and coach. But there is a troubling buzz in the background. It is almost like a white noise. These signals, mostly in the background, provide a constant tone that differentiates this desire for sectional points and real life coaching expectations and playing applications.

 Let me explain.

Over the course of the three seasons this year in high school athletics I have met, counseled, spoke, trained, and listened to as many people as possible. I have heard a new mantra emerge.” I will not play teams that can cost me sectional points or a championship.” It is not said directly. It is not even inferred by the participants. When you start to listen and question people I as I have in and around high school athletics, you hear “it is always the other team” that doesn’t want to play us. It is never their team, nor even their choice, but it is a curious coincidence that these scheduling conflicts appear over and over again, with the same teams, the teams that are higher up in the standings.

Now as a coach and player who believes in the mantra: “If you want to be the best, you have to play the best.” I am troubled by this new concept. Not only does it hinder the development of players on a team, by constantly playing and coaching to “win”, but it gives an excuse for entitlement. Coaches can manage the game to win instead of coaching the kids to get better. It is a convenient excuse to not play certain players.

My U-19 travel baseball team was given a choice by the league we were in to ply in the A division, or B division. I explained to the players on our team, which had no one over the age of 17, which I would prefer to play in the A division as that is the only way to get better. The completion would be tough, and there were no guaranteed victories anywhere on the schedule. I asked them privately what division they wanted to play. It was unanimous.

 After the season was over one of the parents came up to me and complained about our record. She was used to winning and this year we did not win many games. But boy, oh boy, the players and teams we played against were awesome. All the kids agreed. Not one kid complained all year when we were struggling. They thrived on the competition.

Conversely my son played on a team where the coach purposely played in much weaker division than they could have played in. When they lost in the first round of the playoffs, the coach and staff blamed the loss on the other team’s ringers.

Read more about it in my book “Stop the Tsunami in Youth Sports.”

Never once did I try, as a coach, to avoid scheduling a certain opponent. On many occasions I have scheduled in youth sports, modified, high school sports, and college the very best opponent every single time that I could. And if I couldn’t get them on the schedule this year, I found a way to play them the next year. I would rather play the best team in our league or the best opponent out there in non league games 5 times during the year rather than to play the worse team once. Playing those teams is how you get better. Not playing those teams is all about ego.

But now I hear it over and over, in many sports, and many levels, it’s all about winning. I hear from one coach that another coach refuses to play them. I hear from other coaches that they have this phenomenal record, yet when I look at their schedule there are an automatic 10-15 wins on their schedule.

 Recently I asked a coach about putting together a division of all the best teams each year on one division. He looked at me like I had three heads. He said no one would ever go for it because everyone wanted to win their division and play for a sectional championship.

Well, playing a tough schedule is how you and your team get better. Letting a lot of kids play so you have great inner team competition is the way to go. Letting them compete, without worrying about who is going to win one particular game, and more about the team getting better is what we have a responsibility to teach our children. This way leads to more championships than any other way I have ever seen.

But once again, it comes back to entitlement. It is just in another form. This time it is a white noise in the background, which will soon be a loud blast to our senses

If we will listen.

A different way to coach

A different way to coach

I was asked, after a talk I gave at a college to a Sport coaching class, by a student from the class I was speaking at, about playing time. He wanted to know if he played well, worked hard, shouldn’t he play all the time.

During the class I had asked him if he would still practice hard on his college team if he didn’t get to play in any of the six games. He said he would. I wouldn’t. I’d be upset. But he hung around after class was over and walked with the teacher and me to the cafeteria.

 I asked him to push against my shoulder for 15 seconds. I then asked him to stop for 15 seconds. I then asked him to start again. He could feel the difference when he pushed the second time.

You see in game, when you play all the time, you start to pace yourself. Sometimes, you get tired and just need a break. Sure your personal stats might suffer, but you and the team will be better for it.

I then asked him when he next played a pickup game to remove himself from the game and ask another player who didn’t get to play much to take his place. Put your arm around him and give him a little encouragement and tell him to go out and have some fun.

Here is what will happen. The new kid will play better. He will try harder and the competition in the game will pick up for everybody. Everybody will start to “pick up” their game and play better.

Since you were the one that started this, other players will look to you as a leader without having to address them directly.

You will come back into the game later and you will feel better, and will play better. The guy who went in for you will now be playing better, and will push others. This will increase inter team completion the, very essence of development and improvement.

He smiled, turned to he is teacher and said:” I really like this guy.” And left.