The following was inspired by Lalo’s latest comment. He makes good points about leadership, and poses questions about the work on this blog. What follows is not intended as a full response, but I preferred to post here instead of in the comments.
On the statement: “Leadership is doing the right thing”. I agree. But one must know what the right thing is, when to initiate it, and how to execute it. That is a challenge.
Knowing the “right thing”.
Yeah, you would think USSF knows 98% of what’s discussed here (which by the way we’ve barely started), but the evidence suggests otherwise.
Please keep in mind I’m only talking from a purely soccer perspective, and not considering the business side of the sport.
Here’s just a tiny little nugget of what I mean:
Take Lalas, Harkes, Twellman, Martino, Cobi Jones, et al. and listen to their commentary. Sure they are not the executive leadership of the federation, but they are a reflection of it – they are the offspring of USSF. And guess what? The majority of what comes out of their mouths is in direct opposition to what’s written here.
But ok, let’s assume the executive suite actually has people who know what’s up.
Even if they championed something that is “right”, the worker-bees (the grassroots) not only need to buy into it, but also have the competency to execute it. And I’m telling you that the worker-bees don’t have a freakin clue! One might say that’s the work of leadership as well, but jesus there are so many details; and resources are not infinite! Don’t we need the “right people” across the lower levels of the pyramid as well? I wonder.
What are we doing here?
Let’s say 3four3 formalizes some of its stuff. Lalo asks if we will send it to USSF?
Not gonna happen.
So is it “all just hot air” then?
Well, I guess it depends on one’s perspective and goals.
For my part, I just want to do good work. Who chooses to take it seriously and who doesn’t is none of my concern.
Not your run-of-the-mill blog.
We’re on a very long-term mission fueled by a passion that won’t die. We’re not working on a typical blog here, we are building a platform. I’m not trying to be a journalist or some typical soccer blogger whose only real involvement in the sport is through writing about it from the outside.
We’re actually within the belly of the beast. We’re actually working with the talent at the youth level. We actually have, and continue to grow, our network of colleagues up through the professional level (internationally). As such, our exchanges with that network, are as colleagues. That’s far different than what a journalist/blogger participates in. While on the topic, our good friend Jordi Vinyals (head coach of L’Hospitalet) is playing today against Barca in Copa del Rey. Buena suerte Jordi! 🙂
Our youth club has a real relationship with the actual FC Barcelona and as a result enabled an American to enter their academy. And that won’t be the only kid! Our annual trips there are not as tourists.
We’re also doing things on the other end of the spectrum, transitioning amateurs to pros. We’ll have news on that front as well.
And we’re working on data curation and software development over on the analytics site.
The blog here is but a piece of our work. We’re using it as a tool to refine and make concrete what we’ve come to know, and share that in the process. It is a place where others can challenge us or contribute any way they wish. The best part is if it helps with someone’s soccer decisions – be it a parent at the grassroots, a coach at any level, a scout, or the corner office at USSF. Every little bit counts, but coming back to leadership … here’s perhaps the key:
When ignorant ideas go unchecked and dominate the discussion, it makes it that much harder for any real leadership to be effective.
I don’t know where all this will take us, or how much or how little influence it will have. What I do know, is that no one else seems to be doing it.
Add Wynalda to the commentator list. The man is as awful as he is arrogant/idiotic.
And this blog addresses the issues and provides reasonable and intelligent solutions. But most of the soccer community is tone deaf, certainly in the club soccer world.
Keep up the good work!
Great Job GK.
Keep it up.
Great work working with the kids as well.
See you soon.
Gary, Agreed that no one else seems to be doing this kind of analysis on the internet, but I just finished a book called “Dutch Soccer Secrets” that indicates that their secret is nothing more than geek-like attention to detail combined with open discussion… genius! Sounds familiar doesn’t it? They’ve been doing it for awhile though and they’ve got Johan Cruyff for spiritual guidance.
http://www.amazon.com/Dutch-Soccer-Secrets-Peter-Hyballa/dp/1841263273
I’d argue that the discussion at this blog takes the DUtch secret to an even more open discussion because of the freedom of the internet and the way you have set up your blog without the need to register, etc. Also, the attention to detail that is established with the articles is very high and sometimes gets even geekier in the comments using the technology available. We see it all the time with linking references and videos open up a whole new world of possibilities.
Screw the Dutch. Glory to USA!
🙂
I’ll have to check it out sometime. I think that is perhaps the core message I’m trying to convey: “The meat is in the details.”
But hardly a soul knows about or understands the details. Most everybody swims on the surface.
Well the “Dutch Soccer Secrets” book is incredibly detailed and almost every statement is referenced. There is a whole section on Coerver and how it rose into prominence and why it fell under criticism and what the proponents did to adapt. Very interesting.
It does makes it hard to read/scan/browse at first because my initial thoughts were “Now that I know what everybody else thinks and who they are, but I wonder what the hell the author thinks (and who the hell he is)”.
After a while you can piece together the unreferenced strings to make out the thread of the authors opinion… and frankly it is very interesting to we Americans. The book is money. Read it.
The author is or was a coach in Germany, I believe, and is mostly concerned with how the Dutch method attributes of inquisitiveness to soccer detail, willingness to experiment and openly discuss… how does it combine with German attributes of willpower and discipline along with the huge German population of soccer players. I think much of Germany’s recent success can understood in that context.
Our new USMNT coach Jurgen Klinsman is a product and/or a proponent of this Dutch-German fusion, I believe. And I think there are going to be many parallels between Dutch-inspired recent German soccer and future American soccer. So this book is a relevant read. The Dutch are innovators. I’m jealous.
The first obvious parallel of soccer to fussball is Coach Klinsman who bases camps in Germany and grabs many of his starting players from Germany. Also, notice how he has removed the player names from the backs of the jerseys and assigns them numbers based on a scheme. The scheme is all explained in the book. It appears he is Germanizing the USMNT as much as he can which is a welcome change in my opinion.
Other parallels of soccer to fussball are cultural. We have a huge population of soccer players as do they.
http://www.fifa.com/worldfootball/bigcount/allplayers.html
We have an incredible sports “willpower”, especially individual sports willpower… look at Tim Howard for example. We have especially strong business-sports willpower. Once the MLS salaries increase watch the American attitude change. However, the parallel ends when the author discusses the notorious German discipline. That is a cultural distinction, assuming that the author is correct and not stereo-typing, because I do not see it in my homeland which is fine. I think a difference in discipline is a very interesting nuance that we may all watch unfold over the next few years as Coach Klinsman either adapts or gets frustrated his player pool (actually I already believe he has if you analyze his initial intended lineup versus his recent). It’s not that we are culturally un-disciplined, we are just massively diverse in this category. Also, I believe that most Americans need some room for free expression and experimentation within a discipline. Too strict discipline suppresses this.
I read “Dutch Soccer Secrets” thinking that it is interesting that there are German teams using Dutch methods like sheet music to achieve classic form, but conversely from an American stand-point the method seems like a good standard tune to start with, expand upon and experiment to create something completely new. It’s Bach versus Duke Ellington. Perfection versus transcendence.
For example, there was mention of recent Dutch emphasis on soccer specific fitness that I am sure that anyone could expand on and try perfect. However, there was no mention of the introduction of technology which, as I’ve mentioned before, this blog represents some of the incredible possibilities.
How many people clicked on the FIFA link above and looked at those statistics for the first time? Amazing how many soccer players in CHina and India for example. Look at how many officials we have per player compared to India. All of that from one click and a glance.
Also, computer enhanced video analysis has huge untapped potential. I can watched the same 5 minute sequence of a soccer game over and over and get something different from it every time viewing it from a different individual’s perspective, from the referee’s perspective, or from any combination of two or three different players perspective and on-and-on.
Here is an example of from some internet guy analyzing 7 defenders ball watching as Mesut Ozil runs right by them. He clearly explains what each and everyone of them is looking at instead of what they should be looking at… and why it is genius what Ozil has done to defeat them. Check it out.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b2qCY6sSad0
The “Dutch Soccer Secrets” book presents in detail a particular countries success method based upon openness and geek-like attention to detail that echoes around the world for all of us to marvel at.
In many ways I wish the 2011 US Soccer Curriculum by Claudio Reyna could behave in the same way around the clubs of the US. I’m sure the next rendition will be more refined in an American way (maybe a more 3four3.com way), but I’m predicting it just may also reflect some of these Dutch-German based upon recent influences of Coach Klinsman and this book.
Gary — I’ve been away for a while and just saw this. Not sure if I should feel insulted as I kinda take it my thoughts were off base and offended you?
I do in fact belive this blog is doing well and is best source for insightful, meaningful discussion on soccer. “Soccer Development Through Education” is perfect moniker.
My comment about “blowing hot air” was not directed at you or this blog. It was more, along the lines of will anything change? Is a tree falling in the woods and no one to hear? And of course, I didn’t think you would send anything to USSF (which is whay I said “don’t laugh”. That was mean to more mean what can be done? Who can do something?
Oh no not at all Lalo. I wasn’t offended, and I didn’t intend to offend you either. I just free-flowed my thoughts without much editing.
Your thoughts and questions are totally legit!
I think about that stuff too. I just figured it was an opportunity to address the long term nature of this work – which everyone here is a part of by the way.