As this year’s World Cup is being hosted in Russia, my wife’s family have been rooting for their home country as they moved to Canada from Russia a generation back (my wife’s Baba (AKA Grandmother) was born in Russia and only English word she knew was EAT.  Each time she extended the invite, I learned to say “Spasibo” / Thank-You from my wife and in-laws (one of the few Russian words I know).

Now that they lost in the semi-final in a closely contested match vs. Croratia, suspect her family will not be glued to the TV watching remaining games, but I wanted to touch on a couple of other teams that have made headlines this World Cup.

The first, is Japan, and how they handled a bitter defeat losing to Belgium who came from behind and show the world the epitome of class and respect for the hosts.

 

Not only did the team leave the dressing room cleaner they found it, they left a note of gratitude to the hosts in Russian.

Their fans, also did the same in the stands, they picked up all the litter although the stadiums operation staff were paid to do so.

As a result of their demonstration of true sportsmanship and respect for the game, their hosts, their opponents, the image of the dressing room and thank you note was shared amongst numbers social media accounts across the world.

Kudo’s to the coach, the players, the Japanese National Team and all their organizers for showing us what winning with humility and losing with dignity really means (one of the core values that I have taught all my players since I learned the same from my coaches.

The other team that is receiving a lot of attention is the very same team that defeated Japan in the bittersweet game coming back from behind to win, Belgium.

 

It all happened due to the changes that Belgian FA director of coaching education Kris Van der Haegen made to the football program starting at the grassroots level.

He shared insights with our good friend John O’Sullivan, host of Way Of Champions Podcast, the changes they made to their program since they did not make it thru the first round of the Euro Cup they hosted in 2000 and have since moved from being ranked 66^th in World Rankings to #1 in 2015.

1. Player-Centred Approach – he changed the approach from being a team or coaches ego’s to focusing on the players wants and needs to ensure they not only attracted players, but retained and grew their football programs (reverse of trends facing many youth sports globally today)
2. They implemented Small-Area Games so 1 on 1, 3 on 3 vs. 8 on 8 or 11 on 11 so it increased the number of touches, scoring opportunities, dribbling. Other sports have also followed suit, like Hockey Canada rolling out cross-ice hockey to mirror for USA Hockey a few years prior to ensure that kids touch the puck vs. beehive that I saw when coaching novice age group and still was full ice hockey.
3. Multi-Move (Multi-Sport/Activity) – ensuring that kids sample as many activities as possible until they are 13 years old to pursue football if that is the sport they love the most.
4. Giving Players Freedom (AKA Street Soccer) – No refs, parents, coaches, kids just play without the fear of being criticized

A strata in Chemainus may want to look into the benefits of street sports as I read in the paper today SORRY KIDS, NO FUN ALLOWED they passed an amendment to their bylaws to prohibit any form of PLAY on the streets.

Really?

Obviously, the very same people that voted for are oblivious to the fact that there are multiple organizations that are promoting the importance and benefits of free play so that kids LOVE to be active and are ultimately active for life.  The list of banned activities includes “hockey, baseball, basketball, skateboarding, chalk artistry, bicycling and other sports and recreational activities”

Wonder what Sidney Crosby is going to say when he finds out after he battled a street hockey ban in his hometown Province in 2006, followed by other former NHL’s who did the same when the issues came to light including another “pretty good player” Bobby Orr, Tiger Williams just to name a few.   I imagine Walter Gretzky, whose legacy is the world’s largest street hockey tournament, as would his son Wayne, may have a few words to say also on the same subject.

Even the VP of the very same strata council voted against the bylaw as she enjoys watching the kids PLAY, the others that voted for the bylaw should give their heads a shake as playing on the streets in urban areas, especially those in poorer neighborhoods is for many kids the ONLY option to get outside and PLAY.

5. Game-Based Approach for Practices

Kris also changed the way that coaches run practices to ensure it is based on a game based approach, in lieu of deferring to scrimmaging the last 5-10 minutes of a practice followed by technical drills only, he implemented the slogan “make your players love the game” After that, you can help them learn the game.

6. Winning doesn’t matter – No Competitive games until 14 Years old

Perhaps Kris researched the model in Norway, who don’t permit competitive play in many of their clubs until same 14 year od age group.

This is now the second nation that not keep track of wins, losses, goals, assists who has reached the HIGHEST level of the sport with their national teams.

Hmmm … wonder when Canada, USA and other countries that are suffering horrific attrition rates in youth sports will GET IT … KIDS JUST WANT TO PLAY.

7. Looking after the late bloomers

If late bloomers need to drop down a level until they catch up to their early bloomer counterparts, they will, to ensure they develop confidence and love the sport vs. chasing the ball like kids do in North America chasing as only recently USA soccer is experimenting with bio-banding putting players in their physical maturity groupings vs. chronological.

With early exits in this year’s World Cup by Germany, Brazil, Argentina I suspect all eyes are on Belgium to see if they advance and potentially win.

I would be remiss not referencing Iceland, who in their FIRST EVER World Cup tied Argentina, who like Belgium, totally revamped their approach to how they develop their players going back also to 2000 when they were ranked 124^th in the world and now are ranked 22^nd.

The Nations that continue to do the same thing over and over again expecting different results (AKA Insanity) need to seriously look at how others have developed cultures of excellence.

Better yet – cultures where kids LOVE to play and continue to play beyond current trends where 70% by the age of 13 because the game is not about the kids, it is about adults competing with other adults thru kids.

Let’s all work together to bring the game back to the kids … where it belongs.