All Play and no work

All Play and No work: The Free Play--Deliberate Practice Continuum

As we look at youth development, building hours take thought and balance. Work and play are both part of a continuum of practice that players need to build smartly. Both are important. Here in the US we value the principles of deliberate practice, discipline, hard work, teamwork, and we tend to lay it on thick. We ignore the loose, seemingly mindless, unstructured, qualities of player driven FREE PLAY.

We know it’s important. We can’t find time for it. We are developing only half the player.

Young players, especially those in their “Golden Years,” of 9-13, should put in as many hours as possible in FREE PLAY situations, self driven, unstructured, safe and invigorating, free play is acknowledged as the greatest developer and it’s importance to the development of a player is without question.

Our players, players raised in the organized, competitive based US youth system, understand hard work, but don’t get the play part. They understand the “work,” but may not be able to express themselves in a situation that calls for “play.”

Perhaps this idea is best illustrated by giving an example of the opposite.

Because the opposite can be true. Players may play a lot and not understand hard work and discipline of attaining goals.

As DOC for a big club I once sent a very talented U13 player to participate in a U16 practice. This was a player who was raised in a refugee camp in Kenya, he had build thousands of hours of play. His ball skills were world class for a U13 (he was soon to join the US MNT at the U15 level). I was hoping this skillful player and the team would bond. The Team began by playing small sided in very tight space. The player scored 7 goals in 30 minutes, some of which were quite spectacular. At the end of Practice the coach asked the players to run eight 200 yard repeats. The player made it through one. The other players had no trouble giving effort to the sprints.

The coach called me that night saying that the player would not make his team. He did not complete his sprints. He lamented a Bad attitude, a low capcity for work.

Because he could not make himself run those sprints he would not be on the team.But what about scoring goals under the pressure of three defenders in front of the goal? Doesn’t matter.

My question to the coach was would you tell a player he could not be on the team because he could not finish in front of the net under the pressure of three defenders? No. Would you demand that that player finish those chances “or else?” 

That player has no more capacity to complete the task in front of the goal as the other player has to complete the 200m runs.

While the one set of kids understood “PLAY” while the others understood “WORK.” One kid had been brought up playing with no rules, or objectives, the other had been brought up under strict supervision and organization--this player understands work.

That’s because we put too much emphasis on work. We can control the work. We can't control the Play. In fact, if we try to control it it does not work. It is built up over time spent with only Fun as the objective.

These hours of mindless fun are an invisible learning tool used by every great player ever to inspire us.  

Pele: One the Street to 16 then deliberately practiced at Santos. 3 World Cups.

Zagalo: Free play till 16. Then DP. 5 world Cups. Rivelino, played at the Park, Zidane, at his courtyard, Maradonna, neighborhood waste field…the list goes on and on.  

It takes a balance of deliberate practice and unstructured creative play to develop, and that means everyone, not just the next Messi, but all kids.

Our players, players raised in the organized, competitive based US youth system, understand hard work, but don’t get the play part. They understand the “work,” but may not be able to express themselves in a situation that calls for “play.”

Never too late.  Set up a cool field in your neighborhood.  Find and old tennis court. Build the environment.  Don't worry about the hard work, that comes later and there is plenty of time for that.