David v Goliath

"We spend a lot of time thinking about the ways that prestige and resources and elite programs make us better off. We don't spend enough time thinking about the ways in which those kinds of material advantages limit our options"  

Go out and get Malcolm Gladwell's new book "David and Goliath" right away. The book succinctly explores our assumptions of advantages and disadvantages and how this worldview shapes our success and failure in very surprising ways.  Be it education, war, business or sports, what we often assume are advantages in fact serve to work against our desire to achieve our goals. And, just as startlingly, what we presume are disadvantages, 

when addressed  smartly, can actually open up opportunities that  can help create something special.

Take-a-ways for soccer

Change the game to win.  Davids actually do well against Goliath's through history, but only when they change the game. The game is set up for the Goliath's, the key is to not engage in that game, but change it.  If you are Vietnam, you don't fight a conventional war. If you are David you don't attack Goliath with a spear, if you are Spain you develop a collective play that does not expose the ball. Want win? to stand out? to become great? You really need a groundbreaking approach.

Look for clues in best practice.   What did the great players actually do? Really do? How did they grow up? Were they in an academy since they were 6? Or did they just play?  When did they start training seriously? Ronaldo (brazil) watched his buddies all take the 3 hour bus trip to Botafogo everyday--he just played until he was 16.  A perceived disadvantage (not playing in a youth academy) was turned into an advantage (more time playing in a best practice environment, allowed to experiment and try things) and shape the way we look at the modern center forward.

Question conventional thinking. Major points of the book show examples of what we think are good for kids, may not actually work. Let's question playing up, elite teams, travel, tournaments, 11 v 11, dome training--question everything! 

Set up Success by setting up failure. We must allow kids to fail, fail and fail better.  Through free play kids are allowed to make as many mistakes as they need. They will edit that down on their own to refine their decision making, eventually finding options the coaches and parents could never have thought of.  By setting things on a platter for kids we underestimate  kids ability to adapt, change and creat something great.