Dear Barbarians:
There are many ways to evaluate what we have accomplished to this point as a club. Our game record indicates that we have 18 victories, 4 losses, and 2 draws to date. That is a very impressive start to the indoor season, which still has 72 league games, scheduled for our club, in just the first half of the season. As we have stated in past newsletters, score or outcome does not always indicate how a team has performed, nor does our record reflect the concerns that we have for our development as a club, or for the individual. Here, where our only goal for each member is to realize improvement collectively as a team and per individual player, where we strive for consistency and continuity through teamwork. We do not wish to delve into a synopsis of each team or individual player, rather we will provide an overview for what we know are the pitfalls to any team, at any time. Those who are familiar with our ways would agree that this shall serve as a word to the wise, the method we prefer instead of implicating isolated instances or individual players. Overall, well done Barbarians! Well done.
One cannot be more pleased with the improvement we notice in most of the returning players, and with the many newcomers who are akin to our philosophy of team play. At the same time we wonder if some of those who return to our midst have somehow lost the true understanding of what it means to be a Barbarian. We also wonder how many of those who are new might show a higher ideal of what we term ‘our style of play’, as compared to those who consider themselves veterans in this coalition. Certainly all newcomers try to demonstrate to their teammates that they belong but it is incumbent on you who have been here to demonstrate the leadership that we require of everyone who comes our way. Leadership that demonstrates our philosophy of The Flow! Yes, that is what is all about. The Flow. Did you think we would change our ways just to incorporate anyone into our midst? And if we did do that, would anyone come to know our continuity or consistency that will bring us the success that we seek? It is imperative to who we are and why they can never be, that above all else we be who we are, not whom they think we are or want us to be, but who we are! This is the measure of our success, and so ‘this is how we play every second of every game’.
We are not concerned with who among us scores the goal; or in retaliating against an opponent that has fouled us repeatedly without acknowledgment from an official, or standing in the attacking end, while our goal is under siege, waiting for our teammate to win the ball for us. Nor are we the ones who do not run out of the back to help create an odd man advantage, that can support our teammates’ attack of the opponent’s goal, just as we are not the ones who do not sprint back to defend an opponent’s attempt to create an odd man advantage, or cover for a teammate that may have gone forward. Nor are we the ones who do not move without the ball, or step to the ball when it is played to us, nor step to the tackle when we have support behind us, and our opponent with the ball is nearest to us!
No, that is not what gives us the consistency of effort to be considered Barbarians and true to The Flow! That is something that we reserve for our opponents, not for members of The Barbarian Football Coalition. We are unaware of any other way than this, for those who wish to develop as true footballers. This is the language spoken around the world and ‘this is how we play, every second of every game!’ To summarize what is being stated to each of you: at all times, someone should be behind the ball, someone should be moving forward and someone should be in the middle. Movement without the ball is how we create The Flow, whether defensively or in the attack, with our bodies or our vocal chords moving. The best use both. If you are not moving on the field of play, you are probably out of position!
There are many more issues that will be discussed over the course of the indoor season, on what makes for good football and what it means to be members of The Barbarian Football Coalition, or Barbarians. A lot of what we speak is repetitive, until we have come to a complete understanding and you have become more complete as footballers. Most important is the distinction we have developed for our personality, without comparison to any other club or organization that has this type of undertaking. None more pertinent than how we interact with each family we encounter. Perhaps most significant is that everyone understand our position on matters of importance to the survival of The Barbarian Football Coalition.
Everyone here is selected to be here. If you do not have a true appreciation of what we do then there is nothing here for you, and we are all better served by your leaving. You are not obligated to be here, but if you remain then you understand and accept that there are obligations, which must be met, in order to sustain who we are and what we do! I am not one who tries to obscure the meaning of anything I put in print. I attempt to not offend anyone, even if they have offended this organization or me. Rather, I accept you for who you are and speak to your greater sense, something that is more universal and touches deeply within your human discipline. Hopefully!
At any rate, I apologize to Maria Swarts for my having her intervene on my behalf with some families that are new to The Barbarians. I would hope that our appreciation for family would not allow her, or anyone that I have asked to do something, to be the brunt of my comments about ‘The Horse’. She was not the point of reference and no one has erred but me, and for that I am sorry. What each of you should know by now is the access you have to me if you have any difficulty with financial matters, or any other matter as they pertain to your participation with us. The other thing that everyone needs to accept and understand is that we are not affiliated in any way, shape, or form with any clubs in our area. Period. They do not pay our bills and we do not make offers to pay theirs. The coaches that are here want to be here and I want them here. Though the coaches are compensated for their duties here, they have accepted that they might make more elsewhere and they know that what they make elsewhere has no bearing on what they receive here. Have I been clear?
The players and families that are a part of this organization understand and accept that when they come here it is for that season, from October through March, and that they must be invited back. We have players that have been here from our inception or close to it, who abide by these regulations and return willingly to be a part of what we do and how we do it. I will revisit these issues in weeks to come but would like to leave you with one parting thought on this matter. If for some reason you chose to leave another organization or they chose to let you go, do you feel that all the other organizations should feel the same way about you and not allow you to be a part of them? More specifically, did I go to them and ask them if you would like to play here?
Lastly, congratulations to Grant Pastor of the U10 Black for the official first goal of the season for The Barbarians! Actually, Grant had the first 3 goals of the season to get things started for The Barbarian Football Coalition’s 2005-2006!
As usual, I will see you on the pitch.