Dear Barbarians:
In many ways this newsletter is long overdue yet in others it is on time for it is written in its own time and appropriate in every way to your being a part of this club. Therein lays the essence of this message: club and not team!
So many are concerned with their own age group team that they lose sight of the fact that each team who represents the Barbarian FC, whether in the various leagues, tournaments, or regionally and nationally, are parts of the entire club. If you could be so bold, as to endeavor out to watch each of our teams play you might begin to understand the significance of this statement that, every player is instructed in the same approach and manner to aid in their development through our style of play. This is what it means to be a member of a club and not just a part of a team. At nearly every training session you attend you find the same coaches and on most occasions you attend there are multiple coaches and most times every one of the coaches on staff are part of the training sessions in which you are involved.
The curriculum and the model, though it is still being developed, is the same that is utilized in the development of the most skilled players in the world. The adjustments we make are certainly age appropriate but it is not limited because of the age of the players. Instead, different components are incorporated at various stages of development so that the more skilled players continue to progress as do the lesser skilled players. We are not the club that holds try-outs for roster spots or cuts players from our ranks because they are not on the same level as others in the group. Instead, we select players to teams and to tournaments and do so based on our criteria not that of parents or players. We do so in order to have the proper flow that is the lifeblood of our style of play. Our manner and approach provides opportunities for players to push their limits to gain the confidence that will enable them to play anywhere, with anyone, at any time. You see football is a universal language in which those who excel do so no matter who they play with or against. Understanding and accepting this premise is what will guide any success every player wishes to have in the sport or in life.
While we would like everyone to be on the same page at the same time we know and understand that there are stages of development in life, in each of us. This is why you have often heard me say we are not in a rush. Everything worthwhile in the universe takes time, and it will develop at its own pace with or without any of us. Why spend our time rushing to get this done? This is with everything we do through our manner and approach though there are many things we do not understand, it is sometimes best to accept them so that we can move forward and yet at other times we must have understanding and acceptance in order to move forward. For now, I accept that you have very little understanding in what we do and how we do or perhaps even why, but it is significant that our approach does not vary and it is proven over time. What we seek is consistency in our level of play for every player and hope that at all times everyone preforms at the highest level of play possible. This is one reason we implemented our Handbook and attempt to have every player in training and matches with the proper attitude and work ethic with respect for the game more-so than an emphasis on the individual who is seeking attention. This is what our style of play gives us and those who accept it gain greater understanding that the dynamic of success is team and the significance that will be exhibited is the confidence of individuals.
Look around, most of the teams in our area always play their best game when they play against the Barbarians yet experience very little success outside of our area. It is because they have only learned to compete against us and they have no understanding of how to truly compete. Even with the massive scale back of teams in the various leagues in our area the Barbarians still put more untested players into competition than any of them who call themselves clubs or whatever. Our effort this year has been to get as many of the players we train into match-play so that we can further train you in matches so that you are prepared to compete. Winning and losing games is never our measure. It is whether we see what we are looking for individually and collectively. It is about transforming what is being taught in training into games. There have been moments of brilliance and moments of disappointment. We have always told each of our teams that score is not always indicative of how we play. We have been in situations where our teams have scored a lot of goals but have performed poorly and in other scenarios where we have been pounded but we played well. The temperance is that of patience in that you must always take the good with the bad. However, we also know that several who are performing poorly in match play are inattentive in training either by absences or even in our presence. Yet we move forward with or without you!
The Barbarians are out front and leading the way with intra-league and intra-city play. What would you expect from the club that has dedicated itself to development of futsal and its players? Most of you know that I am never concerned with what others do, say, or think about what they are doing. It is accepting and understanding the state of affairs as they are and knowing they have no bearing on what we are after and doing, or why we do it. It is what it is and we are who we are and this is why they can never be! So, it is imperative that when you wear your Barbarian uniform or whatever else you have with our club’s name on it you do so with the understanding and acceptance that you represent more than yourself.
The word uniform has a specific meaning and too many of you are not wearing it in a proper fashion. We do not want to see anything worn that covers any part of your uniform when in games, or that is not in accordance with the spirit and letter of the Handbook. Please. The uniform does represent this club and signifies the team not an individual expression! Too many are wearing outer coverings over their socks, the wrong color socks, shorts rolled down with tags showing, or tape over the outside of their socks. I am asking each of you to be uniform in your appearance, with your shirts tucked properly in, shorts unfurled. For those of you who read this newsletter please make certain to share it with your parent or child who is a member of the Barbarian FC. Together we can take pride in who we are and what we seek other than attention for which there is no remedy!
As ever, I will see you on the pitch.
dws