There was this point when I suddenly realized that life is made up of simply mastering the basic skills. Sure you can get to the fancy stuff, but only after you’ve become skilled at the basics.
I’ve found this to be true over and over again, and never more true than when I took over coaching a girls soccer (football) team.
I was asked to take over my daughter’s soccer team after her coach was asked to leave. I said, “Yes” at a time when I knew very little about the game. When I arrived the team had never won a game.
What was I to do? I was determined to turn this around. I began to watch international soccer games on TV. At that time, it was mostly Serie A and the English Premiership teams that were televised in the US. I watched closely observing and breaking down what was being done on the field. I was surprised to see that the game was all about moving into open space.
Truthfully, the world’s elite teams were purely executing on their basic skills – controlling the ball, passing, blocking, trapping, shooting – and mainly listening, watching, being in the present moment to respond to the always unexpected.
This is what I did with the girls. We had several extended practices each week to master the basics. Once the girls became more skilled in them, it was then they would elaborate.
As a result, this team rose to the top of the league so we joined an even more challenging one. Here we beat the top teams to once again rise to the top of the league table.
What was astonishing is that people were coming from far and wide to see our team play. It was the skill, the teamwork, but most of all it was the love. Opposing teams and their coaches came to us after the games and told us how much they enjoyed playing our team – these girls. They noticed the skills but most of all they recognized the joy, the fun, the fairness, the care, the love for each other these girls played with.
The basic skills were not only the skills of the game – they were the skills of life. I deeply cherished this time. There was no other like it.
In any endeavor, work to get the basic skills “under your belt”. From there, work further to achieve greatness – but only after you know what those skills are and you’ve mastered them. And then – add a dose of love – for the game and for each other. It’s a surefire recipe.
A program I offer is called Foundations of Leadership Communication. Don't let the word "foundations" fool you.
They are not so basic - they are simply sophisticated.
