The Beautiful Game on two levels

You may have heard the term “Joga Bonita” in reference to soccer. It means “the Beautiful Game.” It is, on one level, referring to the graceful skills needed for the world’s most popular sport. The fancy footwork of Ronaldinho and Christian Reynaldo is nice to watch and can be appreciated by even the casual soccer observer. The pin point accuracy of Beckham, Iniesta, or Xavi Hernandez is something to admire. But there is a second level of beauty that is overlooked. If you are a coach this second level is the kind of beauty you really want your players to obtain. Spain and Holland had this second beauty in truck loads and it is the major reason they were in the World Cup final. The first level of beauty has mainly to do with the ball—who is controlling it, dribbling it, shooting it, etc. Your most skilled players can bring many moments of pizzazz and entertainment. But they are brief and the excitement is fleeting. You could have a whole bunch of guys with flashy tricks and stunning acrobatics, but then you would merely have a circus show, you would not have a team. To appreciate this second level of beauty that I speak of, one has to closely pay attention to what players are doing off the ball.
As I watched the WC final my heart was flooded by the intense commitment, respect, and love that the players had for each other. Every player worked hard, but not for themselves, rather for their teammates. They were consistently in the spaces their teammates needed them to be. They made runs just to open the defense up and create space for another player. If a vital opportunity was missed or a shot went wide, I didn’t see players admonishing the attempt, sneering resentfully at their wonting teammate, rather I saw sympathetic disappointment, knowing that the failed attempt was mutually as important. They were 100% in it together. They must be unified when you consider the enormous pressure they are under. Outstanding squads such as the Spanish and Dutch, attain almost a marital level of co-dependency on the field. Their level of communication can match that of couples beyond twenty years of marriage. They know what the other is thinking. They envision simultaneously solutions to situations. They know which foot a teammate prefers to receive the ball. They know just how fast each other are. They count on each others’ support, defensively and offensively. The second level of beauty is the communal aspect of soccer. If you do not play well as a team, no matter how much talent you are stacked with, egos, selfishness, and pride can turn the beautiful game ugly. (France, for example.)
During the 2010 final, the slightest bit of selfishness I saw was on the pregame-face of Fernando Torres as he entered the stadium, knowing he would not start and may not even play at all. He is young, ambitious, and extremely talented. But the fact remained he was not ready. His prior injury still had him out of top form. It would take away from the team and Del Busque (the coach)knew that. When Fernando was played the last few minutes of the match he pulled a muscle. A little lessen that hopefully will serve him well as he has at least two world cups still obtainable in his career.
Coaches… respect, unity, and love are beautiful things. Orchestrate activities with behaviors that exemplify these principles and you will be giving your players a foundation toward the building of, not just a beautiful game, but a beautiful life.