The Soccer Club As An Agent for Individual and Community Improvement.
When I visited Lyon Football Club as the guest of Gerard Houllier in October 2007 I arrived at the training facility just before the players came in from their morning session. Big clubs often employ greeters to meet with international visitors and Lyons’ greeter shook my hand and took me to the Player’s Lounge to wait for Houllier who was getting showered.
Players lounges frequently have pool tables, dartboards, coffee makers, cookies, newspapers, sofas, tv’s, chairs etc. so that the players can come in and relax and wait for lunch to be served – eating meals in the clubhouse is also a feature of professional clubs. As I sat in the corner, sipping a cup of coffee, the players began to arrive following their post training shower. Without hesitation, when they saw that I was a visitor, the players walked over to shake my hand and, in some cases say, “Welcome to Lyon.” This struck me because every player who walked in deliberately came over to me and did this. As a total stranger to them this was extremely impressive.
This was not the “Lackies and Lads” Sunday morning pub team…this was five time French Champion and UEFA title contender Olympique Lyonnais. I reflected on the probability that the players had been schooled by Houllier, the consummate gentleman, to do this for all guests.
Club hospitality is a vastly under rated commodity in the USA and all clubs should develop a culture of respect and hospitality to guests, visitors and opponents. Not every club can have a clubhouse but I suggest that a local restaurant or pub could serve as a sally port following a game or practice.
It should not be forgotten that many of the famous international clubs began as church teams in the late nineteenth century, Everton and Glasgow Celtic to name just two. Both began their journey as church teams caring for the poor of Liverpool and Glasgow and providing them with protection, sustenance and education…not to mention healthy exercise.
Club soccer is growing leaps and bounds in the USA. Their purpose should be much more than helping players get scholarships. It would be nice to see clubs performing the community functions which are the charitable heritage of soccer. The ethical development of young people is, often, more effective when reinforced by club policies. Leagues for players with disabilities , food banks for the poor and visiting the elderly in nursing homes are some of the charitable efforts where club players can help. 
The summer is fading fast and the sound of balls being whacked around college campuses is an indication that college soccer is about to begin. What an amazing treasure college sport is! The ability to get a degree and still be able to play high level, highly organized and meaningful soccer is one of the wonders of the western world.
When Sporting Kansas City took the field against DC United last evening, ten of the twenty two starters were college graduates and another six had twenty two years of college soccer between them. The game was an exciting, rugged and enthralling encounter with the American college players featuring in many of the decisive scenarios of the contest – quite different than the days of the NASL when American college grads sat the bench or played in low profile positions.
College soccer has detractors but I can, personally, vouch for the liberating feeling of going into professional soccer with a college degree in my back pocket. To have options in life is sometimes seen as negating the hunger players need to succeed. I think this is nonsense. As Anson Dorrance says, having a university degree provides the possibility of chasing life’s other dreams if the dream of professional football does not work out. In this video with Chris Coleman explains why, as manager of Fulham FC of the English Premier League, signed so many American college players.
College soccer has detractors but I can, personally, vouch for the liberating feeling of going into professional soccer with a college degree in my back pocket. To have options in life is sometimes seen as negating the hunger players need to succeed. I think this is nonsense. As Anson Dorrance says, having a university degree provides the possibility of chasing life’s other dreams if the dream of professional football does not work out. In this video with Chris Coleman explains why, as manager of Fulham FC of the English Premier League, signed so many American college players.
Technical Area
I am presenting some sessions on "Mannequin Training" this week to a group of coaches in Biglerville, Pa. Thanks to Pennsylvania State Policeman Rudy Grubesky who coaches at the Biglerville HS and the Biglerville club. We are presenting a power point presentation "The Da Vinci Coach" at the High School at 5.30pm and a field presentation on " Training Attacking and Defending Movement With Mannequins" at 6.30pm. If you live in the area and would have an interst in attending please contact Rudy at rgrubesky@state.pa.us
An illustrated workbook will be available thanks to Coach FX who are my official still and animated illustration partner.
