Yes you read correctly…
On the 15th of October on the “main pitch” in Kariong, two heavyweights of international football lined up side by side and shook hands with their opponents and the referee before singing their respective national anthems with the pride that often brings players and fans alike, to tears.
The match had everything; goals, controversy, yellow cards and an eventual victor!
Explaining the lack of media in the lead-up to this match, this particular game was battled out by a group of 9 year olds.
Not to be taken lightly, the passion that was generated through their imagination and role playing created a match intensity that could not be manufactured, no matter how good a session I planned in the lead-up!
Was I the one to take the credit for this fantastic moment? Not at all.
“Can we play an international match?…” “Ok, why not.”
Within minutes the teams were self-selected, (more balance than I could’ve picked, resulting in a better challenge for all involved), and the match was rolling.
What the kids didn’t realise was that the different aspects of training we had worked on in the lead-up to this final match was being tested and practised in a real life scenario! What more could you want!!
This was a fantastic lesson for me as a coach. The act of creating their own game had led the players to train at a level that was the perfect environment for growth and learning.
The reality is that it is not always as perfect as this, but testing the waters by providing the environment for the players to express themselves in a variety of ways whilst also helping them stay on task has been a great new experience for myself as a coach!
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