LEARNING ABOUT “EARNING”…

A conversation with our Head Coaches.

Since its founding in 1987 by Clive Charles, F.C. Portland Academy has sought to prepare and develop young people for the challenges of life through soccer. It is through the channels of training and playing the Academy feels it can help young people grow individually. Clive was know for his many great philosophies and quotes on the sport and its ability to challenge the individual person to achieve great things on and off the field. The Academy chose to represent one of Clive’s quotes on our training shirts this year. “You have to earn the right to play” will be featured on all training apparel this season.

We sat down with Rob Baarts the director of our boy’s program and Mike dePinna director of our girl’s program to discuss what that philosophy means to the club, its players and families. 

If you had to use one word to describe what earning the right to play means, what would it be?

Mike dePinna: Time. You have to put in the time. You have to invest in wanting to improve everyday. All of the soccer knowledge or skill does not mean a thing if you are not willing to put the time into improving.

Rob Baarts: Commitment. To earn the right to play is to commit to you, personally getting better and help make those around you better. It is a commitment to yourself, your teammates and the club at large. It is not just about the single result but rather committing to the time, effort and work it takes to get better.

This quote is going on training t shirts, how does it play into your tactical and technical playing philosophy?

RB: Every time an FC player puts that training shirt on, they are accepting the responsibility and commitment to the betterment of their respective teams and the club as a whole. All of the time a player spends getting better is their way of paying dues to earn the opportunity to play.

Md: This is an attitude that is taken through soccer and life. It is a constant work ethic that goes into training that should be remembered every time a player puts on a training shirt and steps onto the pitch.

You both mentioned the importance of time, so how does a young athlete benefit from putting a priority on training, not just playing games?

RB: Every training session is in itself a competition. Each player is competing internally, to become a better player, and externally, to make their entire team better. We try to teach our players to learn to compete. Through competition and other aspects of our philosophy as a club, we all work hard to develop quality young men and women. The pool system is an incredible learning environment. There is a strong emphasis in this system on competition for the opportunity to play. The pool system makes each training session itself a game-like competition because each player is competing for the opportunity to play.

Md: Training breaks the game down into pieces that can be dissected and learned properly. Doing the wrong thing over and over again won’t make someone better, but will rather make the wrong thing a bad habit. Small details can be refined in training and proper technique and habits are formed. The games are the testing ground for these learned techniques. As coaches, we put the pieces together and can enjoy the end product we have worked for. At that point, we see the synergy and collection of proper details and habits that make it enjoyable.

In your opinion, what does it mean to earn the right to play and how can a player achieve this?

Md: A player has already started their journey to earn the right to play the day they are selected to be in our club. We are not a community based recreational club. The players are picked from a group of people at tryouts to represent FC Portland and to wear the badge. That honor is not given out to just anyone and must be earned initially. How much a player plays and at what times and positions is merely an extension of the earning the right to play philosophy. As a club we put a high priority on improving all of our players. Part of that development in soccer, and in life, is teaching them the real difference between entitlement and earning. In soccer as in life, things will not simply be handed out or given to them, they must go out and earn it.

To change one word in the quote, a player earns the opportunity to play by competing. By following the lead of their coaches and improving on their skills and tactics, a player can earn the opportunity to step on the field. The amount of playing time a player receives is dependent on their ability to compete and be better than others.

RB: It starts with tryouts. By being chosen to represent this club and all that entails, a player has already earned something. Every training session thereafter is an opportunity to earn a spot on the field. This process includes practice, competition and constantly striving to better oneself and the team.

It goes back to our pool system. Once a player is selected at tryouts to become part of that player pool, each practice afterward is their chance to compete against one another for the limited spots on the field and on the team. The pool system lends itself to the philosophy of earning the right to play by making it an open competition day in and out. A player does not simply earn their spot the day of tryouts; it has to be a constant competition to become better and to make the team better. Each player has to show a desire to constantly get better instead of resting on past successes or failures. Playing time or a spot on the team is never given or should be expected based on a certain formula, it is a reward for commitment, determination and a desire to improve and bring success to the team and club as a whole.

Clive spoke frequently about the ability for soccer to prepare and develop young people for the challenges of life. How does this process achieve that mission statement?

RB: Responsibility. We are teaching each player to take ownership of their soccer development which in turn helps to develop their character off the field. This philosophy and pool system force young people to learn to become personally responsible about their goals. This can easily translate to life off the pitch. In life, as in soccer, it is up to the individual to do what is necessary to achieve the success and rewards they seek. Nothing is ever given or should be expected, everything must be earned.

Md: I think no one can answer that better than Clive himself. One of my favorite quotes he used to say perfectly describes how the lessons we teach on the pitch translate to every aspect of a young player’s life going forward. “If you want something, go out and get it, you can’t expect to be given chances; you’ve got to make the world give you chances”.