Football has changed since the 90s, you hear people say. Football is no more the common man’s game. You don’t see players hanging out with the fans at the pub after the match, you hear them say. It’s all about stats, it’s all about the money, it’s soul has been sold, you hear them say. The players don’t play for the club, they fall at the slightest push, you don’t see the local fan go on to be scouted and represent his club on the international stage, it just doesn’t happen anymore. It’s all about the money. You need extravagant money and coaches to reach that level, to be the best. You hear these whispers in pubs, near grounds, at your local field, even as you continue to partake in the game, unable to go away, even as you remain decidedly cynical.
You’ll never make it without extravagant coaching. You hear this, it breaks your heart.
But to all those who say this, I raise you Luis Suarez. I raise you Lionel Messi. I raise you Alexis freakin’ Sanchez who would’ve gone on to become a miner in the seaside town of Tocopilla, were it not for the football, were it not for his grit and determination. I raise you Gabriel Paulista, who came from the favelas of Brazil, and has gone on to represent Arsenal in the English Premier League. I raise you Lionel Messi, the man, the legend, who began as a chaiwalla, and now dominates hoardings, televisions, just as he does the field of play.
I raise you You, oh future champion, let not your dreams fade to dust. Keep knocking on those doors, keep fighting on that field of play, someday, you too can lead you club, your nation, your side to glory!
You don’t need extravagant coaching, ask Didier Drogba, or Samuel Eto, or the legend, George Weah, who broke through barriers of race and become the world’s greatest player in the late 90s, when racism was a much bigger problem than now.
Practice, that is all you have to do. You may not have innate talent, but hard work and determination can always take you where mere talent may not suffice. Today, you have Youtube tutorials to better your technique, to work on your movement, your turns and your footwork. You can learn as you play, trying out new things on the ground. You need determination to keep going when the chips are down, when things seem impossible.
You have to keep going for selections, and keep giving your best. You may not get through immediately, but perseverance will hold you in good stead. You must play against players better than you, then raise your game to face them, to do better, and come out victorious. You must channel the spirit of the fighter, and keep going against all odds. Learn from watching games on TV. Learn from watching live games on the field near you. Learn while playing, as you try new things, even if you fail – you will learn from your mistakes.
Play, work on your fitness, work on your stamina, work on your body, and then play some more. For victory lies beyond the fields of battle, glorious and magnificent. Become the Master of your own Destiny.
Do it for the love of the game.
