I pay my tribute to the Marcelo Bielsa of children’s football.
Horst Wein, who sadly passed away five years ago this month, has influenced thousands of coaches with his child-centred approach aimed at developing football intelligence among young players, particularly through a skilful application of small-sided games.
To celebrate the life of the charismatic, trailblazing, former ice hockey coach I have translated some of his perhaps less known quotes.
THE CHILD
The development of young footballers can be compared to a journey. Before it starts, you should first be introduced into a programme so that you know where it goes, you do not get lost and you do not needlessly waste time or energy.
The first key to success is an appropriate structure of football competition for children up to 14 years of age. You should strike a balance between the demands of games and the current mental and physical capabilities of every young player at a specific development phase.
Training and competition in children’s football should be exactly like their shoes – they should fit perfectly, be not too big nor too small, so that the child can move comfortably and feel good.
COACHING
One who wants to triumph in football must look for new ways, instead of always following the same route.
Almost everywhere youth coaches are more interested in the training content that in the way this content is best passed on to the players, so that effective learning takes place.
Not only the variety of ingredients in the menu (training session), but also the way in which the cook (coach) prepares and serves the menu determines the success or satisfaction of guests (players).
Practically, a good coach does not teach his players at all, but only helps them – in learning and teaching processes – to discover by themselves what he planned in the content of exercises and simplified games. Constantly stimulating his pupils to think and act, rather than think for them, is a transcendental function of a good coach.
Exactly like in street football, in ‘mini’ football the coach has almost no significance. The less he instructs, the more experiences there are for the players who have time to discover the game by themselves.
The perhaps biggest problem in the development of young footballers is that a lot of young coaches know a lot about football. But their young pupils do not.
The effective learning through discovery begins when the coach, through problems he poses, understands that decisions which he used to teach himself are now left to pupils, as it was the case in street football.
A good coach does not teach his players almost at all, but only confronts his pupils with problems which are understandable and solvable for them, so that they can be solved as well as possible through their own discovery or with the coach’s help.
MOTIVATION
The more enjoyment and motivation there is, the more you learn.
ENTHUSIASM
Thanks to enthusiasm even the hardest job becomes a pleasure.
RESULTS
A youth coach who goes from victory to victory has done more for his own future that for the one of his young players.
MISTAKES
We should set ourselves long-term targets, so that we do not get frustrated with all those mistakes that arise while reaching the target in the short-term.
INFORMATION
The more a good coach knows, the less information he gives away.
INTELLIGENCE
In football, a milligram of brain weighs more than a kilogram of muscles.
CREATIVITY
The creativity of your pupils is the source from which the coach should drink every day.
FOOTBALL
You must respect football of the past, study football of the presence and anticipate football of the future.
Source: Horst Wein, “Spielintelligenz im Fussball”
BREAKTHROUGH 