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Petr Brandl was apprenticed around 1683–1688.
All coaches are apprentices to the beautiful game. But unlike medieval apprentices, when coaches graduate to “master” after serving their apprenticeship, they rarely produce a “master piece,” a solid piece of work, well-constructed, admirable, timeless, without claims of worldly importance.
The art of coaching is more fluid, more fleeting within the world. Teams and games have been “constructed” through the efforts of many coaches, many hands, as befitting an artists’ guild.
A master coach is a rare occurrence and one who, on his own, develops a team and its players over the course of years. To produce an award winning team, to do so through a singular effort of the coach is an extremely rare and wonderful thing, quite like great art.
Great art offers more than pleasure, and great coaching is no less, for both are born from the pain of spiritual and personal growth -- drawing players into areas of themselves that they may not want to encounter.
At some mature place, a coach awakens and challenges players, and they end up changed because of it. They grow from the less demanding to the more, and back again in that next, new level. The masterful coach constantly widens our love, knowledge, and understanding – and for a fleeting moment, as apprentices, we exclaim “Wow, what a save!” “Nice move,” as we watch that most fluid art.
And a mirror image is also true, for coaches, like players, are also changed by their players and the failures and foibles that they bring to the pitch, and find themselves having to also serve themselves, as if penance in the crucible of their short comings.
So, when that magical moment of training and learning combine, and the players get it, as if the movements flow effortlessly out, coaches marvel in that new light, a bit entranced, before they wake to the noise and the clamor of schedules and parents and the mundane, wiping hands as if on a paint stained apron, again having to plan for the next session, the next goal they have tasked themselves to teach their players.
So, where are we at here?
Well, we need to see the workmanship as we need to see the craft, and its possibilities of art, and always aim for greatness and mastery – all based on challenging not only our players – but our selves....
See you on the pitch.
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See: New Hampshire Soccer Association: http://www.soccernh.com/Coaching/CourseDescriptions/tabid/3477/Default.aspx
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