Gold in volleyball, silver in basket, gold in formula one, silver in tennis, hockey, etc, etc.
The Spanish sport medals add up to an amazing collection year in year out.
Except for soccer.
The soccer medals if there would be any has never been more than bronze.
Quarterfinals is the best the Spanish soccer team ever got to.
And this is strange -- call it a paradox -- if you know how many children (and parents) support the soccer game.
Soccer is by far the most popular sport in Spain.
The sport is practiced in every single town and there is always enough supply to source whatever team in whatever league / age-category.
This is quite different from basket, volleyball hockey or handball.
It is a sheer impossible task to find enough children for many of the age categories to start a league.
Volleyball is even hard to find at all in the South of Spain, except for beach-volleyball.
The problem starts at the schools.
Sport is often not part of physical education which is merely dedicated to gym.
There is nearly no team sport promoted on schools.
After school programs however do dedicate time to sports, but not in the context of a club and without the possibilities of competing in leagues.
There are initiatives to change this and this change is needed.
Diversity is a welcome driver for innovation.
Besides it would make the most popular sport (soccer) less stressful for children.
The first leagues start for eight-year-olds and the selection process seems as important as for the adult leagues.
Parents (especially fathers) are so keen on their kid to become a professional player that selections to enter the league become an important ritual.
And only few will really excel.
Many of those nine year olds will end somewhere in the middle.
A More diverse supply of different team-sports would be a healthy improvement.
And diminishing the stress to perform well in soccer may influence the results in a positive way.
Gold in Spanish soccer, it's possible.
© 2007 Hans Bool
The Spanish sport medals add up to an amazing collection year in year out.
Except for soccer.
The soccer medals if there would be any has never been more than bronze.
Quarterfinals is the best the Spanish soccer team ever got to.
And this is strange -- call it a paradox -- if you know how many children (and parents) support the soccer game.
Soccer is by far the most popular sport in Spain.
The sport is practiced in every single town and there is always enough supply to source whatever team in whatever league / age-category.
This is quite different from basket, volleyball hockey or handball.
It is a sheer impossible task to find enough children for many of the age categories to start a league.
Volleyball is even hard to find at all in the South of Spain, except for beach-volleyball.
The problem starts at the schools.
Sport is often not part of physical education which is merely dedicated to gym.
There is nearly no team sport promoted on schools.
After school programs however do dedicate time to sports, but not in the context of a club and without the possibilities of competing in leagues.
There are initiatives to change this and this change is needed.
Diversity is a welcome driver for innovation.
Besides it would make the most popular sport (soccer) less stressful for children.
The first leagues start for eight-year-olds and the selection process seems as important as for the adult leagues.
Parents (especially fathers) are so keen on their kid to become a professional player that selections to enter the league become an important ritual.
And only few will really excel.
Many of those nine year olds will end somewhere in the middle.
A More diverse supply of different team-sports would be a healthy improvement.
And diminishing the stress to perform well in soccer may influence the results in a positive way.
Gold in Spanish soccer, it's possible.
© 2007 Hans Bool