Nate Baker's Newsletter #90

"The coaching education newsletter for those dedicated to helping their people pursue their potential."

The Culture Rep

Essential Reading for All Developers

The Game is No Longer For the Players

October 11, 2024 | Read on my website | Read time: 6-7 minutes

Maybe it never was.

We’ve completely lost sight of what sport is meant to be.

Whether you are taking a walk around your local park or bought tickets for the big game, you’re almost guaranteed to witness:

A parent screaming at a referee
A coach cursing an opposing coach
A fan taunting a player
Or any of those three adults verbally assaulting a player

Mix and match the adult representative with the abusive action however you like; it’s more rare to see a match free of this behavior than not.

The “why” is less important to me today than the “what.”

An the “what” is this:

The game is no longer for the players.

I’ve coached at almost every level, and the levels I haven’t coached at, I’ve experienced as a player or observed up close. The game, at its core, is meant to be a vehicle for growth as both players and people, regardless of the level.

Development is about guiding a player, regardless of their level, to take small but meaningful steps beyond where they currently are, moving them closer to their potential.

Yet, I watch coaches and adults prioritize their ego and winning above all else on a weekly basis.

This has incredibly detrimental downstream effects:

Players don’t enjoy the game
Players get burnt out
Players adopt the ego-based characteristics of their coach
Players don’t express themselves
Players shift to prioritizing outcomes
Players never really learn how to play
Players never really learn how to become better people
Players never really develop grit or a strong mentality
Players never scrape their potential
Player potential gets defined detrimentally
Players get replaced by “more developed” internationals at higher levels
Player recruitment is prioritized over player development
Players feel dehumanized and worthless
Players quit the game

So when you think about it: what part of our current game is for the players?

We aren’t even really talking about the lacking visions, which obviously matter.

It’s an over-prioritization of leaders' needs over those of our American players.

And many times the leaders’ needs come at the expense of the players' humanity.

Players become pawns in a game that was originally built for them.

Here are some facts:

70% of young athletes drop out of organized sports by age 13, despite 81% of Americans agreeing that sports are important
Fewer Americans play in Major League Soccer than ever before—in 1996, 67.27% of all available minutes were played by Americans. By 2020, that figure had dropped to 37.96%
Americans are getting fewer opportunities at the D1 college level—an analysis of 48 teams from the 2022 D1 national championship tournament revealed international players logged 66 minutes per game, while American players averaged 58 minutes
Only four Americans were selected for the 2024 MLS All-Star roster out of 30 players, and their average age is 29, meaning less young American talent is coming through domestically and making a real impact
The best players in the USMNT either left the country at 15 to further their development overseas (Pulisic, Reyna, McKennie) or never touched our system to begin with (Balogun, Dest, Musah)

The day-to-day experience of every American player, paired with the lack of a real vision for their long-term development domestically, has created a soccer culture that has completely forgotten who the game is meant to serve.

I think we can agree that, at the very least, the leadership methods driving our current soccer culture are not only unproductive but detrimental to any player who has a interest in the game.

Every player loses, whether they win the game on the weekend or not.

So what can we do?

What can you do as a coach?

You won’t be able to change the soccer culture by yourself, but as a Developer, you must become a lighthouse for others to follow.

Here are 10 standards all Developers can uphold within their environments to give the game back to their players.

1. You Will Lead With Humility and Empathy First

Ego is the enemy.

It all starts with remembering that this isn’t about us.

It’s about caring and doing the best we can to help our players.

2. Your Navigation Will Always Be Development

The result on the weekend DOES NOT matter…

Especially when you sacrifice the development of your players to get it.

Develop your players each week, and keep them on their path.

3. You Will Practice Servant Leadership

The best leaders serve their people, even when they don’t get rewarded for it.

For me, leadership is servant leadership.

Doing your best for your people is what leadership is.

4. You Will Be Creative and Find New Ways to Support Growth

Every group needs something different, and every group has potential.

There is ALWAYS a way to guide our players a little further down the path.

And it’s our job to be creative and find those ways.

5. You Will Be Counter-Cultural

People won’t like what you stand for.

Don’t let that confuse you or force you off the path.

You are holding up a mirror to everyone, including your players’ parents, forcing them to confront truths they may be uninterested in exploring.

6. You Will Value the Longer Path

Development is an unmarked path that requires a machete to find a way.

But all it requires is that we continue to take the next step.

As long as you are directionally correct, your players will benefit.

7. You Will See the Potential in Everyone

You understand that everyone has potential, and it can never be defined.

You see potential as an endless horizon.

Your job, regardless of level, is to help your players move toward it.

8. You Will Meet a Player’s Vulnerability

And transform it into support, motivation, and/or empowerment.

Today’s player is more scared than ever and lacks self-belief.

You will help instill self-worth and a love for pursuing their potential.

9. You Will Understand the True Importance of Your Role

Regardless of level, every player needs their coach.

You may be the only one who helps them see their true worth.

You might not get to see it, but you can change the course of a player’s life.

10. You Will Celebrate the Small Wins

Small wins > winning the match.

Celebrate the growth of your players, and you’ll foster a lifelong love of the sport.

If your players enjoy the game and the development process, they are more likely to experience their potential.

I Want to Finish With a Quick Story

My next-door neighbor is a former college athlete, veteran, Chelsea supporter, and father to a 9-year-old son interested in the game.

He’s not a licensed coach, but he volunteered to coach his son’s rec team when no one else offered. He set a vision from the beginning for his parents and players, prioritizing teamwork, skill acquisition, sportsmanship, and having fun.

He’s the kind of person you would be thrilled to have as your volunteer coach.

Last weekend, his team was leading by a lot (they don’t keep track of scores) against the other best team in the league. In this league, the coaches of both teams have to referee the match while simultaneously coaching their group. The opposing team’s coach (warned by the league the prior week for his behavior) and their parents created a hostile environment that ended with my neighbor calling the game early when a player completely crushed a smaller player with three minutes remaining.

On that day, my neighbor received verbal backlash from:

The opposing coach
The opposing parents
AND his own parents, for not finishing the game or seeking some kind of retribution

Adults making a game about themselves instead of the development of their children.

The big kid on the other team learned that behavior from his coach and will internalize it moving forward.

And that kid he fouled…

He quit the next day.

This example has become our new normal.

Be a Developer and put development first.

Give the game back to the players.

Injury Time

A Few Items Before the Final Whistle

⚽ One Time Only!!!

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⚽ The Perfect Compliment: If you enjoyed today's article, you'll also want to read "The Next Coaching Revolution Will Have Nothing To Do With Soccer." (link).

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Good luck on your next step.

To Development,

Nate Baker

Founder of The Developer’s Way

P.S. Whenever you are ready, there is 1 more way I can help you👇: