Are ex footballers the best people for Manager/Coaching Jobs?
I understand the question within the title of this piece is very subjective and opinions will vary. With that said I’m going to state that yes absolutely ex footballers more often than not will make the best managers and coaches, but not for one minute is that statement made without expansion as to why that is often the case in this humble opinion.
Why?
Nowadays the statement that ex footballers make the best coaches or managers will upset many readers perhaps because they assume the statement is referring to players who were paid to play the game at a professional level, that’s not who this piece is referring to solely. The statement that ex footballers often make the best coaches or managers is a reference to footballers who have played the game at any level for an extensive period of time. Today on the internet in particular the laptop coaches or the coaches who gave up playing the game themselves at early ages will read this piece and not like what they are reading. Firstly I would like to clarify that absolutely health and injury is a fully understandable reason to stop playing the game, but beyond those reasons some coaches out there simply quit because they were poor at the game, couldn’t get a game for teams, fell out of love with the game, couldn’t commit to training, the list of excuses goes on and on. Above everything else it is my belief that people able bodied, healthy and injury free who truly love the game will have done everything in their power to play it no matter the level. I believe that much of the learning acquired from playing experience simply can’t be replicated on courses, the feelings and understanding of the player mindset, you just can’t get that same feel from books or lectures. Playing the game and being within the game itself is simply the best education of all.
But you Didn’t Play Professional Football
Recently I came across a comment online which read as follows. QUOTE “Oh shut up talking s**t, who are you anyway, have you played professional football? no I didn’t think so! You won’t coach professional footballers either never mind have the right to pretend you’re some kind of top coach”. The comment was aimed at a reputable coach who runs a popular online podcast covering grassroots football. The comment struck a cord with me because it would appear to suggest being a professional footballer automatically gives you more credibility as a coach. This debate could go on and on for ten pages or more so simply I will refer to one key criteria for the best people in any jobs. QUOTE “The best people for any jobs are the one’s who love what they do the most, because often times they are the one’s with the most resilience in the face of the many challenges football brings, often times they are the one’s with the most passion and the most love of what they do, so often times they are the one’s that find the best way of doing it”. I know beyond all reasonable doubt that unless they are paid, there are some professional footballers who would have no interest in playing or coaching the game. Even at the core of the argument have all professional footballers truly proved their unwavering love for the game just by being a professional as opposed to a coach who has spent his or her whole career paying to play or coaching for free?
“The best people for any jobs are the one’s who love what they do the most, because they are the one’s with the most resilience, the most passion, the most love of what they do to find the best way of doing it”
With the above quote in mind, no matter the playing level I would end this piece by simply asking some questions.
- Who are the able bodied people that played the game because they loved it, and played for as long as they could?
- Regardless of pay who treated the game like something they loved dearly. For things like training or any opportunity to play, in those cases who are the people that never saw it as an effort to be there?
- Who studies the game any opportunity they have to do so?
- In their own time, who are the people that time spend that time around the game?
- Who needs the game?
Somewhere in the answer to those questions we truly begin to separate and find what will likely be the best people for coaching and managerial roles!