La Segunda Parte - Barcelona Innovation Hub Blog
October 21st 2019
So – it was a busy weekend for sure!
As a part of the course, I have watched Barcelona compete in Basketball, Handball, Futsal, and Soccer. The latter being the overly impressive Women’s Barcelona team playing at their new home, the Johan Cruyff Stadium at Joan Camper (home of La Maisa). Leila is flat out the best female player I have ever seen in real life.
The course has proven to be interesting and valuable on almost all fronts of the football business, from A-Z.
Isaac and Jordi are both coaches with La Masia (Find out more here https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/La_Masia) and they are overly proud of it. The approach to the human being is at the core of the value checklist they go through.
Everything revolves around the human being.
The Barca methodology is not anything groundbreaking per se. It revolves around the ball and spaces made when in possession. The method is based on the passing style Barcelona is famous for. “The ball has the responsibility to organize the game,” Jordi states.
The approach is also philanthropic, absolutely rooted in a player centric model. The method supports this entirely.
Philanthropic approach to the game – the player centric approach. The player is always in the same, but chaotic and uncertain “the player perceives, analyses and makes the decision” Isaac assures the inquisitive audience. Both coaches keep coming back to the history of the club with a subtle pride referring to past 1st team coaches, with affection and a true understanding for what they had done for the club. Guardiola, Cruyff, and Luis Enrique come up frequently.
The asset of playing in a different style is something that they are consistent about. Football (soccer) is the most chaotic sport in the world. The coach themselves, need to be 360 degrees; they have to be able to learn from the players and environment. This approach empowers the coach to facilitate the knowledge. It also gives autonomy to the player to be in charge of their own learning.
The coaches (and everyone) refer to each other as teammates. They work in unison, not with their own philosophies. “Our intervention is more efficient than sensationalism” the coach must facilitate.
Paco Seirul-lo is heavily featured in the learning model as a true godfather of La Masia, and maybe modern coaching theory. As coaches we need to be, in Isaac’s words, “more active than ever as we are more knowledgeable than ever”.
How the information flows (shown above) is also an avenue for them to work within the Optimal Theory of Motor Learning schematic.
Jordi leaves the presentation with a question for the candidates, “Isn’t coaching just another skill based on perception-action?”.
SIDE NOTE: I spoke with Jordi and Isaac post presentation and over the weekend. My questions were based on method, focus, and to best help TTi Soccer provide us with better education for better players. The census is that we are making great efforts in “the correct manner” for player development and that we should continue as we are.
It may be one of my proudest moments as a football coach.