STAND BY ME

I hear “That was magic! Your session was magic. This moment was magical. What you do is magic.”

Magic… What does magic really mean? -Something that takes your breath away?

 This dance is magical, this play is magical, this moment is magical, being able to move after a naprapat fixes you is magic, this conversation is magical, this training session is magical… a goal, a smile, a joy… the joyful moment.  It is something you will never forget.

Magic: Definition

Noun

1.    The power of apparently influencing events by using mysterious or supernatural powers or art.

2.    Wonderful; exciting

3.    Any extraordinary or mystical influence, charm or power. Special Power, influence or skill

4.    Mysteriously enchanting

5.    A power that allows people to do impossible things by special words, tricks or performing special actions

Verb

1.    Move, change, transform or create by or as if by magic

Perform: Definition

1.    To carry out, to execute, to do.

2.     To carry into effect, to accomplish any action involving skill or ability.

3.     To fulfill a command, promise. To entertain.

I danced for 9 years. The dance company in my town, Hackworth School of Performing arts is one of the best! My friend Teddy Forance and his family are dancers and they are basically doing what I do with fotboll but with dance…

 

I was thinking about these two words Performance and Magic and my mind went back in a time where I was watching a performance and I felt the “magic”… My mom and I were watching a dance recital; Teddy came on stage… I have not seen him perform in awhile and when he started to move I became lost in it, lost deeper and deeper within every movement… He made time freeze and I lost my breath.  This was breathtaking. He made me completely disappear where all that existed was him on the stage. It was absolutely incredible!!

I went on YouTube and I watched one of my favorite performances from him.  After, I had training with a focus on possession in the midfield and then I thought of Teddy, this performance, when I danced, what my dance teachers have said to me, and how they set up and created a choreography.  It clicked…. I found a key…

Creating a Choreography

When you are creating a dance within a group the teachers talk about finding the “windows”, with these windows every dancer is seen at all times.

I think… The player with the ball is now the “audience” and the rest of the team needs to find the different “windows” (space) to be seen.

I watch this stand by me performance again and I see it so clearly……

Stand By Me

These three guys “attack in three” -My team attacks in three or more and defends in these attacking triangles I call the Bermuda triangle.

They have “Happy feet”-Their feet are always moving. My players’ feet are always moving. There are no “sad feet”

Positioning- They have different positions whether it is group/team positioning or individual positioning and they interchange just as we do in fotboll.

Spacing- They focus on spacing- the distance between the player (or ‘dancer’) attacking and defensively, whether it be in triangles, diamonds etc.

They have a game plan- a choreography where they attack, defend and have different movement transitions from attacking to defending and defending to attacking.

Special Skills- Each dancer, each player has a special skill and their stage or the field serves as a place for “self expression” They use their special skill and strength to make everyone look good and make each other better.

Balance- There is a balance between “improvisation and structure” They have a structure they follow but they have the freedom to “Improvise” within the structure.

Windows-No one is hiding everyone has a role within the performance. Everyone has a role on the team. If your friend is hiding you have to catch her, help her up so she finds her window again. HELP YOUR TEAMMATE UP!!

Audience- They are not only there for themselves and their teammates but they are also there for the audience… To PERFORM!  You have to be “there” and be ‘support’ for the player with the ball. The Audience also becomes the support to the players, dancers or team.

The crowd- In the great words of the gladiator “Win the crowd and you shall gain your freedom. Win the hearts of the mob” “ I will win the crowd. I will give them something they have never seen before” They not only win but they PERFORM!

What does it mean to truly win???

-I win but don’t play well and I am not happy or satisfied…

-I lose and play well but I am satisfied?

-What would you rather??

-But to achieve excellence and become a ‘champion’ do you need to find a way to win when you don’t play well?

-To play well you win?

To win and play well is the ultimate victory!!

Work, Trust, Commitment- I base my team’s philosophy on these three things. In this dance performance you need a lot of trust and commitment in oneself, teammate, coach and plan and you need to work to perfect it. Outwork every opponent even if that opponent is your self. Just as in this dance, trust to jump into your partners arms knowing fully that they are there to catch you. That they are there for you, to do everything in their power to make you look good because they know that you are doing the same for them!

ONE- They become one in this performance but they keep their individuality. They use their individuality to create “ONE” They are the same but have a plan to use their individuality to lift the group and the performance.  They put their strengths together to perform or reach a common goal (like scoring in fotboll) or creating an unbelievable show to not just be great but really really great!!

Freedom- create an environment where you give the game back to the players or the stage back to the performers, where they have the freedom to express themselves. How do you find your freedom?

Relating to football.

The player with the ball is the audience; the players off the ball are the performers and need to find the “windows” where everyone is seen.  My players have FREEDOM within the plan/ choreography where they are free to express themselves. They use their strengths to lift the team and the team lifts their strengths! Everyone has a role in the victory and to make the performance great. No one hides.

Why be there if you hide? Take the responsibility to have the courage to be seen.

I see that everything that has happened to me, every experience and every person that I have met (friends, family, professors, old dance teachers, and coaches) has helped me create my philosophy!  I keep adding, adapting and creating to come to that magical moment.

You see just tiny glimpses of magic from time to time.  I think of a magical time and magical moments and want to bring that to this great game not only win but also perform and create MAGIC. Something so great that it makes you disappear!

 

 

 

Do you BELIEVE in Magic? "Those who don't believe in magic will never find it"

I’m on the bus and my mind wanders…

5 Minutes

The most important part of a game is the first five minutes of each half, the last 5 minutes of each half and the first five minutes after a goal is scored. 

The game is 90 minutes long but in these particular moments, these particular 5 minutes within the game so much can happen…

My team scored a goal and within 90 seconds our opponent had not one, but three pretty good chances to get the goal back… In just 90 seconds our opponent had three chances to completely change the game!

I think of just this year and I think, ‘so much has happened.’ So much has happened every single year… Does this much happen to everyone?! If I just look at the past events from January its like I am living in those “5 minutes of the game” all the time.

There are 90 minutes in a game but then you really only remember certain moments, minutes or seconds. 

Just like in life there are moments you will never forget. There are 525,600 minutes in a year but then there are certain moments, certain minutes and certain seconds you will never forget.

For example…

“Jackie your surgery came undone! Jackie my father died. I have cancer!  I’m going through a divorce! I quit! My brother died! They are taking the house! We have no money! I need help.” 

You have these horrific moments…

But then you have these moments that take your breath away in another way… You have these GREAT MOMENTS

“Your lungs are the best I’ve seen. You’re at 88%. You survived. We want you to come to Tyresö. I got the job. I booked a trip. Were getting married. You passed the test. We did it! Were in the final!! They invited me! We won Champions League!!! Surfing. That perfect wave. A simple coffee with a friend. I scored! Surprise! You’re here! ”

It could be a goal, a person, training, a place, a great day, a great night, a conversation…

There is so much bad that happens every day, so much horror whether its losing a loved one, losing a home, going through a divorce, losing your job or so on.. But then there are moments, moments of pure joy where you are completely taken away.

I’m on the bus home thinking about practice today, thinking about these girls and this group and I am full. We are training and I get so excited I lose track of time. It is a place where you almost do not want to leave. A place where even if it is just for 90 minutes nothing else exists and your are surrounded by pure happiness.  An escape..

 Hold on to these moments of joy, cherish them and enjoy every second and when you do feel down “replay” them. When are you happiest? Put yourself in that position. Play your best foot by putting yourself in those places and surrounding yourself with those people! 

My mind wanders again…  I’m thinking about my 5 minutes and I think about a very special moment in Barcelona.

The Shorts

I was recently with FC Barcelona women’s team. I went to the training wearing an old pair of Nike shorts with the number 23 on them and one of the players, Leire Landa came to me and started pulling on my shorts and speaking very fast in Spanish..

I had no idea what she was saying but she was pointing to my shorts..

I said “yo no say”

Then she said “Nice number! The best! My number! My number!! Trade?”

I said, “yes! Those shorts?” pointing at the Barcelona shorts

She said “No national team”

Then I came back to the field that afternoon and she gave me her world cup shorts!!

I asked her, “ why is this number so important to you? You are not number 23. You are number 3!! “

She told me her story in Spanish/Spanglish. I understood most of what she said but I asked after to make sure I got it right.

When she was 10 years old she was diagnosed with cancer... After enduring chemotherapy she lost all of her hair.  She was ashamed of her hair loss and did not want to play.

Then there was this player in Barcelona named Ivan de la Peña is known for playing with his bald head. He became her inspiration and helped her overcome the “shame” she had.  Pena was number 23…

Hearing this story gives me goose bumps again just writing about it.. A player who was diagnosed with cancer at the age of 10, endured chemotherapy and just PLAYED IN THE WORLD CUP THIS PAST SUMMER WITH SPAIN AND IS NOW PLAYING WITH FC BARCELONA… HOW CAN ANYONE SAY SOMETHING IS IMPOSSIBLE!!!!!!!!  I am completely honored to have traded shorts with her.

A moment I will never forget… I think of “moments” and my mind drifts one last time on this bus from Tyreso to Gullmarsplan.

My youth team

We are jumping over hurdles. They see the hurdle.

“Jackie this is to high. I can’t jump over this.”

Right when you say “You cant” you limit yourself in ever being able to jump over the hurdle your body literally shuts down.

I stopped the training and I said…

“If you don’t believe in magic how will you ever find magic”

“If you don’t believe you can jump over the hurdle you never will be able to jump over the hurdle.”

“If you don’t believe you will achieve it you will never achieve it. If you don’t believe you are the best how can you become the best?!”

“The moment where you doubt you can fly, you cease for ever being able to do it.”-Peter Pan

Every player jumped over the hurdle.

Impossible?? What is the definition? 

I have a big dream. I am dreaming the great dream.  I see it. I see myself becoming a Champions league coach and a National team coach. I see myself standing in front of 90,000 people in a champions league final screaming from the side. I see myself coaching and winning the World Cup and making a huge change within this great game. 

But with a great dream comes great adversity.

“You are crazy!”” You are making a big mistake.” (I get this so much)

I’m sure many reading this now are thinking I am crazy!

 

Or I hear “you have it all figured out. Its so easy for you.”  so I just smile and think “I have nothing figured out and nothing is easy”

I know its countless hours to become that “overnight success” 

"When 90% of people doubt your idea you are either gravely wrong or about to make history"

I think of Leire Landa again, this inspirational girl who survived cancer and played a world cup and is now playing with Barcelona Impossible.. How can someone say something is impossible after hearing this story? What right do they have to say what is possible and what is not?  If you have something in your heart never doubt that you can “fly” or “jump” over a hurdle, whatever it may be.   

It is scary because you with this great dream I will work so hard for something that could never be but I am ready to take the chance. I am ready to fly!

The Gothia Cup Miracle

Some stories are special… This story is one of amazing leadership, a fight, a comeback, a struggle, heroes, an upset, a transformation, glory, and a champion…

I talked a lot about the “MIRACLE US hockey team” and one of the coaches came up to me before the final and said, “This whole journey was incredible... What did you do? This is the Gothia Cup Miracle!!”

Chapter 1: The beginning

After some tactics I write three things on the board.

Opportunity: “Right here right NOW”

Believe: “To be a champion you must believe you are the best. If not pretend you are.” PLAY THE BEST FOOT!

ONE: “We got a better chance of survival if we work together. If we work together we survive”

We have an Opportunity “right here and right now” to play our strengths both individually and as a team. We must BELIEVE in the system, each other and most importantly ourselves and play not only your “Best Foot” but also your “teams” best foot. Everyone has a Role bring your strength today! We are ONE Tyreso ONE Team!

Chapter 2: The struggle

My coaching style is a very possession, creative, attacking style of play. My players know exactly what is expected of them and exactly what connections we are searching for! In the first few games we found the connections but could not finish.. We played beautiful soccer and would lose 1-0 against a direct team with one or two fast forwards.. Numerous refs, opposing coaches, fans, etc. would come up to me and say Wow what fantastic soccer your team plays. It is to bad you didn’t get the win.. You deserved it. Unlucky…” 

Why can’t we finish?? We create so many chances and are playing beautifully. What is missing?? When we would go down a goal we would still keep up this pace and this beautiful play, we still attacked but couldn’t finish..

I figured out why.. FEAR!!!! FEAR of failure. There is a FEAR of taking the chance because there is a slight risk of failure.

Have the courage to Dare.

Chapter 3: The players

We lost the first 4 games. With the last group game 7-0 against an American team… The worst game we played and the best game the Americans played…

“Its not about getting hit. Its about how hard you get hit and keep moving forward.“

 (I hate this I want to quit)

“Do you just quit when things get tough? You don’t hate this game.. You hate losing.. No one plays like you do if you hate this game. It would be like going to medical school and not wanting to be a doctor. No one plays like you do if you hate this game. No one goes to medical school if they do not want to be a doctor. No one put that much into it and works that hard if you don’t want something.”

A team takes away individuality but what sports loves is the “hero” and that “hero” actually goes against the team concept.  I tell my players I want you to be that individual but you need to find a way to be the individual within the team. Your team will only lift you up more. Messi can’t be Messi without his team and the team can’t be successful without Messi.

(I don’t want to go in. I am not good enough. If I go in I will mess everything up. She is better than me. I will just disappoint my teammates”)

Every player has a strength. I call each strength and personality my “Weapon.” Each player has a weapon and I need many different weapons to win a war. It doesn’t mean one weapon is better than another. It just means it’s different… When I have you all loaded up I need you to be ready to “fire!!!” Want to play!!! Do not be afraid to make mistakes I rather lose having you try to play the way I am asking then win with you just “kicking it” playing it safe.  Have the courage to Dare!!!!

(I have no role on this team) tournament play round of 16

“I am injured now. I have no role on this team…”

Tears rushing down her face I looked at her and said “you got us where we are now! Now you have to embrace a different role with your teammates, a role where you can lift them up in a positive way off the field. Give them your positive energy that you beam with”

The leadership Moment

Then as she is still crying my Captain comes over looks at her and says “I need help. Can you help me put my Captain band on?” All the tears went away and she smiled and helped her.  The ultimate leadership moment... Seeing a teammate completely destroyed and asking them to help you with a small task that you can clearly do on your own... Asking for “help” in a way to lift them up to show that they do have a role and is needed on this team.  Talk about a hero? I saw one in a 15-year-old girl… I get the Goosebumps writing this now…

 I started to see a transformation. The team started really playing each other’s best foot, playing with a sense of reckless abandonment and an immense amount of trust in each other.  The cover, creativity and combinations took my feet out from underneath me at times. Players became part of the team and embraced their roles and I am happy to say it took players games to a whole new level. I have these visions in my head of these girls combining with her teammates and scoring phenomenal goals, sacrificing her whole heart and soul for this great team we were creating. Truly sacrificing and playing, not just for herself but for her team.. They understood… They “got it” Got what it is about.

Some of these players were a light before but with their team they all became something else... Something Great!! What they have done in three days takes most players months or years.  I have numerous stories of overcoming adversity, moments of leadership, individuals becoming a teammate, complete trust conspiring, weapons ready to be unleashed and players and finding the courage to Dare!!

Chapter 4: Thomas Edison

(Round of 32- first tournament game-win or go home)

On the board I wrote MJ 9000, 300, and 26. I asked the girls who MJ was and some said “Michael Jackson” I laughed and said true but I meant  “Michael Jordan” I asked what do you think these numbers mean.  They didn’t know. Then I wrote.

“I’ve missed more than 9000 shots in my career. I’ve lost over 300 games. 26 times I have been trusted to take the game winning shot and missed. Ive failed over and over again in my life and that is why I succeeded.” –MJ

Then I wrote a 700 on the board and TE and asked, “Who invented the light bulb?”  

“I have not failed 700 times.. I have succeeded in proving that those 700 ways will not work. Once I have eliminated all the ways that will not work I will FIND THE WAY THAT WILL WORK.” –Thomas Edison

We have not failed.. We just succeeded in finding ways that don’t work but today is a different day!! I don’t want this to be our last game. Today we find “Our WAY” to “TURN THE LIGHT ON” and at the end of this game we will stand in a circle arm and arm and it will be our turn to say “HURRA HURRA HURRA”

In the round of 32 we found our way and won on the 6^th PK!!!!!!!!! The round of 16 we kept on our same path with complete focus.  Each round getting better and better…. Then in the semi-finals we played a Danish team, a good team.. The performance in this game left me speechless.. I have this vision and they played in a way I see and know how it should be!! It was creative, passionate, fast, absolutely beautiful, sexy soccer!! Every single player had something to do with a goal. 

These tournament games we took our game to another place... Something was set off.  Every player was playing for something greater than themselves.. Doing everything in their power to make each other look good in the best possible way.  We put on a show!!! We created our chances, took the chances and most importantly finished our chances!! We not only pulled a Thomas Edison and “Turned our light on” Our light was so bright. We blinded everyone in Gothia Cup!!

Chapter 5: Not you’re fairy tale ending

The final!! A comeback!!! We went from losing the first 4 games to winning every tournament game… And not only winning but also beating our opponents with this sexy, classy style of play that you cant keep your eyes off of. A beating where there all the other team could do is shake our hands and say “good game”

10 games in 6 days… My players, my team continued to play our style and fight.. Our opponent was strong as well! That day we did not finish. It was not the “fairy tale ending” I was hoping for.. I have images in my head now of certain players sacrificing themselves to win the ball, combinations, the crowd chanting our name, players sprinting at their max to get in the box for a small possible chance on goal, players completely collapsing of exhaustion when the final whistle blew.. Every player picked each other up we meet in a circle and every player with their heads up high looked at me. I took a deep breath almost ready to cry myself and I said how proud I was of them. In my eyes they are winners. They are true champions. So one last time here in Gothenburg at the Gothia Cup we will come together.  I put my arm up and said, “winners go high” Be proud of what you done. You leave this tournament a champion in another way! I am so proud to wear this Tyreso Jersey and be apart of this team.  We are ONE TYRESO, ONE TEAM!! So, for one last time here, as loud as you can, Tyreso on three.. 1,2,3… and they all screamed TYRESO!!!!!

 We went to receive the medals and trophy and as I watched my players each receive a medal in this stadium. Our whole trip and journey flashed before my eyes; stories of defeat, stories of a comeback, and amazing story of coming together were all in my mind and heart. I thought of Thomas Edison and thought to myself that there is no other team I would want to stand with and next to!! I can’t explain the pride I felt at that moment. I have a different definition of success.  A different definition of what it means to be a champion.

I brought them together and shared my thoughts with them. “How many Swedish teams do what you just did? Have you ever heard of any?!? Even these small stories I have been telling you all week. There is a very small percentage of those teams and athletes that fall into that category!!! Talk about a vision of a champion?? You and this is team are the Vision of a Champion!! This is the story of the Gothia Cup MIRCALE.

So thank you!! Thank you again for giving me one of my best coaching experiences yet!!!