Beane 14: Todd Beane Resonates with The Olé Way

RESONATE: VERB

1. PRODUCE OR BE FILLED WITH A DEEP, FULL, REVERBERATING SOUND.

“THE SOUND OF THE SIREN RESONATED ACROSS THE HARBOUR”

Every once and a while someone comes along and speaks with such conciseness and clarity that the words resonate. They sink in deep. They reverberate within. They resonate fully with the shared experience of standing on the sidelines attempting to teach children the beautiful game.

We all know what to do. At least, we say so. We all talk a great talk; however, when it comes to walking, we stumble to back up our boisterous voices. In the words of Henry David Thoreau, “your actions speak so loudly, I cannot hear the words coming from your mouth.” In football terms, “your teams play in such a way that I cannot take seriously what you are saying.”

Bypassing all the noise that comes with youth football development, Beane hits at the core of the subject. An element of truth, a call for action, a catalyst for change – fills his voice as he aims to improve environments that claim to “be doing the best in the name of player development.”

The below excerpt was taken from the Just Kickin’ It Podcast, Episode #104 – Picasso, Cruijff, and Coaching. The talk features Johan Cruijff’s son-in-law Todd Beane, inventor of the TOVO Training Methodology. Todd worked with Cruijff for nearly 15 years designing and refining the TOVO way of training prior to JC’s passing this past year. Beane and his team will be visiting New Zealand this January 13 – 14 to conduct a coaching course for New Zealand trainers at the Olé Football Academy in Porirua – Wellington. Enrol for the course HERE.

It is even more deep seeded than I had originally thought, the way that we train our young. It’s going to take a monumental shift, but it’s not going to happen over night. It’s only gonna happen in small pockets and even smaller than that it’s going to happen with an individual coach doing right by these children, executing in a way that is based upon sound pedagogical principles. 

Then when the players themselves see this and the parents themselves see this there will be three coaches or four coaches or ideally a club or perhaps a region of the country.

I don’t expect that change to come from the great administrators from US soccer or the NSCAA. They’re doing great work for what they do administering soccer.

I think it’s going to come from a coach in Seattle, a pioneer in San Diego, a North Carolina parent maybe or an educator that says listen we can do better, let me try and then once we prove to people that the children are more engaged, more talented, more skilful then and only then probably will the masses come along.

But that’s the same in every industry, the masses never come along until a few pioneers stick their neck out, sometimes they get slaughtered for it, you know. As my father in law said, “you’re crazy until you’re a genius and so it is.”

– Todd Beane (TOVO Academy)