Unselfish Men

Just today  I spent several hours in a car listening to stories of German volleyball and its problems.  Stories of people not being able to work together because of perceived slights that occurred years ago.  Stories of new ideas being interpreted as personal criticisms.  Stories of coaches fighting for players with regard for everything but the best interests of the player.  I tried to reassure my colleague that those things are not limited to German volleyball and are replicated, at the very least, in Australia.  But the last point stuck in my mind and reminded me of a passage from a book I recently read.  The passage reads…

“Once a noted Argentine author was asked why his country had produced so many fine footballers.  ‘It is simple,’ he replied.  ‘Because all over Argentina, in every small town or village, there are unselfish men who see it as their role in life to teach children how to play properly.”