The Hoops Little Book of Football: Quotes from players age 8 and 9 playing grassroots football to raise funds

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Yesterday’s Child • Played soccer in the streets -- street motivation was intrinsic, with a love of the game and a fascination with the ball, the main reasons to play. If soccer was in your blood before the age of 12, it was there for life. • Yesterday’s child learned to be self-sufficient, today’s child learns to be passive. • Free play must be part of the developmental process if spontaneity, independence and free expression are to be nurtured. • Yesterday’s child learned by trial and error, by experimenting, by constant practice. I think football is more than a game, it is a passion. It is something that comes from inside and touches people's hearts." - Yaya Touré, reported by Sky Sports. Football is not about one or two or three star players. It's about the team." – Xavi, reported by Goal. A man can be as great as he wants to be. If you believe in yourself and have the courage, the determination, the dedication, the competitive drive, and if you are willing to sacrifice the little things in life and pay the price for the things that are worthwhile, it can be done.” At a young age, winning is not the most important thing… the important thing is to develop creative and skilled players with good confidence.”

If you’re in the penalty area and don’t know what to do with the ball, put it in the net, and we’ll discuss the options later.” Life's battles don't always go to the stronger or faster man. Sooner or later the man who wins is the man who thinks he can.” Alex Ferguson is the best manager I’ve ever had at this level. Well, he’s the only manager I’ve actually had at this level. But he’s the best manager I’ve ever had.”Leadership rests not only upon ability, not only upon capacity; having the capacity to lead is not enough. The leader must be willing to use it. His leadership is then based on truth and character. There must be truth in the purpose and will power in the character.” Let me say this again: I'm not a childminder; I'm a qualified coach. Experienced too. Keen and passionately interested in helping the children fall in love with the game and reach their potential in a safe, fun-filled environment. Got that. Good. Now please let me let them play. They're children. That's what they love to do. They take play very, very seriously. 10) Bring on the dream team More than any other sport on the planet, soccer speaks to the people. It is undeniable that it transcends class and unifies people across the globe. Regardless of whether it is at the grassroots level, watching your local amateur side, or following your favorite professional team. There is a continual swell of emotion associated with being a soccer fan. The highs and the lows. It doesn’t matter the size of the club or the size of the opposition; the chance for an upset is always there. The most important thing? To win playing good football. That's the most beautiful thing." - Pep Guardiola, current manager of Manchester City, reported by The Telegraph.

The true champion believes in the impossible." - Usain Bolt, former Jamaican sprinter and soccer fan, reported by Goal. Mental toughness is many things and rather difficult to explain. Its qualities are sacrifice and self-denial. Also, most importantly, it is combined with a perfectly disciplined will that refuses to give in. It’s a state of mind – you could call it character in action.” On the promotional side, the annual UEFA Grassroots Week takes place during the European Week of Sport, and aims to encourage and inspire participation in all forms of football. The UEFA grassroots programme has donated maxi-pitches to the host cities of all of UEFA’s club competition finals since 2010, and has provided a considerable amount of grassroots football equipment to associations since the summer of 2004.

Profound Soccer Captions for Deep Thinkers

Football is the only thing that can bring together an entire country, regardless of political or religious differences." - Zinedine Zidane , reported by Goal. It is exactly that underdog spirit that gives soccer quotes their importance to the world. Whether you call it soccer, football, futbol, voetbal or whatever you will, it is a universal sport that transcends race, religion, language, and culture. Nothing on this earth unifies a country more than a penalty shootout at the end of a World Cup semi-final, as can be seen whenever England manages to put a good run together. A Poor Man’s Sport Rich in Valuable Quotes No sport has more fairytale stories than soccer. It is a game that has given everlasting hope to those living in poverty for generations. With a ball at their feet, children can forget about the problems and the harsh reality of life. For as long as they have the energy, they can become their idols. The chance of escaping the slums is the golden carrot they all chase.

I don't believe skill was, or ever will be, the result of coaches. It is a result of a love affair between the child and the ball." - Roy Keane , former Manchester United midfielder, reported by The Guardian.

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What is Grassroots Soccer - 5 • Benefits to the game in general • Source of future fans, referees, administrators, soccer moms, officials, and sponsors….. not to mention players • Encourage mass participation to keep people in the game as long as possible There’s no better feeling than stepping out on the field and stunning them all by doing what none of them thought you could do.” Football is a team sport and not an individual sport. We win as a team, and every individual is better if we are part of the team.” – Fernando Torres

The spirit, the will to win, and the will to excel are the things that endure. These qualities are so much more important than the events that occur.” What do we believe in ? The power of soccer to make a difference in people’s lives What do we value ? Value the game for its simplicity, passion, and creativity What do we see ahead ? Soccer’s popularity increasing and its social impact expanding Soccer isn’t the same as Bach or Buddhism. But it is often more deeply felt than religion, and just as much a part of the community’s fabric, a repository of traditions.”

The game of football is like a canvas, and it’s up to the players to paint the most beautiful picture." - Diego Maradona reported by Goal Cast. Needs to Satisfy • Political / public support of grassroots program • An organization / structure to implement the schemes • The technical know-how in the form of enlightened parents and trained coaches Football is a game that transcends all boundaries. It has the power to unite people from different cultures and nations." - Roger Milla, reported by The Independent. One thing that could be a problem is breaking old habits. It’s not that you don’t understand what the new responsibilities or plays are, but just the fact that you’ve been doing something a long time and you’re kind of used to doing it, it’s a habit, and that’s not what’s required in the other system and that means kind of undoing something before you can even start to do something new.” Success’ in grassroots soccer is very relative to the ability and ambition of the individual player. For some it is to move to a higher level to progress and further develop their game. For others it is continued enjoyment from playing with their friends on a more limited basis Success should be considered as giving everyone the opportunities to play and to take part in social activities built upon the foundation of team spirit. Grassroots success is about pinpointing the needs and investing time and effort in catering to those needs in a way that will allow as many people as possible to continue in the game for as long as they want.