Coal Mine : Schalke04 Player Tunnel
No, it’s not a ride at Universal Studios !
It is the Player Tunnel at German Bundesliga Team Schalke04 . It’s also not a gimmick…it is a constant reminder to their players that the club lives in the industrial heartland of the Ruhr Valley , and draws its fan base from tough hardworking industrial families who believe in graft , loyalty and effort. (The teams nickname by the way is “De Knappen”: the miners )
The 100,000 fans (yes 100,000) who turned up to this seasons “open day” are not impressed by a Rolex and Ferrari, meaning 90% of modern-day football players will never pull on a Schalke04 shirt. But so what? Schalke produced 3 of the winning Germany World Cup Team in Brazil , including Nuere, Howeder and Ozil while a 4th ,Draxler, sat on the bench. These players were also worth over $160m in transfer fees. Where did they find such talent ? Interestingly within 20 miles of their stadium. No scouting for that Brazilian wonder kid or Argentinian prodigy. It’s not a game they play. So how did they do it ?. It can’t be luck…you don’t “bump” into 4 prodigious talents like the above by luck (and according to Schalke04 they have better ones on the way , which is scary. So what’s the secret…
Here it is : Ever noticed how there is always a steely determination and mental strength about German Team ?..well it’s not from hours on a psychiatrist couch or cold water baths at 4am each morning.
(1) The first things Schalke look for in young players (under 13) is mentality . How do they act when losing ?, How do his team mates react with him? .
(2)They then look at technical skills .
(3) They educate them (with school on site) not just books but also instill in them the history, fabric and DNA of the club.
(4) They also make sure they are exposed to playing in front of crowds early on. (they provide free beer and Brats (hotdogs) to those that show up. Nothing like a drunk , fanatical German screaming abuse to ensure you pass it to the right player, take that “halve chance”, or run that extra 10 yards. Might not be pretty at 13 but you can bet your almost “immune” at 22 when its the 2nd period of overtime in a World Cup Final and a billion+ people are watching you try to execute an impossible volley to win a World Cup !!
Sure you need talent , but how many “talented” kids never make it. It’s mentality + talent in that order. ! It’s also closer than you think. Say maybe 20 miles from you stadium!. As with all things German , it’s rarely luck.
No, I am not suggesting we start berating our kids and hurling abuse across the field.quite the opposite in fact. But young players need to be exposed to crowds (not just parents telling them they are great) , develop the mental strength to handle pressure , and taught a respect for the history of the club/Team and for “The Game.” From the fire will emerge “real” players…
Best
Gary
Kudos also to the Philadelphia Union who have launched their own school and seem to “get” all of this. .
Daily Mail Article
The above uses as a reference and quotes details from a great article in the British Paper the Daily Mail: Here is a link to the full article.It is well worth a read.
SOCCER-BIZ-USA 
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