Barcelona Case Studies
by Juan Pablo Favero
In this week’s R2LC blog, guest blogger, Juan Pablo Favero shares an article he recently wrote. Favero uses three case studies to present 9 lessons we can use from current professional athletes. Each of these case studies come from FC Barcelona, arguably the best professional soccer club in the world. Despite being drawn from professional soccer, all 9 lessons transcend into any athletic endeavor.
I am always looking to gain an understanding of player dynamics in teams. While reading about different scenarios and events through media reports and articles, we can often gain invaluable insights that can be applied to other athletes and teams as well. The following “case studies” involving three different FC Barcelona players this season yield nine key lessons every player can learn from in regards to playing time challenges and the power of social media. I also offer some solutions to each of these.
Case Study 1: What NOT TO DO!
New Barça player Aleix Vidal, who has seemingly struggled adjusting to life at the Nou Camp after signing this summer, is reported by the Spanish press to have had a bad attitude about not playing more. This was made worse by a recent comment on a periscope video where he “innocently” complains about being on the bench too much lately. The result of that comment may have cost him the opportunity to travel with the team for the game that followed. Here is a blog on ESPN that refers to this. What may be getting him in hot waters with his coach, however, is not just what he is saying, but how he is saying it:
Case Study 2: What you should NEVER do!
Guardiola, not the former Barça coach but a young player named Sergi, signed with Barca on December 29th of 2015. Because the club shortly thereafter was made aware of negative tweets the player had made two years earlier towards Barcelona, Barça players, and Catalunya, the region of Spain where the club is located, he was let go from the club … just 7 hours later! He never played a single minute in a Blaugrana uniform, not even in practice.
Case Study 3: Something to EMULATE for sure!
Marc Bartra is a player being “rewarded” for showing the right attitude and behavior. He has not played a lot either all season, but instead of complaining in public and pouting inside the team environment, he has “silently continued to work hard” according to his coach Luis Enrique. Enrique further emphasizes, “Bartra is worthy of praise. He never threw in the towel, and deserves to play.” The result of his attitude and hard work you ask? Eventually earning the opportunity to start in a game with an unexpected bonus of scoring a great and critical goal for the team’s quest to repeat as La Liga Champions. This article is in Spanish but for those of you who are bilingual here it is:
Marc Bartra Article (in Spanish)
LESSON #1: It is hard for any players, not to “get” the playing time they “want”.
SOLUTION/INSIGHT: MINDSET CHANGE
You are not alone if you struggle in this area. Look for people who have successfully navigated through those rough waters who can help you. Concentrate on earning and not getting playing time. The key point is that DESIRE is ok if it is directed appropriately. Wanting an expanded role is a good thing, a good drive to have, and can be a strong motivator indeed. You must be careful, however, not to cross over to the danger zone of EXPECTATION. This is especially dangerous because when any expectation, realistic or not, goes unmet, you are only setting yourself up for disappointment. Disappointment is inevitably followed by a wave of other negative emotions which WILL NOT help you succeed in the short or long term. ENTITLEMENT (feeling like something is owed to you like you deserve more playing time or a starting role) is perhaps the most dangerous of all negative mindsets to have. It is the exact opposite to a growth mindset and usually marks the beginning of the end in a player’s progress and growth no matter how talented or gifted they may be. Do yourself and your team a favor and STAY IN THE GREEN!
LESSON #2: Our desire for something good can sometimes end up controlling us resulting in our choices ironically pulling us farther apart from that which we originally wanted.
SOLUTION/INSIGHT: PROCESS-ORIENTATION
Focusing not on what you want … the objective, outcome, or goal … but instead FOCUS ON THE PROCESS, the how and doing it to the best of your ability, is the solution. If you become obsessed with the outcome, you tend to lose focus on what can get you what you are after: your original goal. Vidal wanted more playing time, and now he is farther away from that goal than where he started. Guardiola’s dream-move to Barça lasted 7 hours, leaving him out in the cold. Focusing on hard work and keeping a positive attitude, made it possible for Bartra to achieve his goal of more playing time. You can do the same!
LESSON #3: Social media is a double-edge sword.
SOLUTION/INSIGHT : YOUR NAME BRAND IS PRICELESS
On social media and elsewhere, everything you do and say has an impact on you, your teammates, your coaches, your team, and your family. It’s all in how you use it, but be wise and protect your name brand and reputation with zeal. Remember also that you and your name brand are tied to that of the team you represent; whether you like it or not, you are connected to all of these other entities. In Vidal’s case what mattered most is how the coach and club were interpreting something he broadcasted to the world. Who knows what Guardiola’s motivation behind his tweets two years earlier were, but it was the costliest 140-character post of his life. USE SOCIAL MEDIA WISELY: keep private matters and opinions private.
LESSON #4: Perception is another double-edge sword.
SOLUTION/INSIGHT: INTENTIONS vs. INTENTIONALITY
Vidal may have meant his messages to come across differently, though one doesn’t need to understand the culture and the language to see that there was a bit of an edge in his way of saying what he said while possibly directing it against the coach. It does not matter how people mean something to come across, however. Others can and will make a values judgment not on our intentions, but rather their interpretation of how they view and perceive our words, choices, and actions. Let me re-emphasize that intentions don’t matter; what does matter is that you must BE INTENTIONAL about what and how you communicate through your words, actions, and of equal importance, your non-verbal’s.
LESSON #5: All players, regardless of age, gender, level of league, or talent must keep their guard up.
SOLUTION/INSIGHT: CHARACTER COUNTS
Just because others struggle in this area, even pros, it doesn’t make it ok for you to succumb as well. However, it does teach that all of us, players and coaches, have to be patient, smart, and intentional about proactively finding solutions to these tough challenges. Each is responsible and must take ownership of their actions and choices. As a player you have to control your thought patterns, fighting any negative self-talk tendencies and replacing them with positive ones; get rid of self-centered attitudes and replace them with a team-first mentality; and most of all trust the coach’s decision, even when it affects you adversely. I have yet to meet a coach who wants their team to lose. Can you imagine a coach giving preference to a player they don’t believe can help the team succeed over one they believe will help make the team’s goal achievable? Not achieving a personal goal is hard, but those who succeed at overcoming this challenge do it because their values and character shine through in the hardest moments. A simple and great starting point is to follow Bartra’s example: work hard and keep a low profile. DO THE RIGHT THING EVEN WHEN IT IS HARD!
LESSON #6: As a player you can’t control many things including coach’s decision. If you go down a negative road, you are essentially giving over ALL control to the coach.
SOLUTION/INSIGHT: CONTROLLING THE CONTROLLABLE
While you can’t control a coach’s decision, you can influence their decision by focusing on the things you do control: attitude, effort, training habits, communication, and how you treat your teammates are some examples. If your attitude goes south, all else will soon follow, and you will forfeit your best chance at creating a different reality for yourself. Controlling the controllable should be a part of everyone’s process to achieving any goal. Remember that your thoughts control your attitude, so this is the most important thing of which to take ownership. FOCUS ON WHAT YOUR CONTROL!
LESSON #7: Viewing a temporary situation as permanent, fixed, or pre-determined always clouds good judgment and leads to poor choices.
SOLUTION/INSIGHT: REMIND YOURSELF THAT HARD TIMES ARE TEMPORARY
Remember nothing lasts forever, and everything always changes. Just because a player is not playing a lot or even starting, it doesn’t mean it will be that way forever. If you make the most of your current situation, focusing not on the quantity but rather the quality of your performance in games as well as maximizing your learning and performance in training, you will increase your chances of changing your current reality and therefore shaping a new one: the one you are really after. The converse side is also true, so if you are playing a lot, it is important to not get complacent or arrogant because that is not what got you where you are and it certainly will not keep you there. EVERY DAY IS A NEW DAY!
LESSON #8: Tying my self-esteem, value, and significance to playing time or a role is a dead-end trap.
SOLUTION/INSIGHT: C3 – COMPETE, COMPARE, COLLABORATE
The key here is to remember you don’t compete against or need to compare yourself to your teammates. Instead, compete against your opponents. Compare yourself to yourself by asking if you are a better version of yourself today than you were yesterday. Most of all collaborate with your teammates to help each other get better. Everyone is unique and has their own set of strengths and experiences that can help you improve if you choose to learn from them. Your worth to your team and coaches cannot come from your role, status, or time. It has to come from improving yourself, succeeding against the opposition, and helping your teammates improve. Your worth to the team comes from you adding value to your team, teammates, and coaches. DO YOUR BEST; BE A GREAT TEAMMATE!
LESSON #9: The response after a blunder, a screw-up, or a mistake will give shape to your future opportunities.
SOLUTION/INSIGHT: F3 –– FUDGE/FIX/FOCUS
In the first article, it seems like Vidal is trying to sing to a different tune. Making amends for a bad choice and a mistake is always an option, but we must change our behavior 180 degrees. It remains to be seen if this is lip service from him or if it is real. It will be interesting to see if he remains in the club after the season’s end or not. Remember, if you make a mistake on or off the field, acknowledge that you’ve fudged, fix it, and focus on the next play, the next opportunity, the next chance. This is the essence of a growth mindset. FOCUS ON YOUR NEXT CHANCE!
While learning from others is easier said than done, looking at real life examples of individuals who have arrived at a level that most of us only dream of reaching, reminds us all of the real struggles and mountains to climb that all of us face. In fact, these are not just principles to live by on the field but in life as well. All the more reason to deal with these hard learned lessons head on with maturity, a team-first attitude, and a growth-mindset. Life is too short to allow our goals/dreams to be squelched by these potential roadblocks, and my hope is that these insights will help you achieve all the success you dream of!
About the Author
Juan Pablo Favero is a Coach and Sports Psychology Consultant with twenty-one years of experience helping athletic teams, companies, and individuals with performance related topics.
Favero is currently serving as the Associate Head Coach for the Women’s Soccer Team at San Diego State University. He has also served as an instructor at various higher education institutions teaching courses such as Sports Psychology, General Psychology, Social Psychology, Stress Management, Leadership Development, and Coaching.
Founding JPF Coaching & Consulting in 2004, he has worked as a consultant to athletic teams and coaches at San Diego State University, The University of South Florida, St. Louis University, The University of Akron, Missouri State University, Missouri Baptist University, Newberry College, the University of South Carolina- Upstate, Georgia College & State University and Lynn University, amongst others.
On the corporate side, he is a certified consultant with Linkage Inc., an international leadership and change management consulting firm. He has worked with companies such as Samsung, Diversey Inc., the Thermo-King Corporation, and has delivered a personal forum to the Governor of Buenos Aires and his staff. He has also worked with the US Soccer Federation (USSF), the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA), the Argentine Association of Soccer Coaches (ATFA) and the US Youth Soccer Organizations of Georgia and South Carolina presenting the Sports Psychology component in their coaching courses. Favero was also invited by the Costa Rican Fútbol Federation and River Plate Athletic Club in Argentina to instruct on Mental Toughness to their team members.
Favero completed a Bachelor of Arts in International Business and a Masters Degree in Counseling Psychology from Palm Beach Atlantic University. He is a member of the AASP (American Association of Sports Psychology), APDA (Argentine Association of Sports Psychology), and has written several published articles on topics of mental toughness and leadership for coaches and athletes.
If you would like to contact Juan Pablo Favero, his JPF Performance Coaching and Consulting company can be found at https://www.facebook.com/JPF.Coaching/.