The Photograph, The Mask And The Microphone
My recent article about Tony Pignata's World Cup photograph generated plenty of discussion.
Judging by the readership numbers, plenty of you read it too.
Some agreed.
Some disagreed.
Which is exactly how it should be.
One person asked why Tony shouldn't go.
Another questioned Morton Soccer School.
Another appeared to do so from behind what looked very much like an anonymous profile.
And that got me thinking.
Not about Tony.
Not about MSS.
But about communication.
A Post-Menopausal Woman Who Doesn't Give A Shit
At this point in my life, I am probably the most dangerous thing in football.
A post-menopausal woman who doesn't give a shit.
I am no longer looking for a position.
I am no longer looking for approval.
I am no longer trying to climb any football ladder.
If people like what I write, wonderful.
If they don't, that's fine too.
Nobody is forcing anyone to read it.
There are plenty of other things on the internet.
But what fascinates me is not the disagreement.
It is how people choose to disagree.
The Old Days
There was a time when if you wanted to tell somebody they were wrong, you had to do it in person.
You walked up to them.
You looked them in the eye.
You had a conversation.
I often think about one of my first jobs at the Intercontinental Hotel in Auckland.
We had one of those old-fashioned telephone switchboards with plugs and cords connecting calls.
It took weeks of training to learn how to operate it properly.
Weeks.
Today, a person can create a social media profile in minutes and broadcast their opinion to hundreds or thousands of people with the touch of a button.
The world has changed.
Then came letters.
Then telegrams.
Then telephones.
Then email.
And now social media has handed everyone a microphone.
Every opinion.
Every frustration.
Every grievance.
Every thought.
Instantly published to the world.
In many ways, that is a wonderful thing.
Because football desperately needs more voices.
Speak Up
For years football has suffered from the opposite problem.
Too few people speaking.
Too few people being asked.
Too few people being heard.
Too many decisions made in small rooms by small groups.
Football needs more communication.
Football needs more transparency.
Football needs more people prepared to challenge ideas.
Football needs more people prepared to ask difficult questions.
Football needs more voices.
Not fewer.
Speak up.
Be heard.
And if nobody is listening, ask to be heard.
Because football belongs to all of us, not just those holding positions around boardroom tables.
The Mask
But there is a difference between having a voice and hiding behind a mask.
One comment on my article appeared to come from a profile that gave no indication of who was behind it.
Perhaps it was genuine.
Perhaps it wasn't.
I honestly don't know.
But it reminded me of something.
Social media has given everybody a microphone.
Some people have decided they would like a mask to go with it.
That is a relatively new phenomenon.
And I'm not entirely convinced it has improved the quality of the conversation.
A Quick Word On MSS
The anonymous commenter also mentioned Morton Soccer School.
That's their right.
But let's keep it simple.
Nobody is forced to attend Morton Soccer School.
Nobody is required to pay Morton Soccer School.
Families choose whether the programs, coaching and environment are right for their children.
Some stay.
Some leave.
Some never join.
That's how choice works.
And that's how it should work.
Accountability
One advantage of writing under your own name is accountability.
People know who I am.
People know where to find me.
People know my history.
People know my involvement in football.
If I write something people disagree with, they know exactly who wrote it.
If I get something wrong, I own it.
That seems a healthier model than anonymous drive-by criticism.
The Real Issue
The more I thought about the comments, the more I realised something.
The future of football probably depends on more people speaking up.
Not fewer.
More volunteers sharing ideas.
More parents asking questions.
More coaches contributing.
More players having a voice.
More transparency.
More communication.
More debate.
The challenge is doing it in a way that encourages accountability rather than anonymity.
Because football is ultimately a community.
And communities work best when people are prepared to stand behind their views.
Tony did.
I did.
The anonymous commenter did not.
And perhaps that tells us something.
Not about Tony.
Not about Morton Soccer School.
But about modern football itself.
Anyway, enough from me.
Mexico and South Africa are about to kick off and, unlike some people, I'll be watching this World Cup from Tasmania.
Which is exactly where I'm happy to be.
Enjoy the football everyone.