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This helps me know if they are local or possibly even an international student or moved from another country. Why do they want to play for our team? What are their goals for themselves and the team? This gives me a basis of information on which to strike up a conversation or to relate a lesson that I’m trying to convey to something that is relevant to them. It helps me know their possible depth of understanding. If they are from a different country, then I may need to keep cultural differences in mind when interacting with them.

      For example, the German exchange students we’ve had were in such a deep-rooted soccer culture in Germany that it can be very different for them when they come to play in the United States. I notice that each time there is a period of adjustment to the style, language, and the intensity of our season. It can take a while for them to buy in to what we are doing, and it can be frustrating for the other players who have been in the program. It’s a delicate balance between understanding that time is needed to adapt and getting everyone on the same page as soon as you can.

      One of my German exchange students sent me this text after our season this past year: “Coach, I just want to say thank you for this great season and that you gave me so much playing time. I saw how much time you spend for this team to set everything up like practice and especially film. I had many coaches already, but I never had a coach who is so passionate about his job, and I really appreciate that. It was a great season, and I hope I see you next year when I come back for a practice at homecoming.”

      CHAPTER 4

      OWNERSHIP

      When we think of ownership, we tend to visualize ownership of material things. I own this house. I own this car. That’s my pen. I have title to it, and it has some value to me. You can own a business. A sport’s team. A patent. Art. You traded time for money or money for time to earn this item, so it has value to you. You care about the object and how it’s maintained or represented to others. There is worth. The greater the value we perceive it to have, the greater thought, care, and concern we generally give to it. So why say “ownership”? What does that have to do with the philosophy of the GET MOR3EE formula?

      Well, in general, throughout society, people take better care of things that they own—things that they have a physical title to. They put in more effort. They invest more time and money if they have ownership and ownership of all or some of the return on investment. They put in more mind power. They think about it more, and they tend to look to add value to others in the community around them and the object they own. They hope that in doing so others will become just as or more invested, and the value of what they own will increase, or there will be other returns or benefits resulting from their ownership and investment.