Ronaldo de Assis Moreira, commonly known as Ronaldinho, is a Brazilian ex-professional footballer, often regarded as one of the best players of his generation, even one of the greatest of all time. He won the World Cup as well as the Champions League and was three times voted World Player of the
Year by journalists. However, he recently spent time in a Paraguayan jail for allegedly using a false passport while throughout his career he appeared to be dogged by trouble and issues.
It is said that he began his illustrious soccer career with his local club Gremio, professing that he loved the club so much that he would play for them for free, adding “What matters is the love of the shirt.” As it happened he did not play for free and such love may not have been long-lasting either as, after three seasons there, he left to play overseas where he played for thirteen seasons in France, Spain and Italy, before returning to Brazil, where it was clearly understood he would play for his beloved Gremio. Despite such expectations he joined another team, Flamengo, with protestations he would bring them great success, which only incensed the patiently-waiting Gremio fans. So it is reported that when Flamengo next came to play against Gremio, the Gremio fans hurled not just abuse but also coins and knives at him, accusing him of selling himself out as a greedy mercenary. “Without morals,” they screamed, “You’re worthless!”
Leaving aside the wonderful irony that the ones who threw knives and coins at him would appear to claim to be moral, there is great value in us considering their charge. “Without morals you are worthless.” Many professional soccer players earning massive salaries may choose to question such a statement but it is a vital point that we should be teaching the children whom we coach in sport, right from the early stages. Perhaps if Ronaldhino had been taught such a lesson, things would have turned out differently for him.
Without a rudder, even the biggest ship is in effect worthless as it is useless and directionless. Even the most luxurious, fanciest, most expensive ship is entirely worthless if it has no rudder to direct it. Such a ship will float, drift or even drive full steam on the ocean but without knowing where it will end up; it will be exposed to all sorts of dangers in the storms, currents, rocks, ships, waves. It simply must have a rudder to ensure it arrives at its intended destination safely, appropriately and purposefully. It is exactly the same with sport and with life: it does not matter if we are the best, the richest, the cleverest, the strongest, the most powerful person – without morals we are worthless. Without morals we will go anywhere and nowhere, round in circles, aground, side on in storms – we will endanger ourselves (and others) and do nothing of any significance.
Changing the analogy and keeping with sport though, it is like playing soccer or rugby; each team seeks to keep control of the ball, to hold on to it until it achieves its intended result. In a similar way, the ball may represent our morals. We must hold on to our morals, we must do all we can to ensure that we do not allow the opposition, despite their great efforts to do so, to take our morals from us. In soccer, rugby, tennis, golf, hockey, netball, basketball, and ball sport, if we do not have a ball, our time on the field is worthless, pointless, even useless.
Without morals, we are worthless; in fact, without morals, sport is worthless. Ultimately, without morals, life is worthless. It is equally true that coaching without morals makes the coach worthless. Furthermore, we can take it to the point where providing sport at school without morals is entirely worthless. The most important thing a coach must teach and train his players at a young age in sport at school is to have morals.
The fact is that if we have no morals in sport, it will transfer to all other areas of life. If we do not show loyalty, as was seen to be the case (in the Gremio fans’ eyes) with Ronaldinho when it comes to sport, then how will we ever show loyalty in business, in marriage, in friendships, in all other areas of life? If we choose to cheat in sport, we will more than likely choose to cheat in life. The fans understood that – have we? Is it not time we all made it very clear to our youngsters, before it is too late? What actually matters? The love of the shirt? No: morals matter. Big time!
