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Listen to thisI finished last month’s column by suggesting somewhat tongue in cheek, that involvement or affiliation to a football team might be a useful tool in recruitment to CYC. It was actually used in the interview for my first job. I had written in the application form that I had played university football and this had obviously struck a chord with one of the panel, the head of education who more importantly was also the manager and centre half for the school football team. Keen to recruit some young blood (or legs) to take some of the strain off his own ageing frame, he picked up on my interest in football and asked if I had ever been sent off. In the event, I had never been booked (although, this might have said more about me as an innocent abroad amongst the fishermen and millworkers who made up the other teams in the North East Fife league, than it did about my temperament). I still consider the question to be a particularly insightful one though. In my own small world, you can tell a lot about someone by the way they behave on a football park (I acknowledge a gender bias in this reflecting my own experience, although hopefully others will be able to identify some of what I’m saying in other contexts).
One of the exercises I ask participants on the leadership short course I run for the Scottish Institute for Residential Child Care (SIRCC) is to think of a hero and to consider what it is that attracts them to this person. It’s remarkable (or sad depending on your point of view) how many identify sporting figures. For my own part, I tend to think of Pat Stanton, a name some Scottish readers of CYC-Net will recognise. Never mind your MBAs, I honed my leadership style standing on the terraces, watching Hibs' captain of the 60s and 70s. I'll leave it for others to judge whether my football or my leadership bore any resemblance to that of the great man.
As I said, you can tell a lot about character types from the way people behave on a football park. Here’s a few I’ve come across along the way. Any resemblance to individuals is probably intentional.
The bull in the china shop; the bustling type who will bear down on goal with scant regard for others' feelings or shins. Not particularly skilful but can be effective – good person to have in your team.
The fancy dancer; Flits in and out of games – always looking for the incisive pass, (or argument) that’s going to change the shape of the game (or the programme). Sometimes the passes go wildly astray. Can lose energy and interest but when a move comes off, it can be worth waiting for.
The solid full back; full backs tend to plough their own furrows. They put in solid tackles and dispatch the ball with the minimum of fuss. They can be the unsung heroes in a team.
The show-boater; these are the cheeky-chappies; the larger than life characters who have always got a quip or a joke to hand. They usually have a trick or two they can do with the ball, which impresses team-mates and can really annoy the opposition. They are the ones that bring an element of fun to a game (or a shift).
The prima donna; these are the characters who talk a good game. They generally have all the best of gear and they look the part. But when the going gets tough they’re generally found wanting. Good chance that they’ll end up in a management position though.
The incredible hulk; hulks change character as soon as they set foot on a pitch. Often politically correct and seemingly cool and in control off the park, they lose it altogether once there’s a ball in front of them. True colours show through.
There’s a serious point to all of this, and its one that I think we can lose sight of when it comes to recruiting to Child and Youth Care. When recruiting we’re looking for someone to be part of a team. We don’t want clones who know the proper group speak in interview situations. We need a blend of characters (although personally I could do without the prima donnas and the hulks). I'll finish on this point, turning to Jock Stein, the great Celtic and Scotland manager. When asked the secret of his European Cup winning team he said that it was all about getting the right players in the right positions. The same holds true of Child and Youth Care I would have thought.
