Futnet – Roots, Culture, Future
by David Černý from Czech Futnet Association
I would like to look at three issues that I consider extremely important to our beautiful sport we love and that determine its situation and development in my country: Roots, Culture and Future.
Roots. One should never forget where everything came from, how it came about and that applies to futnet, as well. I think that many people now have forgotten the message that the generation of our fathers and grandfathers has left to us. For me the legacy of this game is especially the chance to find friends, to feel good to move your body, to have respect for others, to feel united with them, to help each other. This is what I get from futnet.
Culture. Sport and culture. Maybe not such a common word combination, at least not nowadays. However, I am convinced that culture is the face of sport. I see sport not only as a set of performances and results, but I pay attention also to the behaviour of the players and their opponents, the relationship betwen players, referees, spectators. And what about the officials in the associations? What are their values, their behaviour? What is the impression we make on the people outside futnet? If I said before that culture is the face of sport, I should rather say that not only of sport, but of all the society. And it is only up to us how we will shape it.
Future. To be successful in our mission, we must not forget where we are coming from (our roots), but we should also know where we are heading (the future). I dare to say that until we know it, we will not move on. There are a few key questions that could help us shape our future decisions. How many bounces? To play outdoors or indoors? To focus on the best or to support the grass roots? Do we want to be a professional or amateur sport? And we could carry on and on. We lack a vision, a strategy. Does anyone pay any attention to it?
For me the key for the future is better communication and children. We have a chance to pass on the positive message. I do not want to just criticise the situation in futnet, but also to share a few ideas which are not just my ideas but have been passed on to me by the people who have been around in futnet for a long time.
I have set up several clubs for women, children and men. I want to create good conditions for the development of futnet and contribute to its growth in a responsible way. I must say that women are unjustly treated as inferior in futnet. Some may say that the way they play is not so attractive. But I must disagree, one just has to have time to train them and help them improve their skills. Women like to move and if futnet wants to advance, we should get more women involved as coaches, referees as well as officials. My club has been working for about two months and at the moment we have about 10 to 12 women aged 20 -28. They have never played futnet before, but enjoy it tremendously. How is it possible that so far they have not done it if they like it so much?
If we do not start to pay more attention to children, our sport will die! Children are the future of futnet. But what is being done to support young people? The truth is that there are few top teams that really take care of their youth teams and what is worse, only few clubs really make an effort to have a youth team. I understand that there are regions where it may be difficult, but, for example, I have set up a futnet team in a children’s home in Prague. The children are very grateful and cannot wait for the trainings. They are happy with each good pass. It is fantastic to watch to play someone who does it because he or she enjoys it. They have never played it before. How is it possible that in Prague, the capital of the Czech Republic where futnet originated, they have never met with this sport?
There must be something wrong. Thanks to its simplicity and the features that I described at the beginning, futet may not only be a great sport, but also help children from socially disadvantaged backgrounds. It may help reduce certain negative phenomena in the society. Why not to give them a chance to see how a big tournament is organised? Why not to get them involved in the running of the clubs? Are there are programmes that could help them become good coaches, referees or officials? For example, through futnet I try to teach children ethics, economics, languages, etc. And they enjoy it because they learn through something they like.
For futet to grow the key is a better communication. I wonder how many teams are there in my country that work with foreigners. Are there any policies in this area? I am afraid the answer is no. I am preparing an international futet group composed of university students and there are already people interested in the project. I am even in touch with some people from Kenya. Where else if not in the Czech Republic or Slovakia people should learn to play futnet? It could help foreigners to integrate in the society as well as give many children and young people a chance to learn or practise foreign languages and get to know foreign cultures.
Futnet is more than just a tournament where drunken fans compete in who can shout louder, where players forget why there are playing.
Futnet has its roots, its culture and its future.