Skiing and Cycling

The legendary Holmenkollen 50-kilometer race in Oslo, Norway is a mainstay of the FIS cross-country World Cup circuit. It used to consist of two 25-km loops, meandering into the Norwegian countryside before returning to the stadium. Spectators would be out on the course, in skiing or walking distance from their house, as well as in the stadium. Now, the race consists of 10 km loops, though the skiers pass through the stadium midway through those laps. This means the skiers reappear in the stadium around every 5 kilometers. This is a trend across most cross-country ski races at the World Cup and Olympic levels. Race loops are short, often being completed 4-6 times in a race. The stadium and bleachers becoming the focal point of the action in many ways.

I remember being on course for a couple of cross-country ski races during the 2002 Olympics. The course in Utah was one that had a lot of visibility due to few trees, but there were still the moments of anticipation of who we would see coming up the hill next. Who would emerge around the turn in first.

Cycling has been using race radios since the mid-1990s. They have allowed team directors to communicate directly to the riders. They can give splits to the breakaway group. Inform riders who is in that group, and if they pose a threat to the overall lead. It allows for adjustment on the fly of race tactics as team directors can see what’s happening on the road and communicate that to their athletes. It means that teams and riders can conserve their energy if the riders in the breakaway pose no serious threat to the general classification. It also means that teams can respond quickly in case of a flat tire, crash, or bike replacement.

Athlete safety is critically important. Fundamentally, we should protect them as humans. Perhaps more cynically, we love the stories and achievements of big-name athletes. They draw new viewers to the sport and keep existing fans excited. It’s important for each sport to protect its stars.

Safety Concerns

There is also the reality of many ultrarunning races that the runners navigate high mountains and backcountry terrain. It’s crucial that they have trackers so their location can be monitored and used in case of emergencies. Weather can change, creating a need to locate athletes. Medical emergencies can arise and rapid evacuation is of the utmost importance. Indeed, at one of the UTMB races during the week, an elite runner had to be airlifted to the hospital in Geneva. This isn’t directly related to live timing, but underlines the importance of knowing where runners are on course and being able to communicate what’s happening on course. Similarly, one route was adjusted mid-race to avoid unnecessary exposure to potential lightning and thunderstorms. This then was communicated to athletes on course by volunteers, support crews, and fans.

In cycling, crashes are part of the sport. Having coverage of the race allows for swift response from teams, medical staff, and race organizers to mitigate damage if possible. For team directors, they can hear news over official radio channels but also can see via camera coverage if their athletes are involved.

Tactics and Analysis

Largely the information that is available now is being used tactically. Coaches on the cross-country World Cup can use live timing to inform their athletes of time gaps, relay information on how skis are gliding for the competition, and other information that may allow for tactical shifts. In trail running, cameras and live tracking can help determine time gaps and relay information about how a runner is moving and potentially feeling.

After the fact, television, tracking, and livestream coverage can provide critical information for athletes to improve upon. Time splits over different terrain. Splits for each aid station. Ability to analyze ski technique for themselves and other racers. We can parse which sections ultrarunners used poles in and what type of gear they were using. This can be useful for newer athletes, amateurs, and coaches as well.

Broadening the Reach

Increasing coverage also means that fans from around the globe can follow a race live. They can see the spectacle unfold from their home or desk at work. In increases engagement with sports that have historically been fringe. In fact, I wrote about the importance of this recently. For junior athletes, for newcomers, and even elite racers. This in turn can bring more money into the sport. Which then supports elite and aspiring-elite racers.

In skiing and running, it means there’s coverage of the races and also of the places and the crowds. The atmosphere of an event can come through the livestream or replay of TV highlights. This undoubtedly inspires athletes of all ages and abilities. Even for fans on the ground, live timing allows people to come out and support racers and be at the right place at the right time to cheer on their idols and friends.

Where is the happy medium?

All that said, I can’t help but return to the question of if we’re losing something with all this coverage. The draw for athletes and participants of these sports isn’t endless loops of a ski trail to race a 50 km or to be running through the mountains with a camera in your face.

Is it possible to have sections of the course where we have no coverage for the public? Where race organizers and team staff can monitor safety but give us more suspense as viewers. Maybe it’s okay for spectators to linger in a place waiting with bated breath for their favorites to come through. I’m not sure I have a good answer but I think it’s worth a conversation.

Thanks for reading and would love to hear thoughts in the comments.

This narrative is what makes watching endurance sports so compelling. Each athlete becomes both a protagonist in their own race and a foil to their competitors. Rivalries, real or imagined, become plot points. Small mistakes leave us wondering if a runner or skier has made an error big enough to impact their result.

It’s the same reason we compete. We don’t know what’s going to happen. Yes, we can prepare as well as possible. We can track splits for our track or road races. We can adjust our fueling plan down to the minute if we want. Those who train seriously are typically tracking their hours in each training zone. We can see progress in time trials, in the gym, and throughout the years and months of training. But once the race begins, we don’t know exactly what will happen.

For one, most of the sports I think and write about take place outdoors. Cross-country skiing can easily be impacted by weather and by snow conditions. And subsequently, impacted by equipment and wax selection. These elements (literally) add a layer to the sport. In marathon running, it’s the same. A rainy day can impact strategy and decision making. In trail running, similar to cross-country skiing, the race is easily impacted by weather and trail conditions. It makes sense.

In addition, there is the human element. When a race begins, we have some sense of what we’re capable of. The training we’ve put in, what effort is sustainable for the distance. But we don’t know how we will respond to the day. We don’t know exactly what our bodies will do. Similarly, in watching these races, we know who the favorites may be. We can look back at previous races and results to get a sense of who might be capable of winning on the day.

When the race begins, athletes rarely try to do anything that may seem stupid down the road. The strategy may be conservative or aggressive. But rarely are we thinking, ‘I really want to try and blow up in this race.’ The pace feels manageable, the fueling is going according to plan, etc. Until it isn’t. Then we witness or experience the profoundly humbling experience of adjusting the race plan on the fly. Responding to our circumstance and being, simply put, human.

Even with tracking our training and likely collecting data as part of the preparation, there is something unknown about race day. I don’t mean to say that it doesn’t matter, in fact the opposite is true. We show up to race day (whether amateurs or professional) to give ourselves a chance at achieving our goals. But we don’t know the outcome. If we did, it wouldn’t be as exciting or as worthwhile. The question is essentially, ‘will things come together for me on this day?’ And there truly is only one way to find out. The what ifs and why nots are why we race. They are why we watch racing. It’s what makes it fun and exciting as a fan and an athlete. It’s also what can make it heartbreaking and painful. But that’s also part of the point. No athletes will win every race they enter. The hard days of racing make the good days that much sweeter. Even just the great moments of races give us so much. The hill when it all comes together. It’s why we keep showing up as athletes. For that flow-state feeling when it comes together on race day.

A few years earlier, it was the 1996 European Championship Soccer Final. I remember driving around trying to find a place to watch the game between the Czech Republic and Germany. We ended up at a sports bar a couple of towns over. One television showing the game while others played regular season baseball games.

Fast forward to this year. Primetime coverage during the Olympics of cross-country skiing. Not to mention the ability to watch race highlights from World Cup ski races on YouTube throughout the year. And smaller races too. Norwegian Cup highlights. Highlights from the Vasaloppet, the Birkebeiner, or the Marcialonga. Rollerski race recaps in the summer months. And live streaming of US National Championship races in the winter.

Likewise, World Cup soccer games were ubiquitous this year. Partially helped by the tournament being hosted in North America, but also by growing interest and accessibility on broadcast TV. I grew up as a cross-country skier but also as a soccer player. Being able to watch elite-level races or games in either sport was a rarity. Now, YouTube, streaming services, and league deals with US broadcasters are impacting the watchability of both.

It’s making these sports more visible to a big audience, and especially kids. Kids are amazing at imitating. Having taught cross-country skiing to both adults and kids, there are big differences. As a adults we tend to absorb information, analyze that information, and then try things ourselves. Adults do well with instruction and explanation. Adult learners want to understand the concept of timing in skate skiing. Yes, there are cues that can help unlock technical progress, but a lot of the progress happens from taking time to process information. Kids are different. Long explanation is boring. On the other hand, you can tell a kid “follow me” and they’ll often be skiing like you (for better or for worse) within a few kilometers. They’re sponges that way.

And it’s why the accessibility of these sports is such a big deal. I’m using cross-country skiing and soccer as my examples, because I’ve coached kids in both and can see the impact, but there are plenty of other cases. When kids see the top-level athletes doing their sport, they can go out and try to emulate those things that same day.

Part of the success of Nordic countries in XC skiing is passed down. Kids have grown up seeing elite skiers for decades, because those skiers trained on their local trails or participated in a local race. And World Cup ski races were held in their backyards. They had the real life opportunity to emulate those skiers. Very small pockets of the US had the same opportunity, but it was largely unknown. Until the advent of YouTube and the ability to stream races, we had very few opportunities to witness great skiers in action. Maybe some bootleg VHS tapes.

High level soccer was similarly in exile. Yes, there was the World Cup or European Championships, but those each only happen every four years. Not exactly consistent exposure. And this is very true with men’s soccer. On the women’s side, Title IX allowed for better investment in the sport development in the US ahead of many other nations. It’s the subject for a different article, but an interesting case study as well.

Things are changing. While the US Men’s Soccer Team ultimately fell flat in their elimination match against Belgium, the accessibility age is already showing benefits. Most of the USMNT starters play in top leagues in Europe. The skill on the ball and in possession is light years ahead of where it was.

In XC skiing, we’re seeing a massive shift for US skiers on the World Cup and in the Olympics. Skiers going to race their first World Cup now have seen it all on TV. Multiple times. It’s still a different experience, but it’s not a complete unknown. Juniors are growing up anywhere in the United States and able to see Klaebo’s distinctive run on classic skis. Or Gus Schumacher’s skate skiing. Or Ben Ogden’s classic skiing. They can rewatch the gold medal finish of Jessie Diggins and Kikkan Randall at the 2018 Olympics to their heart’s content.

The ability to see high-level skiers (and soccer players) is having a huge impact on the development of these sports in the US. Juniors are obviously impacted. But as adults too, we can benefit from being able to watch World Cup skiers. We can parse their technique and learn from it. While major sports still dominate TV time, the ability to watch these “niche” sports is helping their participation and development.

The article goes on to say there may have been other factors in this manner of thinking but also that reading and organization of thought and argument seem to go hand in hand.

It is easy to turn to our phones for anything now. It’s not necessarily an entirely bad thing to have so much information readily available. We can use smartphones effectively and they do streamline certain processes. That said they are having negative impacts on some key areas

Attention Span

One of the big things that the advent of short form videos on platforms such as Instagram and TikTok has impacted is our attention span. From the same article:

It’s hard to imagine that this trend doesn’t continue for a time. That we become less engaged with what we are watching and doing. It’s not entirely the responsibility of smart phones either. To me, two and half minutes (prior to smart phones) doesn’t seem that long. And in 2012, prior to many short form video platforms it was already lowered 75 seconds. It is likely that there are many factors at play but certainly the constant stream of increasingly curated entertainment is contributing.

I am a reader but I have also been thinking about ways that I can get sucked into the attention span vortex a little bit less.

An Antidote

One of the things that strikes me is that endurance sports in both training and racing give us an opportunity to improve our attention span. I am not wholly against training with music or listening to podcasts/book. I don’t do it much myself. The occasional road run or when I’m at the gym, I do listen to music. (Though at the gym, it’s often whatever is playing on the speakers.)

But I do think there is value in doing at least some of your workouts without music or distraction. It’s great to run with people. That said, I think an important part of trail running, mountain biking, XC skiing is being outside and being in nature. It’s about letting your thoughts drift in and out. Sometimes your mind drifts and you may not remember a mile or two, and that’s okay. Other times you do have to focus for minutes at a time to navigate a more technical section of trail or to motivate yourself to get that last interval done.

Three minutes is a far cry from that 47-second average attention span on screens. Plus, hammering out that last interval will also trigger positive physiological adaptation as well. Win-win.

Balance

As I said, I think training with music is fine. But be selective about it. There are many races that don’t allow or heavily discourage the use of headphones during them. Utilize headphones and that distraction selectively. For me, I utilize music when my motivation might be a bit lower in the fall. That in between stretch between trail running season and the start of XC ski season. The trails may be limited due to snow, but there’s not enough to ski on yet. I will use music to get myself motivated and keep quality in workouts.

There’s some research showing that high-tempo music can reduce our perceived effort. This has shown to improve output in max cycling tests. So, music has it’s place. But I would argue that if you need music for every workout you would benefit from disconnecting every once in a while.

Similarly, I do read much more than the average person (as I gleaned from the aforementioned article) but I am also guilty of getting sucked into short entertainment. Not that I need that, but it can be positive distraction here and there.

Reading and Running

It seems clear that we can improve our attention span and critical thinking skills with more reading. The type of reading (fiction or non-fiction) doesn’t matter all that much as long as it’s longer form. These are clearly skills that can help us in endurance sports, especially when it comes to racing.

Racing in endurance events requires both strong attention span and critical reasoning. There’s no way to push your effort effectively through a 10 km race without a good attention span and ability to focus on the task at hand. Likewise, with longer endurance events such as marathons and ultramarathons, problem-solving becomes a key attribute. How do you respond and work through challenges such as cramping, blisters/chafing, equipment challenges, etc? The answer is critical thinking. And relatively quickly and dynamically.

This is true in running, XC skiing, mountain biking, and any other endurance sport you can think of. And doing these sports without distraction also help improve our attention span and ability to focus elsewhere in life. Reading and endurance sports go together hand in hand.

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This summer’s World Cup was an enjoyable tournament for sure. We fell in love with the team from Cape Verde, forcing Argentina to extra time in the knockout rounds. We watched an aging Messi carry Argentina to the finals. An epic battle between England and Mexico at the Azteca Stadium in Mexico City. In the build-up, many people (including myself) had concerns how this tournament would go. Exorbitant ticket prices. Fans (and one team) struggling to get into the US due to visa issues. The large distances that teams and fans would have to travel to get to their games. Wondering what the quality of the additional 16 teams playing in the tournament would do to the quality of the games. Once the first ball was kicked, however, most of those concerns fell by the wayside. It’s not because there was any resolution, because there was not. It was rather that collectively, we fell in love with the beautiful game. Again. As we do every time a World Cup rolls around.

The problems with FIFA still exist, however, and the tournament was successful in spite of them. Infantino seems to think that people will capitulate to whatever he wants to do as the president of FIFA because people love soccer. And it’s true that fans will put up with a lot. But hopefully this comes as a step too far. By no means is FIFA some benevolent organization, putting on the World Cups purely for the greater good. They make money. And a lot of it. And people will watch. But there is a difference between making money by organizing a hugely popular global tournament and overtly selling shares of… soccer?

This is not a done deal just yet, but it’s good to see UEFA taking a stand. CONCACAF have also condemned the plan, though not proposing a boycott as of yet.

A Precedent of Resistance?

Several years ago, multiple European clubs banded together with the intention of forming a European Super League. The goal was, at its core, to make more money for some of the already wealthiest teams in Europe. Fans of many of the clubs took to protest as a way to push back on the plan. There were especially notable protests in England and the possibility of government involvement. Ultimately the plan fell apart. For the time being. But it was driven by fans pushing back on the prospect of paying more to see their clubs and feeling disconnected from the decision-making process.

Infantino has clearly forgotten that FIFA exists because of soccer fans. There aren’t soccer fans because of FIFA. Similarly, we watch the Olympics because of the competition and the narratives. Not because of some guy who works in Lausanne at the IOC headquarters. These multinational governing bodies do hold a lot of power because they organize competitions and events that athletes aspire to and people watch.

Hopefully One Step too Far

However, Infantino has lost the plot with this plan. He views FIFA not as a steward of the game, but rather a corporation focused on maximizing profit. I hope that UEFA’s condemnation of the plan and proposed boycott put this matter to rest. It’s hard to envision this plan moving forward without the support.

And while most of the member nations of FIFA had expressed support for Infantino moving forward, hopefully this changes that. I think that electing a president of FIFA is more of a chore than anything. For most countries, they just want to vote to have some stability and then go home to focus on their national federations. And that’s why Infantino has been in place for three terms. This plan will likely change things. The same way that a bribery scheme undid Blatter, his predecessor.

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This year started off as an exciting battle between Tadej Pogacar and Jonas Vingegaard. They are both previous winners and the two favorites going into this year’s edition. Following the latter’s crash, it became likely that Pogacar would once again emerge triumphant.

He’s a fun rider to watch. He attacks and is competing for the win on many stages. In watching this year’s Tour, I was most impressed by him on two stages that he did not win.

The first was stage 2, a hillier stage with Pogacar and Vingegaard battling for an early stage win. Instead, Pogacar realized he and his teammate Isaac del Toro had a gap on Vingegaard. He insured that del Toro would cross the line first, getting the stage win.

A slight digression into how cycling teams work, for those who have no knowledge. The teams start the tour with 9 riders each. Typically, 1 rider on a team is designated as the main rider. They may be challenging for the overall title (Yellow Jersey), or the sprint title (Green Jersey), or one of the other specially awarded categories (Polka dots for best climber or White Jersey for best young rider). The team is typically built around the one primary rider to give them the best chance at winning stages or overall jerseys. Pogacar’s team is built around him. There are plenty of good riders on the team, but their primary goal is to pull him through the Tour de France. Set the pace and create a draft on many days. Protect him from the chaos of the peloton on others. Del Toro, a talented young rider from Mexico, was there to help Pogacar win. Some individual days, but also the overall title.

So, for Pogacar to ensure that his teammate got the win was impressive. It’s not that he needed the win, but it’s not his job to pace his teammates. It’s really the other way around. Del Toro was emotional after his first stage win at the Tour de France and you could hear him thanking Pogacar at the finish.

The second day that impressed me bookended the Tour. It was stage 20, the penultimate stage. A mountainous stage with an uphill finish. Del Toro had found himself in the White Jersey as the best Young Rider of this year’s tour (23 and under). He had close competition from Paul Seixas. Seixas is an impressive 19-year-old French rider in his first Tour de France. He had a chance at taking the White Jersey back on the day. Meanwhile, Pogacar had a healthy 7-minute lead in the overall standings. With no real threat to him for the Yellow Jersey, Pogacar once again turned the tables and dedicated himself to riding for Del Toro. He paced him and provided a draft through the mountains, ensuring that Del Toro would hang on to the White Jersey. And presumably earning a healthy financial bonus from his team and sponsors as well.

Both days, and a few other moments throughout the Tour, made me very impressed with Tadej Pogacar. Cycling is a team sport, and plenty of great riders have shown their teammates respect. But it’s not required. He helped a younger teammate earn his first stage win and the overall White Jersey.

Whether athletes want it or not, success puts them into positions of leadership. Not only for their team but for the broader sports world as well. They are looked to for setting the tone of a competition. They are looked to by the press for insight and thoughts on their sport. Pogacar has risen into the role. He voiced concern over rider welfare in the extreme heat the riders faced in this year’s Tour. He expressed compassion when Vingegaard crashed and was forced out of the race. I have enjoyed watching him race in previous years but found new admiration for him this year.

So, here are a few pointers:

1. Still train cool for key sessions. It’s still important to get intensity and long sessions in when it’s a bit cooler out. You want to maximize your effort and speed for intensity, so ideally, you’re scheduling these for cooler parts of the day.

2. Use passive heat training. Especially prior to heatwaves, but even during hot weeks it’s can be beneficial to maintain some passive heat training. Saunas and hot tubs after workouts can help our body acclimate to the challenges of training in the heat.

3. Hydrate well. Not just during your session, but before and after as well. Sweat rate will increase during hot weather. Which means it’s also important to replace electrolytes as well. Sodium and potassium and also lost during sweat so using more electrolyte mixes during hot weather training makes a big difference.

4. Use cooling practices. There are a lot of good ice bandanas available on the market these days. We saw World Cup players using ice packs on the hydration breaks of games in hot climates. If you have access to water on a long workout, wet your hat or t-shirt to cool off your core temp.

While training in heat can have benefits for people, especially in lower elevations, it’s still critical to be mindful of the impact heat can have on us. Adapt your body as best as possible but still take advantage of cooler temperatures.

1. Norway is rich. Not everyone in Norway is wealthy, no. But Norway is a rich country. The second highest GDP per capita in Europe, after only Luxembourg. An incredible high standard of living. Oil reserves that account for 20% of the national GDP. The state oil company (Statoil, recently rebranded as Equinor) has funded cross-country skiing and other youth sport development projects for years. This funding and wealth underscore the baseline accessibility of sports for many in Norway. Very different from the pay-to-play model that exists across most youth sports in the United States.

2. Norway is Competitive. The notion that has been perpetuated in much writing (notably from people outside Norway) is that youth sports are not timed. Awards are given to everyone. This, however, belies an intensely competitive culture and society. Winter sports hold a lot of status in Norway, and many young kids are encouraged to participate at a high level by clubs, coaches, and parents (many of whom were also high-level winter sports athletes). As a cross-country ski coach, I have observed a lot of burnout and dropout from top junior athletes in the sport in Norway. That burnout comes from a highly competitive environment, especially around XC skiing. When it comes to soccer? Martin Odegaard was playing for his local region’s team at 11. Hardly the fairytale of not leaning into talent identification. Odegaard signed for Real Madrid at 15 years old. Haaland, who admittedly does play with a ton of joy, is the son of a former Premier League striker. He didn’t emerge from a fun-first youth system.

3. Norway is active. I will say that Norway has a very active society and culture. It is very much encouraged for kids to be outside. Sports are part of growing up in Norway. But much of that comes from state-funded programs and infrastructure. There are a lot of ski trails and running trails in Norway that are well-maintained. The funding does not come from pass sales; it comes from municipalities and local/national financial support. Many kids are involved in multiple sports, and that does help develop greater athleticism.

Norway has a strong history of sport. The Winter Olympics have been a showcase for many athletes over the years. XC skiers have been dominant. In their national sport. There have been some great speed skaters and alpine skiers as well. Thor Hushovd was a dominant sprinter on the bike and in the Grand Tours. Norway has seen success over the years. We are seeing the dominance of Klaebo right now. Haaland has emerged as one of the world’s best strikers.

It is a good time to be a fan of Norwegian sport and athletes. But it is important to recognize that these things are not simply emerging from a culture where participation is encouraged and kids stay in sports because it’s fun.

The wealth of Norway is helping fund sports programming and facilities for much of the population. This funding helps create opportunity.

The notion that Norwegian youth sports are participation-focused belies the real competitiveness. XC skiers are constantly burning out before age 16. Norwegian soccer players are signing professional contracts at 15 (Odegaard, Nusa). That doesn’t speak to not scouting youth players.

Norway has fun, likable stars right now. Haaland memes have flooded the internet since the World Cup. Klaebo’s running on skis in the Winter Olympics also had its moment. I want the best for these athletes. They are generational talents. But it’s also important to be realistic about where these athletes are coming from.

It will be fun to watch the Norwegian Men’s Soccer team in the coming years. They have a great collection of players and play well together. I am awaiting Ingebrigtsen’s return from injury, especially in the wake of Kerr’s mile record. I know I’ll write more about Norway’s XC ski dominance.

The 1998 World Cup is the first tournament I really remember following throughout. I remember Spain in that World Cup. Possessing the ball well and technically brilliant, they didn’t make it out of their group. They lost their first game, drew their second. In the final group game they won, 6-1, but it didn’t matter as they were already eliminated. They played beautifully in that loss. Free-flowing and scoring amazing team goals. It felt like there was something oddly poetic in that.

In the next two World Cups, the trend continued. They were a good team. They could possess the ball well but didn’t score when it mattered. This was seemingly their national soccer identity. Technically skilled. Tactically ineffective.

That changed in the 2008 Euros. They were effective. They still possessed the ball well, and they didn’t concede. And they could score. Spain and Germany met in the final. Fernando Torres scored and Spain won their first championship in 44 years. The monkey was off their back. Two years later, they would go onto win the World Cup in South Africa.

They passed their way to victories. People complained that it was boring. But it won them matches. After their triumph in the 2012 Euros, they didn’t win again for a while. They seemed to revert to type. Passing well. Holding the ball well. But kind of… useless. They didn’t control games. Teams found a way around that style.

I think a shift has happened. Spain are still brilliant in possession. They control the ball and pass well. But in their last two tournaments (Euro 2024 and World Cup 2026), something has changed. Quite frankly it comes down to two players being brilliant for them. Lamine Yamal and Nico Williams. The presence of these two wingers changes the Spanish side.

They still have all the ball control and passing brilliance of before. And now they’ve added two young, dynamic attacking players who stretch play both vertically and horizontally. Both Yamal and Williams drive at defenders. They’re confident in their dribbling and passing ability. They can control the ball. But they want to score. A lot. And this shows. It shows in how they play.

Rodri is brilliant in the center of midfield for Spain, but in many ways, he is the archetypal player of Spain 1.0. Great on the ball. Pinpoint passing. Hard to dispossess. He would have fit in perfectly to the 2008-2012 Spanish sides.

With Yamal and Williams ahead though, Spain is in a new era. They have helped to shift the tactics of Spain. Spain still possess the ball. And some people still complain that it’s boring. But it’s not. Not if you watch their movement off the ball. The way that, even when they lose possession, there seem to be Spanish players everywhere. They are dynamic going forward and in defense.

In this tournament, they drew the first game 0-0 with Cabo Verde. It seemed that ‘Old’ Spain was back. And in some ways, they were. 74% possession. No goals. Neither Yamal nor Williams started that game. Neither have been fully fit this season, and Williams struggled for fitness the entire tournament. But when they’re both on for Spain, the team is transformed. It’s truly magical to watch. Spain can still win games without both players, but both Yamal and Williams are shifting how Spain plays. They are helping reshape the national side.

They stretch play. Run at defenders. Help press when they lose the ball. They are young. Yamal just turned 19, Williams 24. They both had birthdays during the tournament. I would love to see Spain continue to build this Spain 2.0 identity. Possess the ball. Beautiful passing and control. But with the brilliance of their wingers adding excitement and a desire to score goals.

It will take both players staying healthy, I think. Healthy enough that they continue to instill this ‘new’ identity for Spain. Long enough so that other players come up to fill the roles they hold. Yes, Alex Baena (also only 24) started on the left wing for Spain for many of the games this tournament. He is very good, but he doesn’t offer the same level as Nico Williams. We need up-and-coming Spanish wingers to play more like Williams and Yamal.

I’ve always enjoyed watching Spain play, even when they were (are?) considered boring. It was a masterclass in possession and passing. But with the shift that’s happening with Nico Williams and Lamine Yamal, they have added inevitable goals. Those two create space and chances. It will be a fun team to watch in the coming years.

What will this be about? Sport, mostly. I’ve been coaching for almost 20 years and was training seriously for sport several years prior. My main area of focus will be endurance sport, though I know soccer and other sports will make an appearance as well. As an athlete and coach, I’m interested in performance. And there is something about watching greatness unfold that is captivating. So, I will write about performance.

A big part of my life has always been traveling. From a young age, I was fortunate enough to travel. And value was both implicitly and explicitly place on it in my world. I still travel often. Some for work. Some for pleasure. I will write about travel. Current travels and past travels.

Lastly, I will write about what interests me. I try to read as much as I can. It’s probably where the draw of writing comes from. Reading engages and inspires me. As does music. And cooking and food.

My interests are varied. But I will try to stay true to what interests me. I am sharing this as a way to stay accountable in creation. Sometimes we think of creativity as spontaneous. But the reality is that emerges from consistency. Just as great performances emerge from monotony. Monotony of training, routine, and consistency lead to high performance. So, I am sharing to hold myself accountable to write more. Create more. I hope it will help improve my craft in writing and expression.

And there will be plenty of sports chat and writing. As a coach, an athlete, and a fan. I assume all these roles at different times. I hope you follow along.

Thanks for reading.