How Messi Won The World Cup - Potrero, Pibe, Picardia

Image Credit: The Sports Rush

In Argentina, kids learn to play football on dirt fields known as potreros. Literally horse fields. Bricks or bottles or whatever else is lying around is used as goalposts.

The pibe is the kid who gets the ball, does it all himself, goes past everyone, and scores.

On those potreros, kids learn to win by any means necessary.

The potrero was the school of football, and also the school of life.

Kids all over Argentina grow up dreaming of becoming professional footballers, making their way to Europe to play in one of the big leagues, and earning millions to get their family out of poverty. The dream is so common there's even a name for it - el sueno del pibe - which roughly translates to the kids' dream.

Lionel Messi was the pibe who grew up playing on potreros, developing his skill, creativity, and most importantly, picardia - the bravery and confidence on the ball.

Last week, the seven time Ballon D'or winner finally became a World Cup winner.

Not every kid needs to grow up playing on dirt fields. But every kid can grow up engaged in risky play.

There is a proliferation of risky playgrounds all over the world. My kids have been to a bunch in Barcelona, Berlin and Tokyo. It's such a refreshing change from playing in regular playgrounds. Kids have to work with found objects, figure out what to do with them, make up rules and invent their own game.

Then there's ambitions and dreams. Too many kids grow up being told by adult figures what to aspire to (in Singapore, typically lawyer, banker, doctor). How about letting kids decide what to dream of? What ambitions they have? What problems they want to solve? It's their life afterall.

And finally, bravery, confidence and resilience. How do we instil this in kids? What are we doing as parents and educators to help kids develop the courage, self-belief and grit to dream big, take on challenges, and believe that their potential is limitless?

The Doyobiverse is our protero. Doyobi students are our pibes. They join Doyobi to learn skills, creativity and picardia - street smarts and confidence to get ahead in life.

Potrero, pibe, picardia.

Singaporean kids, unfortunately, only have one P.

PSLE.

That's why we will never win the World Cup.

If you like to help your child develop courage, self-belief and grit, sign up for a free trial at Doyobi. New cohorts starting in January.

If this was useful to you, please share it with your friends!

Subscribe now and follow me on LinkedIn, Instagram and Twitter for thoughts on the future of work and learning.

Till the next issue!