The Connection Club

It is 32 degrees Celsius with not a cloud in the sky. I am visiting the village my wife Jana grew up in, Lakšárska Nová Ves (or Lakšáre for short). It is Saturday afternoon and the whole village in one place – the local football match. We stroll down there with Jana’s sister Dana and our two nieces.

With Tibor, my wife Jana and niece Ninka at TJ Lakšárska Nová Ves

Immediately, Jana recognises some old faces, some she hasn’t seen for a few decades. As they talk and catch up I scan the scene and immediately hone in on the level of play. There are some skilful older guys and speedy younger guys – it is proper village sport and I am in love immediately. I find out later it is the fifth league in the region, but the officials are in very professional looking outfits and the patrons in the bleachers are fully invested.

The football itself is immediately entertaining. Goal mouth scrambles, late tackles, plenty of turnovers and fast breaks – it is action filled and the locals in the one and only stand have got a few beers under their belt – its getting boisterous.

The game ends in a draw and the locals are disappointed as their team has dominated the game without being able to convert on the scoreboard.

As the crowd disperses and makes their way to one of the four pub in town, we bump into a man that Jana immediately recognises, as does he and there is instant joy. He briefly goes to the bar to get us a round of drinks and we chat for the next 30 minutes or so.

His name is Tibor.  His family has lived down the road from Jana's for decades. Sadly, his wife passed away recently, and condolences are shared. The sadness is obvious even though I cannot understand a word they are saying. The conversation then turns to the football and it turns out he is the club president and has been for an astounding 24 years!

Blown away by this, I cannot help asking a few questions through my trusted and tiring interpreter (note to self – must put more effort into learning some basic Slovak before visiting next time, it will certainly be appreciated!)

The biggest challenge

Tibor says he did everything to begin with - the administration and organising as well as being the coach for all junior and senior teams. With a career and family he never had enough time to do it all. The only reason he has been able to sustain his position has been to ask for help, delegate, and let go. The realisation came early that he could not do everything and began to involve others. From that moment things changed for the better and set up a long reign of leadership.

Tibor also talked of the political elements of running a club in a small village. His family name, Velický is jokingly called the local mafia as being the president for so long brings influence and scrutiny in equal measure. He would love someone else to take over, but no one wants the job. The next step will be investing in succession and finding the right person to take the club forward into the next chapter with a new and fresh voice.

The marker of success

Sport is easy to understand. It is about winning. Simple. Ask any professional leader of a sporting organisation what their ultimate goal is and they will all say the same thing - winning the championship. But, like any business the reality is more nuanced than this. When I ask Tibor what success looks like to him, his answer was brilliant.

The village has about 1500 residents, and it brings him great pride that they do not pay players to come and play for them. Inducements and wages are common even in a league at this lower level, but not for Lakšáre. Every player is either a resident or married into the community. It speaks of the passion, affection, and inclusive vibe the club has. People want to be a part of it rather than getting involved because they get something for it. Some call this Culture. I call it affinity driven through commitment. People like Tibor put in the hard yards and create an environment people want to be around. A place people want to come back to. It creates sustainability through effort rather than simply handing over cash to keep in the game year-on-year. There is credence and substance in this approach.

In a small village where funding and sponsorship is almost non-existent this may be through necessity but is certainly a competitive advantage for the club.

When the game is over the sun sets and only the few remain for a last drink or two. Then they will do it all again next week.
Image Source: Paul Farina

Tibor and the Lakšáre Football Club made an outsider from Oz feel very welcome and at home. Not just through their hospitality, but the environment itself was very familiar to me – I grew up and lived amongst these sorts of places my whole life. I love the theatre and community feel of it all. Sport can sometimes be seen as tribal and even barbaric. But, they are really places of connection which help to keep small villages like Lakšáre together.

It is the leadership of custodians like Tibor that ensure such institutions survive for all to benefit from. It is not dissimilar to the businesses, companies, and brands we work for. We are custodians of an entity that connects many – the people that work there, as well as the customers that convene and rely on it. There are suppliers and contractors too – the list goes on. All would be poorer if ‘our club’ was to become extinct tomorrow.

As I walk home with my family, I am left with a sense of optimism knowing there are Tibor’s everywhere – making a difference and keeping what is valuable alive. These are the true connectors of our world, the sort I believe we can all be.

Banner Image Source: Paul Farina