Bertie Felstead
By Richard Goldstein

New York Times

Bertie Felstead, the last known surviving member of the British battalion in World War I that laid down its weapons to play soccer with the Germans in the spontaneous and long remembered Christmas truce of 1915, died July 33 in Gloucester, England. He was 106.

The truce lasted perhaps half an hour and it meant nothing in the grand schemes of the Western Front generals. But the gesture by Mr. Felstead's Royal Welsh Fusiliers and the Bavarians infantrymen who faced them resonates in the British consciousness as a poignant interlude of civility during a time of unrelenting carnage.

On Christmas Day 1914, there were many instances of British and German soldiers emerging from their trenches to fraternize. Commanders on both sides warned troops not to repeat it.

But it did happened the next year, on Christmas Day, near the snowy village of Laventie, France.

As Mr. Felstead recalled it two years ago, his mortar battalion was shivering on Christmas Eve when it heard “All Through the Night “ in the German lines.

“ It wasn't long before we were singing as well, ‘ Good King Wenceslas,' I think it was,” he remembered. “ Your couldn't hear each other singing like that without it affecting your feelings for the other side.

“ Christmas Day, there was shouting between the trenches, ‘Hello Tommy, hello Fritz,' and that broke a lot more ice. A few of the Germans came out first and started walking over. A whole mass of us went out to meet them. Nothing was planned.

“Some of them were smoking cigars and offered us cigarettes. We offered them some of ours and we chatted.”

The soldiers got by in English, German, French and sign language. “ We weren't afraid,” Mr. Felstead remembered. “ We just sheltered each other. Nobody would shoot at us when we were all mixed up.” An informal soccer match began in the no-man's –land between the trenches.

“ Somehow a ball was produced,” Mr. Felstead recalled. “ It wasn't a game as such-more of a kick-around and a free-for-all. I remember scrambling around in the snow. There could have been 50 on each side. No one was keeping score.”

Christmas in the Trenches
(John McCutcheon)

My name is Francis Tolliver, I come from Liverpool.
Two years ago the war was waiting for me after school.
To Belgium and to Flanders, to Germany to here
I fought for King and country I love dear.
'Twas Christmas in the trenches, where the frost so bitter hung,
The frozen fields of France were still, no Christmas song was sung
Our families back in England were toasting us that day
Their brave and glorious lads so far away.
I was lying with my messmate on the cold and rocky ground
When across the lines of battle came a most peculiar sound
Says I, ``Now listen up, me boys!'' each soldier strained to hear
As one young German voice sang out so clear.
``He's singing bloody well, you know!'' my partner says to me
Soon, one by one, each German voice joined in harmony
The cannons rested silent, the gas clouds rolled no more
As Christmas brought us respite from the war
As soon as they were finished and a reverent pause was spent
``God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen'' struck up some lads from Kent
The next they sang was ``Stille Nacht.'' ``Tis `Silent Night','' says I
And in two tongues one song filled up that sky
``There's someone coming toward us!'' the front line sentry cried
All sights were fixed on one long figure trudging from their side
His truce flag, like a Christmas star, shown on that plain so bright
As he, bravely, strode unarmed into the night
Soon one by one on either side walked into No Man's Land
With neither gun nor bayonet we met there hand to hand
We shared some secret brandy and we wished each other well
And in a flare-lit soccer game we gave 'em hell
We traded chocolates, cigarettes, and photographs from home
These sons and fathers far away from families of their own
Young Sanders played his squeezebox and they had a violin
This curious and unlikely band of men
Soon daylight stole upon us and France was France once more
With sad farewells we each prepared to settle back to war
But the question haunted every heart that lived that wonderous night
``Whose family have I fixed within my sights?''
'Twas Christmas in the trenches where the frost, so bitter hung
The frozen fields of France were warmed as songs of peace were sung
For the walls they'd kept between us to exact the work of war
Had been crumbled and were gone forevermore
My name is Francis Tolliver, in Liverpool I dwell
Each Christmas come since World War I, I've learned its lessons well
That the ones who call the shots won't be among the dead and lame
And on each end of the rifle we're the same

By Jeff Tipping, NSCAA Director of Coaching Education

As players approach adolescence they should begin to develop an overall 360-degree awareness around them. Players must be exposed to exercises and games that force them to begin to think of the field as having two sides as well as length and depth. Please find below two suggested exercises to help coaches develop this kind of awareness.

From the Italian FA

Three players without a ball are in a straight line. The two players on the outside are approximately 25 yards apart. They move randomly keeping the 25-yard distance anywhere they wish to move. The player in the middle must move with them and always stay on the imaginary line that connects the two outside players. It will be noted that to be able to maintain the middle position as required, the middle player must constantly use swivel vision. To make the exercise more demanding give the player in the middle a ball and further complicate the exercise by giving a ball to each of the outside players.

From the Scottish FA

Connector
Issue #16, November, 2004

Positive Coaching Alliance has the mission to transform youth sports so sports can transform youth. We pride ourselves on providing cutting-edge training, frameworks and tools to help youth sport leaders, coaches and parents bring out the best in youth athletes.

We firmly believe that sports provide innumerable opportunities for adults to reinforce lessons and values with the kids they coach and parent. In our workshops for coaches and parents we recommend "seizing teachable moments" whether they happen to be good or bad examples.

A Double-Goal Coach ™ (who wants to win AND use sports to teach life lessons) or a Second-Goal Parent (who focuses on helping the child process the sports experience to take away life lessons) can capitalize on events that happen in virtually every game in any setting. Win-at-all-cost coaches or parents, by contrast, may not even notice opportunities to reinforce a positive character trait because winning is the only thing that matters to them.

So then, what are parents and coaches to do about the brawl that broke out during the Pistons-Pacers game on Friday night, the nastiest in NBA history? (Not to mention the fight before a recent Steelers-Browns game or the multiple altercations at the Clemson-South Carolina college football game on Saturday.)

The first thing is to NOT let it go by without comment. If a family watches something like the brawl together without comment, young people may take that as tacit approval by the adults. It's important to let your children know that you do NOT approve of what you see. You might say something like "That is terrible behavior. I'm certainly glad you're not the kind of person who would do something like that!"

But beyond showing your disapproval, you also have the opportunity to reinforce specific positive values and character traits. Here are some ideas to talk with youth athletes about the brawl.

• The Definition of a Competitor: Many people think it is an excess of competitiveness that causes fights to break out in sporting events. The truth is the opposite. Stanford Women's Volleyball Coach John Dunning said, "So many kids think they're great competitors because they growl the loudest or cuss the loudest (editor's note: or are ready to fight the quickest). I define a competitor as the person who is most often ready to play and win the next play." Given that Dunning's Stanford University team won an NCAA title in 2002, perhaps he knows something about this! By this definition, Ron Artest is the most un-competitive player in the NBA: He just put himself in the position of not being able to win the next play for an entire season!
• Responsibility to One's Teammates: PCA promotes Honoring the Game as getting to the ROOTS of Positive Play, where ROOTS stands for respect for the Rules, Opponents, Officials, Teammates and Self. If a player values and respects his or her teammates, he or she would never do something to take them out of a game or championship quest. Great teams bond together around a shared commitment to give their best to each other and the team so they can see how good they can be. An athlete's behavior both on and off the playing field can bring honor as well as dishonor to his or her team.
• Respect for One's Self: An overriding goal of participating in sports is to build strong individuals with courage and integrity who will not violate their own standards simply to gain an edge in a sporting contest. It's great that athletes Honor the Game because they know their coach or parents want them to. It's a higher level of moral development when athletes Honor the Game because they want to live up to their own highest picture of themselves.

Announcing a Winter Holiday Soccer Camp for all youth soccer players ages 7-17

You may know some soccer players who are looking for a great opportunity to play some soccer or get some serious training over the holiday break. Here's the chance!

Three Weeks...Four different sessions...three days each.

December 21-23 ages 7-11 9am-12pm
December 28-30 ages 7-11 9am-12pm
December 28-30 ages 12-17 1pm-4pm
January 4-6 ages 12-17 9am-12pm

Paul Goode Field, Presidio Park, San Francisco
details at www.soccerinsight.net

Give the Gift of Soccer this Holiday. Sign up Today!

BRAZIL THE HOMELAND OF SOCCER INVITE YOUR TEAM TO THE BIGGEST YOUTH SOCCER TOURNAMENT OF LATIN AMERICA
JULY 10-15, 2005

The Brazilian Cup is an International Youth Soccer Tournament for boys and girls 11 - 17 years old.

CLICK HERE to download the 3 page brochure.

FOR BOYS AND GIRLS AGES 6-12
(Limited availability)

DATE: December 20th – 24th
(Additional training takes place Wednesdays 3-5p.m. - $20)
TIME: 9a.m. – 12p.m.
LOCATION: George Washington High School
(Back field on 30th Ave between Anza and Balboa)
COST: $155/week

Join us for lots of fun, exercise, teamwork, and a great introduction to the best game in the world!!! Call 415-816-6044 to register today!

CLICK HERE To download the 1 page brochure.