The Effect of the 1989-1990 Political Transition in Hungary on the Development and Training of Football Talent

Vincze, G. et al.: EFFECT OF POLITICAL TRANSITION ON DEVELOPING FOOTBALL Kinesiology 40(2008) 1:50-60 THE EFFECT OF THE 1989-1990 POLITICAL TRANSITION IN HUNGARY ON THE DEVELOPMENT AND TRAINING OF FOOTBALL TALENT Géza Vincze1, Balázs Fügedi2, Henriette Dancs2 and József Bognár1 1Semmelweis University, Faculty of Physical Education and Sport Science, Budapest, Hungary 2Berzsenyi College, Department of Sport Science, Szombathely, Hungary Original scientific paper UDC 796.332:327.8(439)“1989/1990” Abstract: From the beginning of the political transition in Hungary the changes and developments affecting sport did not occur in a premeditated fashion, but instead more as the associated results of certain economic, social and political events. As a result of the political transition, one of the most important factors in Hunga- ry’s lag in football talent development seems to be the weakness in management. The positions of talent development are best in the independent talent development (junior) clubs mostly because these clubs have no senior teams and therefore all attention is paid to the youth. The lack of success of the past 20 years or so in this sport clearly shows that Hungarian football is heading in the wrong direction. It is time to approach the issue of talent development in Hungarian football in a different manner. In this paper, we provide sug- gestions for improvement. Keywords: talent development, youth development programmes, junior leagues, Hungarian football Introduction political events (Frenkl & Gallov, 2002; Hédi & The presentation of national sport policy Földesi, 2004). The period following the political traditions and the corresponding consideration of transitions has proved in a lot of instances that the possible directions, and their systematic comparison open funding of sport is clearly not in the interest altogether can provide a truly suffi cient foundation of companies functioning as sponsors using state fi nances (Nyerges & Laki, 2006). for understanding the present sporting life of various Based on the previously said it seems that in its nations (Chalip, Johnson, & Stachura, 1996). It may present state Hungarian sport is incapable of func- be generally stated that there is no international tioning independently without state support. Hun- sport policy standard which the post-socialist gary has been unable to qualify for international top nations have adopted without alteration (Földesiné, competitions in classical spectator sports (football, 1996a; Krawczyk, 1992). By the beginning of the basketball and tennis); the best results have been 1990s the various national (generally governmental) achieved in the fi elds less preferred by the media sport policies bore the marks of several decades and sponsors (kayak-canoe, fencing and the mod- of transformation and search for direction. Even ern pentathlon) (Freyer, 2004). in the more developed countries there have not It is evident that the standard of Hungarian foot- been governmental and political sport strategies ball is falling year by year (Frenkl, 2003; Szegedi, and concepts which could be copied automatically 2003). It is also demonstrable that those involved in by those interested (Földesiné, 1996 b, c). During football (coaches, players, league captains, the sport the greatly weakened dictatorship of the 1980s and press, a section of the fans) all see the same road 1990s in Eastern Europe, when changes in other progress as a signifi cant rise in the capital invested areas of society accelerated, there were not really in the fi eld and, at least as important, the upgrading any grassroots initiatives in sport (Földesiné & of the role of young talent (Krausz, 2002). Egressy, 2005). It is worth noting that from the Talent identifi cation had been operating since beginning of the political transitions the changes the conception of organized competitive sport. East- and developments effecting sport did not occur ern block countries tended to have state-run, sys- in a premeditated fashion, but instead more as tematic talent identifi cation (Bompa, 1996). Bompa the associated results of the economic, social and also states that talent development is advantageous 50 Vincze, G. et al.: EFFECT OF POLITICAL TRANSITION ON DEVELOPING FOOTBALL Kinesiology 40(2008) 1:50-60 for the individual athlete, coaches, and the sport. present at the events, but has worked with and for Football, however, for some time did not the football community. He constantly collects become a profession, and truly “big business” and and analyses data. His presence and activity have therefore there was no need for the sport managers always been lead by the intent to improve, the entire or the clubs, as if racing with time, to try to involve football community has accepted him, placed their younger players and raise trained football players. confi dence in him and therefore he has been able to The Hungarian clubs began to involve secondary collect information fi rsthand. school students fi rst in the 1930s, later ever younger players. The sport’s international results in the Document analysis 1970s showed that in an organized and systematic The systematic examination of the printed and framework it is suffi cient to involve children at the written materials played an important role in the age of 10-12 years, or even older. Today in Hungary study. It was important to examine documents, be- children’s football is a distinctly new phenomenon cause they provided a behind the scenes view of a and furthermore it has begun to become generally lot of aspects that might have not been available accepted in Hungary (in the 1990s) as the sport has through other means of data collection (Tenenbaum become professional. & Driscoll, 2005). First and foremost we gained ac- The purpose of this study was to examine the cess to all public and private recorded documents progress and the characteristics of Hungarian foot- (archive sources) related to football following the ball and of its talent development after the politi- political transition. The direction and management cal transition of the late 1980s. As the 1989-90 po- of the sport produces a huge amount of documents litical transition brought about critical changes in and among these we found interesting and impor- the relationship between sport and society, our aim tant sources as related decrees, acts, accounts, com- was to study the resulting professional, economic, mittee meeting reports which were all taken into sociological and sociopolitical effects, specifi cally account during our research. Decisions on the di- on talent development for the most popular sport rection and development of sport at all levels were in the country. Based on the study our stated goal signifi cant for the study. was to sketch out, if only cautiously, a prospective as well. In-depth interviews In the interest of achieving the most complete Methods answers to the goals outlined we prepared two-hour As learning and understanding the character- indepth interviews with decisive personalities in istic marks of a given social group, and exploring football, who possess experience and indispensa- their correlation is considered a scientifi c study, we ble information on the state of football. During the turned to complex qualitative methods for a guide selection of samples reliable professionals accept- (Babbie, 1998; Denzin & Lincoln, 1994). Since ed in the sport were chosen and prepared based on there are no prior empirical studies available in these in-depth interviews: 14 defi nitive profession- this specifi c area of research, besides meaning, an als (coaches, league captains), 6 former directors exploratory factor dominated this study. Accord- of the Hungarian Football Federation (HFF) (these ing to Patton (2002), qualitative research is inquiry directors played decisive roles in the development into meaning and exploration, hence, in this study of the sport) and 3 “living legends” in football. All through fi eldwork, document analysis and in-depth interviews were recorded, which provided indis- interviews we focused on what things meant and pensable assistance in the analysis. how they affected Hungarian talent development in football. Qualitative data collection and analy- Results sis progressed hand-in-hand, their integration and Let us fi rst describe the situation of talent de- building upon one another were present throughout velopment in Hungarian football. The assessment the entire process (Creswell, 1997; Miles & Huber- was carried out using Szegedi’s classifi cation (2003) man, 1994). of the following club types: professional, amateur associations and independent talent development Fieldwork clubs. The fi rst author of this study has devoted The main goal of the professional associations his entire life to football. As a football player, is to train highly trained valuable players for coach and politician he has worked actively on a maximum profi t. If these trained players later continuous basis for the growth and advancement reinforce an adult team, then the club’s budget of the sport. As a participatory observer he has is spared from buying players trained elsewhere lived and continues to live together with the (here, therefore, profi t is directly apparent). A club football community and directly and continuously may sell a player thereby generating a profi t. It is takes part in its daily activities. He is not merely a fact that there are very few capital-rich owners 51 Vincze, G. et al.: EFFECT OF POLITICAL TRANSITION ON DEVELOPING FOOTBALL Kinesiology 40(2008) 1:50-60

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