Grassroots sport: when work is done, training begins

PalmWhen most people finish their workday, a second job begins in the pavilions and fields of the Balearic Islands. Coaches, managers, assistants, sports directors, and club presidents swap their work clothes for tracksuits and dedicate hours to children and young people who form the grassroots of sports, often without pay or with only symbolic compensation. This effort is sustained by a vocation and the conviction that sport educates, instills values, integrates, and shapes lives. With almost 125,000 registered athletes in the Balearic Islands – this figure comes from the Higher Sports Council and corresponds to 2024 – the system is maintained thanks to people who act as coaches, managers, educators, and, in many cases, personal role models for children and young people. They do this after their regular workdays, with busy weekends, and with a responsibility that goes far beyond sporting results. Without this invisible dedication, grassroots sports simply wouldn't exist.

Juanjo Cabra is a coach – for preschool, youth, and women's teams – and coordinator of Ciudad de Inca Futsal, a club that has grown from around 20 registered players to 228 in six years. "Every day, I dedicate eight hours to work and between six and eight to futsal," he says, explaining that he handles administrative tasks and organizes schedules. "It's a passion, although there are very tiring moments," he says, adding that some coaches miss their children's games because the schedules clash with their own teams'.

The case of Nofre Mas, president and coach – of the U14 team – of Club de Baloncesto Campos, is almost the same. Mas works in sales for a food distributor and dedicates a large part of his free time to sports. "There are days when I finish work at 4:30 p.m. and training starts at 5:00 p.m.," he says. And Guillem Llaneras, sports director of CE Constancia, disconnects from his work as a businessman, which "is more demanding and causes more headaches," thanks to working with children and young people in sports.

The structure that supports grassroots sport in the Balearic Islands functions thanks to the selfless work of the people who get involved, who give up their free time or time with their families. In the case of Ciudad de Inca, the coaches receive a stipend to cover fuel and transportation costs. "I don't want to overlook the role of the team managers. They are people who help and are incredibly involved, and they do it for a Christmas basket," Cabra emphasizes. Llaneras doesn't get paid as the sports director of Constancia—he dedicates between 25 and 30 hours a week—and points out that there are volunteers who "don't even get a basket." In Campos, "the coordinator and the physical trainer are paid." "The rest of us go out for dinner or throw a party in the summer," Mas explains, adding that there are club coaches who travel from other towns, like Porreres, "for nothing."

Much more than coaching

Being involved in grassroots sports goes far beyond coaching. It involves emotional education, group management, exercising positive authority, mediating with families, and, when problems arise, attending to children with special needs, creating routines, fostering a sense of community... The list is endless. "Each age requires something different. With the youngest children, we try to ensure they enjoy themselves through futsal and convey the importance of teamwork. With teenagers, it's crucial that they don't lose their passion for the sport. Competition is necessary to a certain extent, because they also need to learn self-control, restraint, and fighting spirit, which goes beyond just equality between men and women: "Sport must be egalitarian," he emphasizes.

"Everyone plays. I told them that if someone aspires to win a championship, they'll have to go somewhere else," Mas points out, and proudly recounts a rather significant anecdote: "I have a son who is autistic and he's always in the starting lineup. That was the most exciting thing of all."

At Constancia, the families, players, directors, and coaches chose four club values: solidarity, cooperation, perseverance, and responsibility. "We try to develop better people and we have a commitment to the city of Inca: that children who want to play football can do so," says Llaneras, also highlighting the role of the club's psychologist, who "lends a hand in both sporting and non-sporting aspects." Furthermore, the City Council sometimes refers children at risk of social exclusion to the club. "Sport can help redirect their situation and give them a motivation," he says.

The clubs carry out their work with limited financial resources, and collaboration with the city councils is essential. Support from local businesses is also important. "We have nine sponsors who help us manage things better. We also hold raffles. That's how we survive," notes Cabra, and emphasizes that Ciudad de Inca is the futsal club "with the cheapest membership fees in Mallorca." "The teams pay for referees, insurance, and federation fees. And this year, since we're financially sound, we haven't received any municipal subsidies," he adds. "The City Council helps us a lot," Mas points out, referring to the Campos Basketball Club. Regarding Constancia, Llaneras highlights that the club has 31 teams, more than 500 players, and a social base of around 1,500 people. "We can't complain about the City Council. But we have to remember that in football, many things are subsidized. In contrast, there are minority sports that don't receive any support, and families have to pay for everything. And then they expect them to win Olympic medals," he laments.