Football pitch full of dreams at Marks Park

As a boy, Marvin Benson would have been seen playing football with his friends on the streets of Westbury.

As an adult, you can find him coaching young football visionaries who hope to make football part of their lives.

The paper spent the afternoon at Marks Park Sports Club where Benson can be found coaching young football players of SuperSports United Soccer Schools. He spoke about his love for the game and the difference between natural talent and skill.

Benson has been a football coach for the past 15 years as the sport has always been a great love of his ever since he could remember. “Football has been a passion of mine,” he said.

He recalled how his mother shared that while pregnant with him, she was told by the doctor that he would be a football player because he would kick a lot while in the womb. “Though I never turned out to be a professional football player, I have played the sport all my life and it has become a huge love for me.”

It was French footballer Thierry Henry who made him fall in love with Arsenal football team and with the position of striker. He jokingly added he was told he looked a bit like him. In the modern era of the game he really admires Lionel Messi for his natural talent and control which he finds phenomenal, “I think he is the best footballer we have seen and has played the game.”

In his opinion, the makings of a young footballer include intrinsic motivation, “A player who has got the passion, is eager to learn, has good listening ability, discipline and work ethic.”

He added that though natural talent is good to have, it’s secondary to one’s work and commitment.

Benson is of the mind that a young footballer cannot survive on talent alone. As he describes, talent is the natural ability to play while skill is acquired. “If you are naturally gifted and you are not committed or lack work ethic, the talent could suppress development.”

Natural talent has the capability to have one not work as hard as they should as they could lack the hunger and desire to get where they should be as though everything will unfold in front of them. “An essential element to the sport is the individual’s drive.” He is an advocate for talent being developed correctly.

To young footballers out there, he said the work you put in is paramount. “If you are a footballer, you have to assess your strengths and weaknesses and outside of the sport there are things you’d need to work on, developing oneself, holistically.”

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