On May 28, 2024, Ofir Haim, coach of Israel’s under-18 national football team, met with dozens of social-educational sports coaches to share his insights and experiences. The event was part of the Sports for Social Impact (SSI) program, directed by the Azrieli Foundation.
Haim, known for his ability to motivate players individually, emphasized the importance of understanding each child’s unique world. “For me as a coach, every child is a whole world,” he stated, setting the tone for the meeting.
The coach opened with his personal journey, particularly the challenges and growth he experienced raising his son Or, who is on the autism spectrum. “At first, I felt like I was being punished, but Or made me understand that he was a gift to me,” Haim shared, highlighting how this experience transformed his approach to coaching.
Patience emerged as a central theme in Haim’s talk. “The most important thing I learned from my son Or is patience. Most of the time I experienced disappointments with him, and patience is what makes the difference,” he explained. This lesson, he noted, has profoundly influenced his coaching style.
Haim stressed the importance of building personal connections with players. He described investing countless hours in individual meetings to understand his players deeply, believing that these relationships are key to bringing out their best performance on the pitch.
Coach Haim also emphasized the value of hard work over luck. “As a player, at first, I thought that if the ball hits the crossbar, ‘I have no luck,'” he recalled. “At one point, I realized that I just need to work harder. The investment and hard work made me understand that it’s not luck but a matter of hard work and ability.”
In his concluding remarks, Haim encouraged the coaches to find joy in their work despite its challenges. “The work you do in your organizations is very hard, but you can also get much satisfaction from it,” he said. He advised adapting goals to individual needs, particularly for children who are harder to reach.
The meeting, attended by coaches from 31 organizations within the “Coalition for Sports for Social Impact,” was well-received. Hila Gabai, Director of the SSI program at the Azrieli Foundation, summed up the event: “Ofir Haim is an inspiration to all of us with the way he touches every child and with his positive approach to coaching.”
