slovakiasnextone
Registered User
This. I wanted to show you that the population is not important or better said is not so important as wealth of country. Slovenia is post-communist country, too (Yes, it was a different communist regime, but it was still communism). So I think it's good comparing. They were on the same starting line as Slovakia in beginning of 90's (+ don't forget to war, but yes, they weren't significantly affected by war). However nowadays, you know...
You mentioned just individual sports. I have to say one Slovak proverb - If you want to live with wolves you have to howl with them. In collective are many stupid children. Yes, there are some wise but as the proverb says, evil always wins. Martikán and Velits are individual athletes. There are not in collective, they can do whatever they want, they don't need to look "cool" in front of their teammates. And this is highly related to education...
And that is the result of neglected education. He has to know that to be the best in Slovakia is not enough for him! Obviously, he thinks that's enough. I agree with you, but I'm afraid this will never change if we don't build the education system for young athletes.
To your last question - Hard to say. He's really big talent. It also depends on which coach he would met.
I don´t think that Slovakia and Slovenia were really on the same line in 1990, just because they are both ex-communist country, just as for example Slovakia and Bulgaria weren´t on the same line. IMO Slovenia was the wealthiest part of whole Yugoslavia, maybe even wealthier than the Czech parts of Czechoslovakia, while Slovakia was the poorer part of the Czechoslovak federation, which has a long history and goes all the way back to Austria-Hungary, where Slovakia was just mainly agrarian land, while Bohemia was even more industrially developed than Austria itself. Plus, considering mečiarism andall the damage it has done to the country as you have mentioned, I think since 1998 we have done pretty well in catching up to the Czechs and Slovenes (but you can´t forget that they are still moving forward even though at a slower pace they might have in the earlier post 89/90 years). A country like Portugal for example had the better position in the 1990´s, but tey were already overtakem economically by the Slovenes and soon will probably be by the Czechs and I think it´s because Slovenia can just use what they have better than the Portguese and it might be similar with Slovenia and Slovakia. It´s all in the minds of people. You also mention that the different types of communism don´t matter, but I slightly disagree as I think the Czechoslovak bread of communism had a stronger affect on people than Tito´s one, or have the Slovenian people during communism been humiliated (and pretty much betrayed by their own leaders whom they trsuted with their lives and for whom they stood up- they might not have wanted to sign the agreement with it and were more or less forced to, but they did) as the Czechoslovaks in 1968 by foreign armies? Not even talking about the whole "normalization" process. Also, you mention that the war didn´t have much effect on Slovenia, it didn´t, but they managed to defend themselves without major losses slowly after getting their freedom- that has to have a different effect on people than findinf yourself under the rule of an autocratic idiot shortly after regaining your freedom (though of course it was the Slovak people who elected him in the 1st place). Of course, this is a very tough discussion as the opinions of the recent history warry very much in these parts of the world. For the mods: I know this is really OT, but I believe this has a great influence on sports in these parts of the world.
Yes, I mentioned just individual sports, but you make it sound a bit as if the indivdual sportsmen only trained in some kind of cage by themselves. Just because they have to stand alone there in the competition, it doesn´t mean that they have indivudal trainings only while growing up and that there don´t have any peers with whom they practice and infront of whom they could look cool.
I don´t think that education is really the word you´re looking for. I think that considering the conditions in this country, I went to schools that weren´t all so bad and I´d say that at least 90% kids comming from them are well educated, but it doesn´t change the way that they lived on Friday/Staurday nights.
It´s all in the heads once again and I´m not sure whether education would change it.
Well, I hope he does realize it and not only him, but kids similar to him. Well, coaches, I don´t think there are many that should change it whom he will meet in Slovakia.
. I just wonder if its the same in other countries, cause here unless you're really really good, mostly the rich kids get to play hockey.
