Parenting & Family Quote by Thomas Dooley

A veteran who has climbed the game’s highest rungs turns his focus from personal achievement to legacy. The desire to spend more time with kids is not a sentimental flourish; it is a deliberate pivot from spotlight to workshop, from results to process. When he says he wants to teach them what it takes to get to this level, he names a threshold that is far more than talent. It is the invisible scaffolding around excellence: habits, standards, and a way of thinking about work that turns promise into performance.

Time is the key word. One-off clinics and inspirational speeches do not transmit the craft of high performance. Daily sessions do. So does repetition: showing how to scan the field before the ball arrives, how to recover after games, how to manage nerves, how to make simple passes under pressure instead of chasing highlight plays. Sharing that knowledge means being present long enough for behaviors to stick, for trust to form, and for young players to internalize professional rhythms.

There is also an ethical dimension. A seasoned captain and coach understands that elite environments are built, not inherited. Standards have to be modeled: punctuality, accountability, humility after wins, composure after setbacks. Kids learn them not by hearing slogans but by watching how a mentor treats teammates, referees, and mistakes. Teaching what it takes is therefore a cultural transmission as much as a technical one.

For someone who has worn the armband, played in the Bundesliga, and guided national teams, the phrase this level carries weight. It means the detail and discipline of top-tier football, but also the mental resilience to endure selection battles, travel, and scrutiny. The statement frames success as a continuum: the next generation will not arrive by accident. They will arrive because someone with lived experience stands beside them, day after day, and shows them the way.