Barcelona v Manchester United in the European Champions League finals! This features the best two teams in the world against each other, but after the finals on May 28th only one team will be crowned champion.No doubt Barcelona are looked upon as favourites and the best team on the planet, but Sir Alex Ferguson has the respect of being the best coach ever and you can be assured that he will come up with a master plan to overthrow Barcelona.However, while taking a glimpse at undoubtedly the two best teams in the world, I realised that their success didn’t begin overnight. It began with a vision and commitment long before reaching the pitch.One may ask how or why is it that Barcelona and Manchester United are always in the mix when it comes to winning trophies. Simply put, both clubs have a rich history in developing young talented players and bringing them along. Both clubs have a winning mentality and they instil this belief in their players from young.During the Champions League games I have listened to Barcelona’s coach, Pep Guardiola, and how he speaks about their academy and how their system produces quality players.He was even bold enough to say he has players in his reserve team just as good if not better than Jack Wilshere of Arsenal. Call it smug or arrogant, but it is this confidence that is passed on from the coach to the players resulting in the winning product.Manchester United is no different with respect to their top notch youth programme, which in the past has produced quality players such as Ryan Giggs, David Beckham, Paul Scholes, Gary and Phil Neville. Now they have a next generation about to come through, which is how they sustain their place at the top.Without this vision and commitment there would be no breeding ground and the two teams would not stand out the way that they do. So if this is so obvious I implore more of our local teams to adopt this strategy in their planning. Call it what you wish, the United way, or Barcelona way. Either way it will improve the outcome.Specifically looking at both cricket and football in Bermuda, how many clubs can say they have a breeding ground and that the boys are taught a specific style of play or strategy in how they play the game?Each club, whether football or cricket, should identify a style or system of play, which is established from the senior team. This style or system should then be implemented at each youth level in the club. If successful with applying the vision at this level by time the young players reach the senior level they will fit right into the set up because they have been using the same style of play throughout their development.If you train at a mediocre level then you will produce mediocre players. Ask yourself the questions. Are we training with a purpose? Are we training with intensity? Are the coaches qualified? Let’s be real, most clubs have parents coaching at the Under-8 and Under-10 age levels, when even at that age it is critical that they are taught correctly. If you look around the world today professional clubs start their academy teams at Under-10.Learning the proper technique at a young age prevents bad habits that are harder to kick the older one becomes. Adjusting at the late teen level is far too late as you are playing catch up to those who had the opportunity to be coached at a young age.This is proven time and time again with our footballers going on trial overseas to the UK. Most times they are skillful enough, but just not tactically or technically good enough. Barcelona and Manchester United are both tactically and technically excellent, hence the reason why they are constantly doing well. Those factors along with their winning mentality allow them to win even when they are not playing at their best.I read an article recently in Inside United with Javier Chicharito Hernandez, where he stated: “They [Giggs and Scholes] tell us that we need to play like Manchester United players, always remembering the club’s rich history and never giving less than 100 percent on the field. Being a United player is about winning - you can never think about drawing or losing games.”It’s that attitude that can help us to win trophies. What pride this shows in what it means to put on a United jersey, and likewise for Barcelona.When we can reach that stage at our club level where it is an honour to wear your club’s jersey, here is where country pride begins knowing that you have earned the right to wear your club’s colours.What about our biggest cricket game of the year - Cup Match? Are some players given a free pass to play, through politics, or have they all earned the right to be there.The same could be asked at the national level as well. Once a player has earned his way to the top through hard work and dedication only then can they appreciate what it means to play for their club or country.It is of my opinion that if we can adopt the visions from teams like Manchester United and Barcelona we will be able to see beyond the pitch and find our own Bermudian remedy to make us successful in our two national sports.