| Euro Coaches Education Tour 2006 |
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| on 28 Nov 2006 | |
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Each year Andrew Ziemer and Frans Hoek put together a Coaches Education Tour for people interested in going to Europe to study soccer. The name, “ Coaches Education” is actually not entirely correct. Those attending the course are not only coaches. There is always a cross section of soccer crazy people. We have seen all sorts of soccer people attend the 2-3 week annual trek across the ocean: national team coaches, college coaches, junior college coaches, club coaching directors, board members and even “soccer fans”.
The first year we went, five years ago, we visited Dutch Professional Clubs Ajax, Feynoord Rotterdam, PSV Eindhoven, Wilhem II, and Vitesse Arnhem, German Club Schalke 04, a club from Belgium, FC Brugge and FC Barcelona. We watched games with FC Barcelona, Schalke, FC Bayern Munich, Ajax, Feynoord and Wilhem II. The trip was a potpourri of cultures, clubs and countries. However, all the clubs we visited were professional. After the first year, Andrew and Frans decided that, yes it is nice to visit the top clubs, but how realistic is it to our situations in the US to go only to the top. Why not, they reasoned, visit clubs closer to our level along with some of the top clubs, especially those recognized for youth soccer education. So over the past three years, we have gone to Ajax, PSV, Chelsea and FC Barca but we have also gone to Haarlem, Quick Den Haag, Hollandia, Volendam and other smaller clubs who operate on smaller budgets, in youth development, than most top American youth clubs but they are successful names in Holland. This has given us a better picture of what other countries are doing to develop players while facing similar challenges as Youth Soccer Clubs in the United States. The primary aim of this trip is to educate coaches. At each club we have varying types of lectures from youth directors, board members, first team coaches, youth coaches and scouts. We pre – plan our questions to glean the most information possible from each situation. Some of the pre – planned questions this year are: 1. What is the philosophy of your club? 2. What is the style of play your club is known for playing? 3. What is your system of play/ 4. How do you educate your coaches in this system? 5. What is the structure of your coaching staff? Why? 6. How much time does your director of coaching spend on the field weekly? Why? 7. What is your philosophy of youth education/ 8. Do you have a mandatory grade point average for youth players? 9. What kind of coach are you? 10. What qualities do you have that allow you to be director, head coach, youth coach, board member or scout? 11. What have you done to develop yourself as a coach? 12. What is your preferred system of play? 13. Do you have a homework plan for youth players? 14. What do you emphasize in the soccer education at U10’s, U12’s, U14’s, U16’s and U18’s? This years trip looks to be a balanced attack of youth clubs and top professional clubs. 2006 European Coaches Education Tour – Holland , Germany and Spain Leave U.S. Monday, November 27 – arrive in Holland on November 28 Tuesday, November 28 – Feyenoord/Excelsior - 1st team and Youth team trainings (we arrive and go to a club – no night out in Amsterdam) Wednesday, November 29 –PSV Eindhoeven 1st team and youth trainings and lecture from coaches Thurs, November 30 – PSV Eindhoeven 1st team and youth trainings – Lecture with youth director Friday, December 1 –Venlo Football Club in Venlo – youth trainings, youth director Saturday, December 2 – 2pm - German Bundesliga –BVB Dortmund versus VFL Wolfsburg - then drive to 8pm match in Dutch Eredivisie - Vitesse – PSV Eindhoven Sun, December 3 – Feyenoord – Heereenveen or Ajax – Willem II Mon, December 4 – Amateur club – SV Huizen or Hollandia – Optional Dutch Reserve game Tuesday, December 5 – Fly from Amsterdam to Barcelona –Atttend Champions League FC Barcelona versus Werder Bremen in sold out Camp Nou Wednesday ,December 6 – FCB – Youth Director – Youth Trainings Thursday, December 7 – FCB – Youth Trainings – Private First team training Friday, December 8 – FREE DAY or Amateur option - Saturday, December 9 – Watch Barca Youth / Barca B Sunday, December 10 – La Liga – FC Barcelona – Real Sociedad Monday, December 11 – Return to U.S. or go to London |
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