Bert van Marwijk: support the youth coaches!

Recently, the traditional Christmas drink was organized for the professional Dutch football world. Team manager Bert van Marwijk asked for support for the youth coaches in Holland. “The youth coach course needs to be revitalized.”

Coach Van Marwijk wants to produce results with Oranje in 2009, but he also wants to support the youth coaches in the Netherlands.

“I think our youth coaches are not valued enough and need more support. And I literally mean that by paying them better wages!”

Van Marwijk has started a taskforce withing the KNVB. Henk Kesler: “We listened to Bert and we will introduce his ideas in the federation’s meetings.”

Van Marwijk wants to involve professionals who are in the autumn or winter of their careers. “They are the last generation who grew up with street football. They know the law of the street. We want winners, we want leaders, well…these types aren’t born in the relatively secure environment of professional youth teams, where taxis are ready to pick them up and the laundry ladies take care of their jerseys. We lack a certain mentality and I think we can bring that back through the right youth development. Dutch players ooze talent. Sure, but we lack other elements. The will to win, to succeed. The ability to sacrifice the ego for team benefit. There’s a number of elements I miss and we can work on that. We can’t turn back the clock and bring street football back. But we can bring the survival sense of the street back into the youth development. I want the existing course tobe revitalized and adjusted to the aspects of pro football that we sorely miss. And I do feel that ex-players are the best equipped to do this.”

At this moment, the salaries available for ex-pro’s is such that these people rather pick another job. “I’ve been monitoring this situation for a wile now and there are exceptions to the rule, but at most clubs, pro and amateur, the youth coaches are paid peanuts. That’s is outright stupid.”

Frank de Boer, youth coach at Ajax and Van Marwijk’s assistant at Oranje: “I decided to become a coach after having worked with Terim at Galatasaray and Ferrer at Barca. I thought, man…I can do this much better…”

De Boer has a couple of funny anecdotes to share about his approach. “As a player, I was an asshole. If at Ajax or Barca a player made a mistake, I was ruthless. In my words, my whole body language. I automatically used that approach in my youth coaching, but numerous young talents would quiver when I gave them hell… I thought, hmm…maybe I should use different words here and there. Now, instead of using profanities and four letter words, I go: “excuse me mate, but maybe next time you should consider another solution…”

Wim Kieft and Arthur Numan are part of Van Marwijk’s taskforce. Numan is assistant coach of Oranje B, while Kieft supports Wim van Zwam at Oranje under 19.

Van Marwijk: “When you analyze the results of top teams in the last decades, it’s almost always the ones with the ruthless mentality that win prizes. Teams that have the top skills and the mentality are extremely hard to beat. We know we have some of the most skilled players in the world. Now we need to work on the other elements. Look at players like Totti, Rooney, Raul, Xavi, Inzaghi, Vidic and Puyol… All great players at their own position, but also oozing with a “I-want-to-win” mentality… Time for the Dutch players and clubs to get some of that…”