DSHS_2021_Yumpu

BERT VAN MARWIJK:
‘Accepting and respecting each other is
the only way a team can achieve success'
COLUMN
I 've gotten to know Paul and the rest of the Hendrix family
because of Jumping Peel & Maas. Every year they host this
national showjumping event and on the eve before the
show the local business club organizes a get-together with
sports personalities and such. The proceeds of the evening
are always donated to the Jeugd Fonds Sport en Cultuur.
An organization that helps underprivileged children play
sports. I am an ambassador for this charity and hence
have attended the event in Kessel several times. And when
you get talking about sports you will find that teamwork is
always the basis of success.
Training • Showjumping • Quality sales
My understanding of showjumping is very limited, I just know it is equally
challenging, if not more challenging, than football. But since my daughter
also rides, I am on a learning curve when it comes to horses. We’ve asked
Paul for advice once or twice. He is always helpful and ready to share
his knowledge. I value that a lot and over time our friendship has even
evolved in me being a co-owner of a young horse with him. The fact that
he is also a soccer fan means we have very interesting conversations
about the similarities and differences between our sports.
Stern stuff
There are many similarities when it comes to teamwork and what is
expected of the athletes. Whether it being 11 men or a rider-and-horse
combination. However, in the world of football the pressure is different.
This sport and everyone involved is more in the public eye. The impact of
results or lack thereof is many times greater than in other sports. What
we do lies under a magnifying glass. You have to be made of stern stuff
if you want to keep your head in the game. In top sport the pressure
athletes experience is a form of positive tension that makes them
perform even greater. The adrenaline and will to win are accelerators.
But if the pressure to perform becomes too high the risk of losing more
than just a match is very great. It is a fine line between enough and too
much pressure and in top sport that is a reality you deal with every day.
Unity
It all comes down to the fact that in a team you are stuck with each
other, at least for a while, and you have to make the best of it. That is
the biggest challenge I encounter as a coach. The only way for a team
to achieve unity and success is to work together. Unlike other coaches I
do not believe in creating a hierarchy, nor do I rely on certain scientific
studies on how teams should be managed. A good group dynamic is
not created, it forms naturally as the result of mutual understanding,
acceptance, and respect. And I think that also applies to horses and
their riders. There are only a few 'unicorns' in football: players you can
place in any team anywhere in the world and they will perform and
bring success at the highest level. For example, Ruud Gullit, Marco van
Basten and Cristiano Ronaldo. The verdict is still out on Lionel Messi,
who has been a shining star at FC Barcelona for years and now has to
settle in at Paris Saint-German and prove his worth. I would compare
Messi to the Totilas story, if the match is right, he will rise again but
success is never a guarantee.
Bert van Marwijk
Former Dutch football player,
national team coach and
renowned international trainer,
Confrontation
A good coach is able to make the best team out of players that are not
all the best as individuals. To find the strengths of each player and
have the athletes use their skills to the benefit the team, that is what
coaching is about! I do not believe it is necessary for everyone to be
friends in order to perform well. As a coach or a player, you need to be
able to tell the truth to each other and get on with the task at hand.
And being truthful can be a little painful. I am known for being direct
because I believe it is the most efficient way to communicate. With
that said, I will try to be as tactful as possible. Us Dutch are known for
being quite direct or even blunt. Keeping that in mind, to get results
and meet goals you need to make it work for you and not against you. If
everyone is moving forward together, then success takes care of itself.
Invaluable
Being able to influence athletes and convey the feeling that they
matter as an individual but are invaluable as a team player, that is a big
part of a trainer's job. If there is no team spirit, there is no long-term
success. Winning and losing occasionally is not a sustainable goal. You
need to play at the top of your game every game and if you have the
right team that will lead to consecutive success. Loosing is inevitable in
any sport but the less it happens the more invincible you will become.
4 DSHS |
yveshoutackers Yves Houtackers y.houtackers@gmail.com
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