DL FC staff visit partner FC Twente

Enschede, January 3 2013 - Dutch Lions FC staff from both the Dayton Dutch Lions FC and Texas Dutch Lions FC visited their partner FC Twente on Thursday to discuss player development philosophy and also giving a look behind the scenes of the Dutch Premier League club.

 

With a lot of coaches back in Holland for the holidays it was a perfect opportunity for DL staff to get educated on player development and implement new ideas in the Dutch Lions FC Academies in both Dayton as well as Houston. Thanks to Technical Director Cees Lok and Tom van der Laan FC Twente set up the following schedule for the day:

 

• stadium tour Grolsch Veste
• tour of youth complex
• presentation and discussion on scouting and talent development by Gerhard Wermink
• attend several practice sessions from FC Twente youth teams

 

The Dutch Lions group consisted of nine people and were well received and guided all day by Herman Voogtsgeerd. The stadium tour did not only take the group through the locker rooms, VIP areas, Board Room and field but also gave insight in the history of the club and it's values.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The presentation by Gerhard Wermink shared some new light on how to look at player development between U7 ad U14 (and what kids need to do or should not do at what age), the difference in biological and chronological growth (and the importance to measure growth throughout the years), and how to look "through" a player (meaning not what a player is right now but what he can become). It also gave some interesting facts about 80% of all the players in the top youth academies of clubs in Holland but also Anderlecht (Belgium), Porto (Portugal) and Barcelona (Spain) are born between January and June of the year. Besides implementing some of the ideas discussed the Dutch Lions FC is looking to bring Gerhard to the Dutch Lions FC clubs to share the presentation with all staff and parents.

 

 

The gathering also gave the Dutch Lions FC staff some time to toast on the new year.