Trainer
The Coach
At professional football clubs, there is usually a head coach supported by several members of staff, including assistant coaches, team coaches and goalkeeper coaches.
At amateur clubs, there is often just one person responsible for a team. This person takes on many roles: coach, trainer, organiser and everything in between.
In many cases, this volunteer receives little or no financial compensation for the time and effort they put into the team. So show your coach respect. They are there because they care about the team and want the players to develop.
A good football coach develops through a combination of technical football knowledge, strong communication skills and an understanding of how to work with and develop players. These qualities are essential for creating structure and motivating players individually.
A good coach is also open, consistent, clear and fair.
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For coaches working at higher levels, completing a recognised coaching course is certainly important.
However, a coaching qualification does not tell the whole story. You can have every coaching certificate available and have played football at a high level yourself, but that does not automatically make you a good coach.
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A good coach gives every player attention and gives genuine, deserved praise.
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A good coach is someone the team is willing to give everything for.
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Point out mistakes to players, but also show them what they should do instead and give them the opportunity to practise it.
Even taking a moment to speak to a player before or after training can make a huge difference. A small amount of individual attention can help a player develop significantly.
⚽️
A good coach motivates every player and gives them confidence.
Trainer
The Coach
At professional football clubs, there is usually a head coach supported by several members of staff, including assistant coaches, team coaches and goalkeeper coaches.
At amateur clubs, there is often just one person responsible for a team. This person takes on many roles: coach, trainer, organiser and everything in between.
In many cases, this volunteer receives little or no financial compensation for the time and effort they put into the team. So show your coach respect. They are there because they care about the team and want the players to develop.
A good football coach develops through a combination of technical football knowledge, strong communication skills and an understanding of how to work with and develop players. These qualities are essential for creating structure and motivating players individually.
A good coach is also open, consistent, clear and fair.
⚽️
For coaches working at higher levels, completing a recognised coaching course is certainly important.
However, a coaching qualification does not tell the whole story. You can have every coaching certificate available and have played football at a high level yourself, but that does not automatically make you a good coach.
⚽️
A good coach gives every player attention and gives genuine, deserved praise.
⚽️
A good coach is someone the team is willing to give everything for.
⚽️
Point out mistakes to players, but also show them what they should do instead and give them the opportunity to practise it.
Even taking a moment to speak to a player before or after training can make a huge difference. A small amount of individual attention can help a player develop significantly.
⚽️
A good coach motivates every player and gives them confidence.
Trainersopleiding
Coaching Qualifications
In the Netherlands, there are five main levels of football coaching qualifications.
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Voetbalcoach 1
An introductory course focused on coaching the youngest age groups.
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Voetbalcoach 2 / UEFA C
Focused on coaching youth teams and lower-level senior teams.
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Voetbalcoach 3 / UEFA B
Allows coaches to work with teams competing at higher levels of amateur football.
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Voetbalcoach 4 / UEFA A
Designed for coaches working at the highest levels of amateur football and in reserve or development competitions, as well as assistant coaches in professional football.
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Voetbalcoach 5 / UEFA Pro
The highest coaching qualification, required to work as a head coach in professional football in the Netherlands.
Coachen
Coaching
Coaching a football team is about creating a safe and positive environment in which players can enjoy the game while continuing to develop.
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Focus on the individual. Give players genuine praise and clear areas for improvement, and encourage them to get the best out of themselves.
Emphasise what is going well. This gives players confidence. When a player has clearly improved an area that you previously identified as a learning point, recognise that progress and give them credit for it.
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Shouting at players, insulting them or putting them down will not make them better footballers.
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At the same time, do not simply tell a player, “It doesn’t matter,” when something has gone wrong.
That can conflict with your own standards and with the standards you have set for the team. It can also undermine your credibility as a coach.
Instead, say:
“Come on, focus. You can do it. Keep going.”
Encourage the player to respond positively and keep working. The player will probably already be disappointed with their own mistake.
Your role is to motivate them to respond, work hard and give everything for the team.
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Always remain calm and respectful towards referees and opponents.
If a coach starts shouting abuse at the referee or opponents, the players will often copy that behaviour.
Coachen
Coaching
Coaching a football team is about creating a safe and positive environment in which players can enjoy the game while continuing to develop.
⚽️
Focus on the individual. Give players genuine praise and clear areas for improvement, and encourage them to get the best out of themselves.
Emphasise what is going well. This gives players confidence. When a player has clearly improved an area that you previously identified as a learning point, recognise that progress and give them credit for it.
⚽️
Shouting at players, insulting them or putting them down will not make them better footballers.
⚽️
At the same time, do not simply tell a player, “It doesn’t matter,” when something has gone wrong.
That can conflict with your own standards and with the standards you have set for the team. It can also undermine your credibility as a coach.
Instead, say:
“Come on, focus. You can do it. Keep going.”
Encourage the player to respond positively and keep working. The player will probably already be disappointed with their own mistake.
Your role is to motivate them to respond, work hard and give everything for the team.
⚽️
Always remain calm and respectful towards referees and opponents.
If a coach starts shouting abuse at the referee or opponents, the players will often copy that behaviour.
High positive coachen
High-Positive Coaching
Of course, a coach should create a positive environment and help players feel confident on the pitch.
However, in recent years, we believe this approach has sometimes been taken too far.
We call this high-positive coaching.
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We are not particularly in favour of high-positive coaching when it means praising everything a player does, regardless of whether it was actually good.
Of course, children need confidence. But if something is wrong, it is wrong.
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For example, a coach who applauds when a player shoots ten metres wide of the goal may, in our view, be doing more to hide their own lack of coaching than to help the player improve.
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A coach’s responsibility is to develop their players.
That includes teaching players to shoot accurately. If a player cannot strike the ball accurately, it is the coach’s job to help that player develop the correct technique.
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Football is a demanding sport, and life can be demanding too. Learning how to deal with mistakes, setbacks and constructive criticism can be valuable for a young player.
This can help children become more resilient and better equipped to deal with disappointment.
As long as a coach does not insult, humiliate or belittle a player, there is nothing wrong with being honest about what needs to improve.
The coach should be fair and honest with the players. Not every action deserves applause.
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For example, if a player struggles to shoot accurately, the coach can take a few minutes before or after training to work with them.
Explain what they are doing well and what needs to change.
Then practise the technique together until the player has better control of the movement.
With the right guidance and repetition, the player will improve and is less likely to repeat the same mistake.
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The coach should continue to give honest and specific feedback about what the player is doing well and what still needs improvement.
When the player eventually succeeds in shooting accurately, that is when they genuinely deserve the coach’s praise and applause.
You will often see their confidence grow naturally—but this time, that confidence is based on genuine achievement.
The player also learns an important lesson:
If I work hard, practise and keep improving, I can achieve something.
And when that improvement happens, the praise from the coach—and perhaps from teammates or supporters—has real meaning.
Vrijwilligers
Volunteers
Unfortunately, many youth football coaches are parents who become coaches with the best intentions.
These parents do not always have the football knowledge or coaching skills required to guide a team effectively.
That is why it is important for parents who coach to continue learning and developing their coaching knowledge. This can significantly improve the quality of training they provide.
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Coaching a team is not always easy, and it becomes even more difficult when you do not have the right knowledge or experience.
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Unfortunately, young players can fall behind if fundamental football skills are not taught properly from the beginning.
The basics matter.
Good technique, movement, positioning, passing, receiving, shooting and decision-making all need to be taught correctly and developed through repetition.
A strong foundation gives players the best opportunity to continue developing as they progress through the different age groups.
Vrijwilligers
Volunteers
Unfortunately, many youth football coaches are parents who become coaches with the best intentions.
These parents do not always have the football knowledge or coaching skills required to guide a team effectively.
That is why it is important for parents who coach to continue learning and developing their coaching knowledge. This can significantly improve the quality of training they provide.
⚽️
Coaching a team is not always easy, and it becomes even more difficult when you do not have the right knowledge or experience.
⚽️
Unfortunately, young players can fall behind if fundamental football skills are not taught properly from the beginning.
The basics matter.
Good technique, movement, positioning, passing, receiving, shooting and decision-making all need to be taught correctly and developed through repetition.
A strong foundation gives players the best opportunity to continue developing as they progress through the different age groups.