Yesterday at 3 p.m. · Omroep West
ZWAMMERDAM – A female head coach in men’s football? Saturday third division VV Zwammerdam is the first club in the Netherlands to seriously consider it. ‘With two equal candidates, it could very well be that we choose a woman.’
VV Zwammerdam’s decision to also consider female candidates is bold and striking. The KNVB Football Association said through a spokesperson that a woman as head coach of a men’s team in Dutch amateur football has never happened before. The initiative of the small club from the municipality of Alphen aan den Rijn therefore takes on extra significance. ‘We have always been a special association,’ explains vice-chairman Wim van Dijk. ‘We are a small club that always gets the most out of it. That requires broad thinking. Everyone is always welcome with us.’
Zwammerdam, consisting of only nine teams and 110 members, plays well in the third division. ‘We have done well in recent years, mainly thanks to boys from Zwammerdam in our team. That means people enjoy it here.’
The vice-chairman says that the club does not prefer a man or a woman during the application process, but ‘I can imagine that if we have doubts between two candidates, we may well choose a woman.’
Good and capable
Van Dijk does keep a close eye on things. ‘It’s all still speculation, because this is also new to us. We have in mind what kind of trainer we are looking for and a candidate must fit in well with that.’
Player Koen Woudenberg reacts to the idea with both sober and surprise. ‘A female head coach? Then you know more than I do,” he laughs. ‘I don’t know any more than that Erwin will stop, but I don’t care whether it will be a man or a woman. As long as that person is good and capable.’
As an example he mentions Sarina Wiegman, the Hague football coach who has been making an impression in top international women’s football for years. ‘You only hear positive words about her. I have never had a female trainer myself. In any case, it would be something unique and different from what we are used to.’
Challenges for a woman
To be eligible to train a third division team, a coach must be in possession of the UEFA B trainer’s diploma (VC 3). That is Janet Griffioen, head coach of the women’s team of the Alphen ARC. ‘It is special to hear that Zwammerdam is doing this. This happens very rarely, if ever. Very nice.’
However, Griffioen also sees challenges for a woman on a men’s team. ‘That is mainly due to the difference in speed between women’s and men’s football. That’s different, but I don’t think training methods necessarily have to be different.’ Can Zwammerdam call her? ‘I have a contract until the end of the season and I haven’t decided yet what I will do after ARC, but I am certainly open to men’s football.’
Important role outside guard
Tosca van den Brink, who also has the UEFA B diploma, has trained both men’s and women’s teams in the past, including ARC Women 1. ‘I wouldn’t think it would be a bad idea to have a woman as a trainer for a men’s team.’
According to her, the outside world plays an important role in whether a woman becomes a success in a first men’s team. ‘It just depends on how it is viewed. If you are sensitive to that, it becomes difficult.’ Van den Brink thinks that a suitable female candidate also has experience working in men’s football. ‘Not just because women view football differently than men. During my time as a trainer, I tried to change the vision that applies to men’s football among girls and women.’
What does she mean by that? ‘The way men think in football is more automatic than that of women. For example how they play the game to see. They can do something like this more easily than women,” says the expert.
She thinks it is unlikely that Van den Brink himself will apply for the position. ‘I am currently no longer so much concerned with training, but more concerned with educating coaches. The thought of training again wasn’t there, but I can always think about it. I can always be called,” she winks.
Evidence in a man’s world
Retiring coach Erwin van der Zee welcomes the fact that his club explicitly states in the vacancy that women can also apply. ‘You should – especially in today’s society – judge someone on competencies, not on gender. As a trainer you must above all be capable. It is quite surprising that a small club would do something like this. To be honest, I don’t know how this affects the group of players and therefore I don’t know how they would react to it.’
Van der Zee thinks that a woman ‘has to prove herself more anyway’ in a man’s world. ‘That’s just a given. A female trainer must have a strong personality, who is clear and is judged on her qualities.’
A woman as successor, Van der Zee sees the best thing happening at Zwammerdam. ‘At this club it is ‘we know us’. The many volunteers are very involved and show a lot of solidarity and there are good preconditions here for working as a trainer.’
Also read: Alphenaar best amateur referee in South Holland, also referees from ARC and Floreant in the top ten
