In other areas, this coming together would be seen as a controversial stroke of diplomacy: representatives from the USA and Iran coming together in one place, along with the UK, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia and many more. In Hennef, such comings together are barely worth mentioning. There were representatives from all over the world at the fourth “Coaching and Technical Development Course (CTDC)” in Hennef. It was all about football and despite the importance politics plays within their own borders; it was completely irrelevant from which country each participant came from. What was more important the role that each played in their own country, within football. The fourth CTDC was included people from all footballing backgrounds. Assistant managers took part, as well as trainee coaches, academy managers, academy directors, national youth team managers, tactical analysts etc. There were barely any functions left unrepresented.
They all came to generate and share knowledge. “We all benefit because we get ideas from all over the world”, said trainee coach Lars Isecke. At the foreground of his and the other dozen or so participants’ task was to pass on the Germany “know how”. For all the participants that meant: little free time, lots of teaching, few breaks, and overload of information, theory, practice and knowledge.
Strict programme for the eleven days
For eleven days, 28 participants from 13 different countries took part in the international coaching course in Hennef, which began on the 30th April and ended on the 10th May. After eleven days packed full of football, here’s an insight into the programme: Friday, 1st May 2015 – 8:00 breakfast. 9:00 in depth football theory with Frank Wormuth. 11:00 methodical theory with Lars Isecke. 14:00 training plan with Lars Isecke.18:00 designing training sessions with Lars Isecke. 20:00 dinner.
The world comes to Hennef
The world came to Hennef – and from Hennef left an entire troop of enlightened professionals. In Dortmund they examined the Footbonaut arena, in Leverkusen they took a look at the academy performance centre, whilst other programme highlights included talks with DFB sporting director Hansi Fllick, now former BVB manager Jürgen Klopp, and Lars Ricken. Bundesliga matches were watched (and later analysed), with 28 attendants watching the games between Leverkusen and Bayern, as well as Dortmund and Berlin
When coaches and trainees from all over the world descend on the home of the World Champions, it’s no wonder that extra efforts are made to try and understand the German way. The “World Cup Analysis” was part of the CTDC and obviously Hansi Flick discussed what it was like back then in Rio.
