Training in Switzerland

04 February 2014
Watching the BSC Young Boys vs FC Thun

Watching the BSC Young Boys vs FC Thun

I trained with FC Breitenrain this week, a good team in the Swiss Liga 1. Promotion (third tier of Switzerland) competing against the 2nd team sides of FC Basel II, FC Zürich II and St. Gallen. Earlier in the week they played a friendly match against FC Thun who are 6th in the Swiss Super League and beat them 2-1.

 

The point of going there was really to get some training in while I visited my girlfriend in Switzerland. I wasn’t really meant to go there for a trial, but after hearing what kind of teams they compete against, it turned into that kind of an opportunity. The problem that I quickly found out was that they have a big first team squad of 24 players, so any chance for playing regularly is limited. At this kind of very high semi-professional level they want the best player for the best position. Age doesn’t matter like it would in the pro leagues, but experience certainly does. So breaking into a first team is very challenging. You really have to be an exception and I need some more coaching before getting to that level.

 

Anyway as I return to Amsterdam, I feel fortunate that I got the opportunity to train with one of the top 20-25 teams in Switzerland and I hope I can continue to train with them the next time I’m back there.

 

As we’re on this subject, it’s important that as a senior player you fit in with the philosophy of the coach and the aims of the club. Do they care about playing and developing young players? If not, you have to consider your other options. Back when I was 18 I played for Woden Valley, a team that is now in the equivalent of Australia’s national 2nd division. The coach at the time gave young players a chance. Actually the average age of the whole squad was something like 19 or 20. So as soon as I played well in a reserve team match, I was called up for a first team match and that’s how I ended up starting each game.

 

However in JOS, they won’t give that kind of chance to young players. For example, a few months ago we won a game 3-0, my good teammate scored 2 and assisted 1, the next training he was still training with the reserves.

 

That’s also why a good relationship with the coach is vital to your success. Make it clear to the coach what your aims and expectations are. If he doesn’t believe in what you’re trying to do, then is it worth it? Having a coach that believes in you and isn’t afraid of saying what he thinks and being honest to make you a better player. This is what matters.

 

At this point in my football career, it’s not about what I can do to make my training better, but rather who I can find to believe in me and then work with me to get to the next level. So part of your ‘training’ now becomes searching for those people. Finding people who believe in what you believe.

 

New Training plans

 

Last week I talked about how I was going to revise my current training schedule.

 

My current training regime consists of (per week):

  • 2x club training’s

  • 2x gym sessions

  • 2-3x improvised squash court training’s

  • 1x match (as a sub)

 

My new and updated training regime will consist of: 

  • 2x club training’s

  • 1x post-training finishing/dribbling work

  • 1x conditioning training

  • 1x upper body gym session

  • 1x leg gym session

  • 2x Individual training’s (1x <30 min & 1x >50 min)

  • 1 game analysis per week (means attending an ajax match, downloading a game, watching ajax training, etc)

  • 1x match

CLICK HERE FOR MY UPDATED GOALS JOURNAL

P.S. Check out the article I wrote for Fieldoo earlier in the week.

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In 2009, I was an average soccer player with a dream. I started this blog to document my journey from local underdog to getting offered over $100,000 in soccer scholarships, a contract to play professionally and the experience of playing in Europe.
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