Coaching Overhaul A Priority, Says Baan

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Coaching overhaul a priority, says Baan

October 19, 2008


AS COACH Pim Verbeek steers Australia closer to a place at the 2010 World Cup finals, fellow Dutchman Rob Baan, Australia's technical director, has called for a complete overhaul of the country's coaching system.

Baan, who will finish his stint as Australian football's overlord at the end of the year, says a top-to-bottom shake-up is required for the sport and called on Football Federation Australia to send top coaches overseas to further their education.

Top of Baan's list of critical concerns is grassroots coaching, which he says must be revamped if future generations of Australian footballers are to reach their full potential.

"The standard of coaching is unbelievably important," he told The Sun-Herald. "We are a little bit behind at the moment but [the FFA] is now focusing on it.

"The priority is at community and grassroots level. We don't have enough coaches there and we don't pay them enough. We have to rely on parents.

"We are raising the number of grassroots coaching courses for the junior licence - which is where we are starting - and that must be ready in a year."

Baan said his successor, who is yet to be revealed, would have to make the standardisation of national coaching at all levels a priority.

"When a new technical director comes in we would like to finish establishing the national curriculum, which will be the handbook for all coaching education. It will be a standard curriculum for coaches [at all levels across the country]," he said.

Entering the debate on the benefit of imported coaches over home-grown talent, Baan said the local game would benefit from Australians who had played at the top level in Europe pursuing coaching at the end of their careers. He pointed to Adelaide United coach Aurelio Vidmar and Paul Okon, who has been appointed assistant coach at new A-League side Gold Coast United, as examples.

Vidmar played in Belgium, Holland, and Spain during the 1990s, while Okon reached heights with Lazio and Fiorentina in Italy.

"With the generation of former top players who have played abroad - like Okon, Tony Popovic, and Aurelio Vidmar - we have coaches now who have at least had experience abroad," Baan said. "They have different experiences and have different knowledge that they bring back to Australia. They also still have contacts with friends who are also coaches in Europe.

"The older players will change things for sure. I have already heard that [Sydney FC's] Steve Corica might be part of the Sydney youth academy."

Baan said while the A-League should give priority to Australian coaches, locals should not fear the arrival of foreign counterparts.

Australia, Baan says, is so geographically isolated from the football world that coaches here need to travel overseas if their clubs are to compete at the top level.

"If you look at Holland, we still have one or two foreign coaches in our league," Baan said. "Of course, the main focus for all the teams in Australia should be to hire local coaches but they need to go abroad to further their education. You will always learn from different inputs."

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