Any info Netherlands soccer system

[Anonymous]

Hello! Does anyone have any insight on soccer/football in the Netherlands. We will be moving to the Limburg province this Spring, and I need to find a soccer club for my son before he arrives after the soccer season. He currently plays U13 ECNL, and I would like to find some clubs for him to tryout at an equal level.

[Anonymous]

Maybe try reaching out to VVV Venlo, Fortuna Sittard, Eindhoven or try clubs nearby in Germany.

[Anonymous]

How wonderful! Soccer training in the Netherlands is fantastic! You should definitely contact Bernard Hartog -- he is the Managing Director of the Dutch Soccer School in Maryland (www.dutchsoccerschool.com). Bernard and his team will give you great advice on where to start. My sons have trained at the Dutch Soccer School in the US and also traveled to the Netherlands and trained there as well. You need to find out the names of clubs close to where you will be living -- clubs are integrated into each living community. What a terrific opportunity for your son! I bet he won't want to come back to the US once he experiences soccer training done right! Best wishes!

[Anonymous]

Thanks for the contact info! I will definitely reach out. Unfortunately, Belgium and Germany will not be an option even though they are within 20 minutes of where we will live due to FIFA rules, or that’s what I’ve been told. The clubs in Belgium were way more responsive to my inquiries, but I haven’t heard back from any Dutch clubs. I’ll have to show up in person once I arrive.

[Anonymous]

Reach out to Kephern Fuller. He used to run Joga here a few years ago and then moved to Netherlands. You can find him on social media.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Reach out to Kephern Fuller. He used to run Joga here a few years ago and then moved to Netherlands. You can find him on social media.

+1

[Anonymous]

Some advice from my move to Europe (not Netherlands) a few years ago:

1) Unlike the US, where every club (and in some cases every coach) is an entrepreneur peddling their own brand of football education, expect to see a nation-wide style of both playing and coaching. Unless by sheer luck, that won't be the primary style your kid(s) have learned.

2) I would back off of the assumption that you need to find a club before you get there. Definitely send a few emails asking for trials (and the trial may simply be, "Okay, we have a control match (scrimmage) on such-and-such day, have your kid show up"). Sure, reach out to Hartog or Fuller, but the best they can do is help you get a trial.

3) Don't worry about the level. I'll say that again...DON'T WORRY ABOUT THE LEVEL. Saying this for a couple of reasons. First, you have no way to compare levels. U13. ECNL. means. nothing. Probably any team in their competitive pyramid will have players better than your kid. They're almost all going to be more technical and, more importantly, they have lived and breathed the national style of football that I mentioned above since they were able to walk. Simply put, they know what to do, what the coach expects of them, etc, and your kid at the beginning will not. At the higher levels, the difference will be night and day--every kid will be vastly better technically and bigger/faster/stronger (unless you're Axel Kei's parent).

4) The good news: It's **not** like the United States where teams playing at lower levels have less field access, possibly lower-quality coaching, and little opportunity for advancement. No matter what club, you'll have quality facilities, quality coaches, and there's little of the petty bullsh!t league snobbery (ECNL! MLS-next!) that dominates youth soccer in the US. You win, you go up. You lose, you go down. If you start (and even continue) at a lower-level club, don't worry--the coaches will send your kid where he needs to be when he needs to be there. There's a kid who played U8-U16 at my younger son's lower-level club and could have probably moved to an "academy" at any time. But he waited until U17, when the club helped him move to a GREAT situation where he plays for a senior team as a U17 and immediately was put onto the U17 national team.

My bottom line advice: Try to find a team that is close to home (so your kid can make friends), where your kid can get ALL THE PLAYING TIME, especially in the first year while he's still learning the system, and **most importantly** where the coaches are comfortable with English (not applicable if your kid understands Dutch well, obviously).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Some advice from my move to Europe (not Netherlands) a few years ago:

1) Unlike the US, where every club (and in some cases every coach) is an entrepreneur peddling their own brand of football education, expect to see a nation-wide style of both playing and coaching. Unless by sheer luck, that won't be the primary style your kid(s) have learned.

2) I would back off of the assumption that you need to find a club before you get there. Definitely send a few emails asking for trials (and the trial may simply be, "Okay, we have a control match (scrimmage) on such-and-such day, have your kid show up"). Sure, reach out to Hartog or Fuller, but the best they can do is help you get a trial.

3) Don't worry about the level. I'll say that again...DON'T WORRY ABOUT THE LEVEL. Saying this for a couple of reasons. First, you have no way to compare levels. U13. ECNL. means. nothing. Probably any team in their competitive pyramid will have players better than your kid. They're almost all going to be more technical and, more importantly, they have lived and breathed the national style of football that I mentioned above since they were able to walk. Simply put, they know what to do, what the coach expects of them, etc, and your kid at the beginning will not. At the higher levels, the difference will be night and day--every kid will be vastly better technically and bigger/faster/stronger (unless you're Axel Kei's parent).

4) The good news: It's **not** like the United States where teams playing at lower levels have less field access, possibly lower-quality coaching, and little opportunity for advancement. No matter what club, you'll have quality facilities, quality coaches, and there's little of the petty bullsh!t league snobbery (ECNL! MLS-next!) that dominates youth soccer in the US. You win, you go up. You lose, you go down. If you start (and even continue) at a lower-level club, don't worry--the coaches will send your kid where he needs to be when he needs to be there. There's a kid who played U8-U16 at my younger son's lower-level club and could have probably moved to an "academy" at any time. But he waited until U17, when the club helped him move to a GREAT situation where he plays for a senior team as a U17 and immediately was put onto the U17 national team.

My bottom line advice: Try to find a team that is close to home (so your kid can make friends), where your kid can get ALL THE PLAYING TIME, especially in the first year while he's still learning the system, and **most importantly** where the coaches are comfortable with English (not applicable if your kid understands Dutch well, obviously).

Not OP but great post.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Thanks for the contact info! I will definitely reach out. Unfortunately, Belgium and Germany will not be an option even though they are within 20 minutes of where we will live due to FIFA rules, or that’s what I’ve been told. The clubs in Belgium were way more responsive to my inquiries, but I haven’t heard back from any Dutch clubs. I’ll have to show up in person once I arrive.

Go Flanders!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Some advice from my move to Europe (not Netherlands) a few years ago:

1) Unlike the US, where every club (and in some cases every coach) is an entrepreneur peddling their own brand of football education, expect to see a nation-wide style of both playing and coaching. Unless by sheer luck, that won't be the primary style your kid(s) have learned.

2) I would back off of the assumption that you need to find a club before you get there. Definitely send a few emails asking for trials (and the trial may simply be, "Okay, we have a control match (scrimmage) on such-and-such day, have your kid show up"). Sure, reach out to Hartog or Fuller, but the best they can do is help you get a trial.

3) Don't worry about the level. I'll say that again...DON'T WORRY ABOUT THE LEVEL. Saying this for a couple of reasons. First, you have no way to compare levels. U13. ECNL. means. nothing. Probably any team in their competitive pyramid will have players better than your kid. They're almost all going to be more technical and, more importantly, they have lived and breathed the national style of football that I mentioned above since they were able to walk. Simply put, they know what to do, what the coach expects of them, etc, and your kid at the beginning will not. At the higher levels, the difference will be night and day--every kid will be vastly better technically and bigger/faster/stronger (unless you're Axel Kei's parent).

4) The good news: It's **not** like the United States where teams playing at lower levels have less field access, possibly lower-quality coaching, and little opportunity for advancement. No matter what club, you'll have quality facilities, quality coaches, and there's little of the petty bullsh!t league snobbery (ECNL! MLS-next!) that dominates youth soccer in the US. You win, you go up. You lose, you go down. If you start (and even continue) at a lower-level club, don't worry--the coaches will send your kid where he needs to be when he needs to be there. There's a kid who played U8-U16 at my younger son's lower-level club and could have probably moved to an "academy" at any time. But he waited until U17, when the club helped him move to a GREAT situation where he plays for a senior team as a U17 and immediately was put onto the U17 national team.

My bottom line advice: Try to find a team that is close to home (so your kid can make friends), where your kid can get ALL THE PLAYING TIME, especially in the first year while he's still learning the system, and **most importantly** where the coaches are comfortable with English (not applicable if your kid understands Dutch well, obviously).

Not OP but great post.

+1 But the knowledgeable PP left off one huge plus: most local soccer clubs will have clubhouses where parents can have snacks (bitterballen!) and drinks while the kids practice. OP, please report back once you arrive. I’d you are up for it, I think we’d all appreciate periodic reports.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Some advice from my move to Europe (not Netherlands) a few years ago:

1) Unlike the US, where every club (and in some cases every coach) is an entrepreneur peddling their own brand of football education, expect to see a nation-wide style of both playing and coaching. Unless by sheer luck, that won't be the primary style your kid(s) have learned.

2) I would back off of the assumption that you need to find a club before you get there. Definitely send a few emails asking for trials (and the trial may simply be, "Okay, we have a control match (scrimmage) on such-and-such day, have your kid show up"). Sure, reach out to Hartog or Fuller, but the best they can do is help you get a trial.

3) Don't worry about the level. I'll say that again...DON'T WORRY ABOUT THE LEVEL. Saying this for a couple of reasons. First, you have no way to compare levels. U13. ECNL. means. nothing. Probably any team in their competitive pyramid will have players better than your kid. They're almost all going to be more technical and, more importantly, they have lived and breathed the national style of football that I mentioned above since they were able to walk. Simply put, they know what to do, what the coach expects of them, etc, and your kid at the beginning will not. At the higher levels, the difference will be night and day--every kid will be vastly better technically and bigger/faster/stronger (unless you're Axel Kei's parent).

4) The good news: It's **not** like the United States where teams playing at lower levels have less field access, possibly lower-quality coaching, and little opportunity for advancement. No matter what club, you'll have quality facilities, quality coaches, and there's little of the petty bullsh!t league snobbery (ECNL! MLS-next!) that dominates youth soccer in the US. You win, you go up. You lose, you go down. If you start (and even continue) at a lower-level club, don't worry--the coaches will send your kid where he needs to be when he needs to be there. There's a kid who played U8-U16 at my younger son's lower-level club and could have probably moved to an "academy" at any time. But he waited until U17, when the club helped him move to a GREAT situation where he plays for a senior team as a U17 and immediately was put onto the U17 national team.

My bottom line advice: Try to find a team that is close to home (so your kid can make friends), where your kid can get ALL THE PLAYING TIME, especially in the first year while he's still learning the system, and **most importantly** where the coaches are comfortable with English (not applicable if your kid understands Dutch well, obviously).

Not OP but great post.

+1 But the knowledgeable PP left off one huge plus: most local soccer clubs will have clubhouses where parents can have snacks (bitterballen!) and drinks while the kids practice. OP, please report back once you arrive. I’d you are up for it, I think we’d all appreciate periodic reports.

PP here. Great point, but not an advantage that I've personally experienced--we arrived here just after the pandemic started and the clubhouses in our country have been shut down
One of the tradeoffs made to keep the soccer running.

[Anonymous]

Thanks for all the insight, and I will definitely post some updates. I am personally looking forward to less driving, as 6 hours to North Carolina isn’t ideal.

[Anonymous]

One other thing I've heard about Dutch academies is that they tolerate very little 'crap' for lack of a better word from kids or parents. "No moan zone" basically. fwiw.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Some advice from my move to Europe (not Netherlands) a few years ago:

1) Unlike the US, where every club (and in some cases every coach) is an entrepreneur peddling their own brand of football education, expect to see a nation-wide style of both playing and coaching. Unless by sheer luck, that won't be the primary style your kid(s) have learned.

2) I would back off of the assumption that you need to find a club before you get there. Definitely send a few emails asking for trials (and the trial may simply be, "Okay, we have a control match (scrimmage) on such-and-such day, have your kid show up"). Sure, reach out to Hartog or Fuller, but the best they can do is help you get a trial.

3) Don't worry about the level. I'll say that again...DON'T WORRY ABOUT THE LEVEL. Saying this for a couple of reasons. First, you have no way to compare levels. U13. ECNL. means. nothing. Probably any team in their competitive pyramid will have players better than your kid. They're almost all going to be more technical and, more importantly, they have lived and breathed the national style of football that I mentioned above since they were able to walk. Simply put, they know what to do, what the coach expects of them, etc, and your kid at the beginning will not. At the higher levels, the difference will be night and day--every kid will be vastly better technically and bigger/faster/stronger (unless you're Axel Kei's parent).

Wow! This sounds like an amazing soccer experience. I wish my kid had access to something akin to that here in the USA.
4) The good news: It's **not** like the United States where teams playing at lower levels have less field access, possibly lower-quality coaching, and little opportunity for advancement. No matter what club, you'll have quality facilities, quality coaches, and there's little of the petty bullsh!t league snobbery (ECNL! MLS-next!) that dominates youth soccer in the US. You win, you go up. You lose, you go down. If you start (and even continue) at a lower-level club, don't worry--the coaches will send your kid where he needs to be when he needs to be there. There's a kid who played U8-U16 at my younger son's lower-level club and could have probably moved to an "academy" at any time. But he waited until U17, when the club helped him move to a GREAT situation where he plays for a senior team as a U17 and immediately was put onto the U17 national team.

My bottom line advice: Try to find a team that is close to home (so your kid can make friends), where your kid can get ALL THE PLAYING TIME, especially in the first year while he's still learning the system, and **most importantly** where the coaches are comfortable with English (not applicable if your kid understands Dutch well, obviously).

[Anonymous]

Will you be in Maastricht or closer to Eindhoven? If Maastrict, my American sister and her family just moved there this summer. She's meant to be getting me info on their local club for my soccer playing son. I can post the details if you want.