“You should coach an athlete to become a unique individual rather than an object”
“If you don’t know what is awaiting you after your elite sport career, this notion may create many obstacles for you”
Vergeer refers to the steps that TeamNL has taken with TeamNL@work as “awesome”. In her view, the Dutch Sport Federation has embraced its responsibility in this respect. “It is wonderful that we enable athletes to practice sport fulltime in a great environment, but how can we enable that they will return something to the society in a while and that they find themselves a nice place in a working environment?”
Vergeer mentions the opportunities offered by TeamNL@work: ranging from career counseling to coaching on the job. And ranging from improving specific competences to the network and the TeamNL@work list of companies. “The combination of studies or work and elite sport is very important. If you arrange this well, it will assist you enormously, also in your athletic performances. I am convinced of that.”
Verheijen agrees. In his view, it is also a good idea to be able to do something apart from your studies as an elite athlete, for instance in the off-season of competitions. “This also requires something from the coaches and trainers. But if an athlete feels the need to focus on something else outside the competitions, then you will have better, more balanced and stronger individuals in return. So, it benefits their elite sport as well.”
The chefs de mission consider that TeamNL@work is also a good way for athletes to gain insight into the competences which they already gained during their sport, of which they may not be aware yet. “As an elite athlete, you often do not realize that you have many unique selling points, like cooperating, setting targets, and coping with success and disappointments”, Vergeer views.
Thus, TeamNL@work is even more important, Verheijen and Vergeer consider. It is the way indeed for athletes to explore the opportunities of a career whilst they are still active in their elite sport career. And, by doing so, with the assistance of TeamNL@work.
Vergeer: “Quite few elite athletes have the privilege to practice sport while they are financially independent. This is why I support that they already consider their next steps during their elite sport career. If you don’t know what is awaiting you after your elite sport career, this notion may create many obstacles for you.”
They say that the assistance TeamNL provides to today’s athletes during their transition is in sharp contrast with the assistance Verheijen and Vergeer received at that time. “When I retired in 2010, the opportunities were not as extensive as compared to today”, Verheijen looks back. “We were far more on our own.”
Esther Vergeer and Carl Verheijen agree: the personal development of an elite athlete not only includes the sport or performance. Beyond this and far more important, it is about the elite athlete who discovers who he is and what type of person he is. A broader perspective.
“I believe that you should coach an athlete to become a unique individual rather than an object”, Verheijen elaborates. “Otherwise, you become an elite skater or an elite tennis player, whilst an individual includes so much more than that. When you coach an athlete to become a unique individual, they benefit from this in becoming robust individuals in their careers afterwards and, on top of that, they are able to contribute more to society as well. We do not pay enough attention to this asset at present.”
When chefs de mission Esther Vergeer and Carl Verheijen retired from their elite sport career, limited assistance was available for the transition to a next career step. TeamNL@work has changed that. TeamNL@work assists (former) elite athletes on their way to follow new dreams and pursue new goals after their elite sport career. Vergeer and Verheijen are very pleased about this.
“Fantastic developments in assisting you for the time to come after your elite sport career”
closing words
Vergeer refers to the steps that TeamNL has taken with TeamNL@work as “awesome”. In her view, the Dutch Sport Federation has embraced its responsibility in this respect. “It is wonderful that we enable athletes to practice sport fulltime in a great environment, but how can we enable that they will return something to the society in a while and that they find themselves a nice place in a working environment?”
Vergeer mentions the opportunities offered by TeamNL@work: ranging from career counseling to coaching on the job. And ranging from improving specific competences to the network and the TeamNL@work list of companies. “The combination of studies or work and elite sport is very important. If you arrange this well, it will assist you enormously, also in your athletic performances. I am convinced of that.”
Verheijen agrees. In his view, it is also a good idea to be able to do something apart from your studies as an elite athlete, for instance in the off-season of competitions. “This also requires something from the coaches and trainers. But if an athlete feels the need to focus on something else outside the competitions, then you will have better, more balanced and stronger individuals in return. So, it benefits their elite sport as well.”
The chefs de mission consider that TeamNL@work is also a good way for athletes to gain insight into the competences which they already gained during their sport, of which they may not be aware yet. “As an elite athlete, you often do not realize that you have many unique selling points, like cooperating, setting targets, and coping with success and disappointments”, Vergeer views.
“You should coach an athlete to become a unique individual rather than an object”
Thus, TeamNL@work is even more important, Verheijen and Vergeer consider. It is the way indeed for athletes to explore the opportunities of a career whilst they are still active in their elite sport career. And, by doing so, with the assistance of TeamNL@work.
Vergeer: “Quite few elite athletes have the privilege to practice sport while they are financially independent. This is why I support that they already consider their next steps during their elite sport career. If you don’t know what is awaiting you after your elite sport career, this notion may create many obstacles for you.”
They say that the assistance TeamNL provides to today’s athletes during their transition is in sharp contrast with the assistance Verheijen and Vergeer received at that time. “When I retired in 2010, the opportunities were not as extensive as compared to today”, Verheijen looks back. “We were far more on our own.”
“If you don’t know what is awaiting you after your elite sport career, this notion may create many obstacles for you”
Esther Vergeer and Carl Verheijen agree: the personal development of an elite athlete not only includes the sport or performance. Beyond this and far more important, it is about the elite athlete who discovers who he is and what type of person he is. A broader perspective.
“I believe that you should coach an athlete to become a unique individual rather than an object”, Verheijen elaborates. “Otherwise, you become an elite skater or an elite tennis player, whilst an individual includes so much more than that. When you coach an athlete to become a unique individual, they benefit from this in becoming robust individuals in their careers afterwards and, on top of that, they are able to contribute more to society as well. We do not pay enough attention to this asset at present.”
When chefs de mission Esther Vergeer and Carl Verheijen retired from their elite sport career, limited assistance was available for the transition to a next career step. TeamNL@work has changed that. TeamNL@work assists (former) elite athletes on their way to follow new dreams and pursue new goals after their elite sport career. Vergeer and Verheijen are very pleased about this.
“Fantastic developments in assisting you for the time to come after your elite sport career”
closing words
