Mental coach is on the line with internationals Orange for hours

It’s the new world of football. In 1998, during the World Cup in France, KNVB national doctor Kessel was angry because some players were treated by a physiotherapist out of his sight. Even earlier, in 1990, Ruud Gullit and Marco van Basten caused a stir with the arrival of haptonomist Ted Troost to the training camp in Italy. Now players have gathered entire teams around them, where mental guidance is crucial. The pressure is great, the world is watching. The player who feels excessive tension or uncertainty, has a stomach ache or sleeps badly, calls in a specialist. He also has frequent contact with the player during the tournament, by telephone, during hours when there is no group program.

Performance coach Remco Visscher sends a photo of an iceberg. Ten percent is above water. That represents consciousness. The rest of the iceberg is the subconscious. It is his job to influence precisely that subconscious, because a lot happens in it. ‘Remove inner stress. Solve blockages. Creating connections between the hemispheres of the brain. That stress is also measurable, in the muscles. There are techniques to train that subconscious.’ That goes beyond what a psychologist or mental coach does. He also does exercises with hands and feet, to create connection.

Perception

He cites Wout Weghorst, the first top football player with whom he worked, as an example of his working method. ‘It was Wout’s dream to make it to Orange. You can program his brain for that, with exercises. The body can achieve what the mind believes in. That goes a lot further than influencing through consciousness.’ It is visualizing a career, in steps to the highest, Orange. ‘Stress often arises because an athlete is not convinced that he is good enough. That stress is within us. It is your own perception. Cristiano Ronaldo is in total control of himself. If they applaud him he is good, if they whistle him even better. He doesn’t care about anything.’

Visscher already had extensive contact with De Vrij, De Ligt and Weghorst on Friday, after the Orange reached the eighth finals, after the 2-0 victory over Austria. “When I watch the game on television, I can see how they feel by their faces. De Ligt and De Vrij played excellent, in the center at the back.’ Weghorst was substituted. He was mediocre, right? “Ah, a few times he didn’t get the ball. And he almost gave two assists. First Depay shot over, later De Vrij saw a header stopped at a corner, on a pass from Wout.’