Coaching in Denmark

By Wayne Anderson
Sporting Director/Head Football Coach, Odense Swans

I joined the Odense Swans in Denmark as their head coach on May 18th. Having coached in Norway and Italy prior to this position, traveling overseas was not a new experience; however, there are always unique challenges with each destination.

With eight years of seasonal coaching positions, my wife and I have a routine when preparing me for the season away from home. When preparing to coach in Europe, I have to be more thoughtful about space for clothes, coaching materials, personal items and even favorite foods I like. I cannot find crunchy peanut butter in Denmark comparable to my favorite USA brand.

Paperwork is crucial and this year traveling to Denmark presented new obstacles with a change in the Danish immigration policies. My work visa had to be completed and approved prior to my departure, thus resulting in a six week delay. Our family has gotten into the habit of keeping our passports current and renewing my AAA International Driver’s License each year. We always make sure there is a copy of my passport with my wife at home just in case I lose it and I have a list of American Embassies abroad as well. My wife also alerts our credit card companies and bank that I will be out of the country during specific dates.

It is also a good idea to have some of the country’s currency on hand when you arrive just in case the team does not set you up right away. My wife ordered Danish Kroners for me well in advance, which was a blessing since our bank made an error and ordered the wrong currency. She also ordered some English pounds for me so I could have a snack at the Heathrow Airport in London. The exchange rate at the airport can be costly and may not be available during an early morning connection.

Packing is a matter of seasonal weather variations and coaching gear needed to make it through the time away. Denmark varies from 40’s and 50’s to low 80’s with no humidity; a sharp contrast from my home in South Florida. There is quite a bit of rain, so I packed the appropriate clothes. With excess baggage fees and excess weight fees, it can be rather costly to tote gear on the plane. This season, we packed my things in three checked bags (two of which were over the 50-pound limit) and two carry-on bags. You always need to verify the baggage and weight requirements of your air carrier. Some airlines are more user-friendly than others.

As a coach, I prefer to travel with my own computer and coaching materials. This also takes up space and has to be accounted for when packing. Each time I have set up my housing in Europe, I have added limited tools to my office, but try to bring what I can to survive in order to keep costs to a minimal.

When I traveled to Norway in 2005, I packed every possible personal item I could imagine. From soap to shampoo, my wife and I loaded my bags with toiletries. I have since learned from experience that I can buy comparable products in Europe. Travel size items are good just in case you don’t get to the store right away, but save yourself space and packing time by putting toiletries on your shopping list in Europe.

You should definitely pack any prescription medications in your carry-on and have enough on hand for your entire stay. Make sure to inquire about the procedure for any unforeseen medical emergency when you are in a foreign country. Talk to both the club representative and possibly your insurance company. Pharmacies/apothecaries in Europe carry some items without prescriptions, but the language barrier can be difficult and not all items are available, so packing the products you need is an important safeguard.

My wife and I prepare for my departure and absence by getting household items in order so that my wife can function for both of us while I am away. Skype has been an incredible blessing this season. I set this up on my wife’s computer prior to leaving and we take full advantage of this free service. We can see each other daily. Although it is not the same, it is better than trying to communicate via cell phones and calling cards, which were quite expensive when I was in Norway and Italy.

My wife and I always buy the DK Eyewitness Travel Guide for the country I am visiting, so we have some knowledge of the “lay of the land”. My wife is always very careful to print out any airport diagrams and transit schedules she can find online for my initial arrival. This was helpful the first time I flew into London’s Heathrow Airport for my connecting flight.

Sadly, we have learned the hard way to always bring at least three sets of clothes in my carry-on in case the airline loses my luggage. This year, my three checked bags were lost for four days and were returned to me minus a new pair of running shoes and my trusty backpack. Coaches need to be prepared for this type of obstacle because it seems to be more common and accepted when traveling to Europe. We had to file a claim with the airline for the missing items and the cost of replacement; however, we have not had a reply in over two months.

Upon arriving in Denmark, I had to navigate the train system on my own because there was not a representative available from the team who could make the 90 minute journey to Copenhagen during working hours to meet me. Fortunately, the transit system in Europe is very efficient. Other than missing my original train because I was detained filling out a missing baggage report and therefore losing my reserved seat, I made it into Odense without any incident.

A continued challenge for my wife and I has been securing a successful way to alert her to my safe arrival. It often takes the team several days to get my address information, cell phone and internet connected. In Italy, I walked for several hours in the rain my first night there trying to find a pay phone just to let me wife know I was okay. I later realized this had not been the safest and/or wisest plan. This year, I called her collect from the train station. It is always worth the expense to us both to have that initial “Hello, I am fine”. You need to have a plan for family in the States to reach you. Often over the first few days, that is going to be via a team representative.

Prior to my departure, the team and I made specific plans for my arrival. That is, who would meet me, my schedule for the first day, etc. I highly recommend that any coach heading to a foreign country do the same and have contact numbers for your team representatives.

Team members met me at the train station in Odense and whisked me off to practice to meet the team. This has been the case all three seasons that I coached in Europe. I went straight from arriving in the country to whatever team meeting or practice was taking place. It is challenging to be at your best after traveling for over 20 hours, but the adrenaline kicks in with the anticipation of meeting the team.

The first week is spent getting my housing situation settled and waiting on team representatives to help me purchase the few items I needed to make my space my own. My mode of transportation has been different each time I have coached in Europe. In Norway, I walked everywhere and used the bus, if necessary. In Italy, I had a car at my disposal and in Denmark, I have joined the thousands who bicycle everywhere. I have carted more groceries and Ikea items on my bike than I would have ever attempted in my car-dependent home town. Each situation is different, and the transportation supplied by the team should be spelled out in your coaching agreement.

Fortunately, I have not experienced language barriers in Scandinavia like I did in Italy. Most everyone in Norway and Denmark speaks English, so coaching and navigating my surroundings has been much easier for me.

Although there is not a language barrier in Denmark, I know from experience that coaching has to be based on fundamentals. It is essentially a “crawl, walk, run” philosophy that I use when coaching European players. The players are hungry to learn, but do not have the benefit of constant exposure to American football or the development of fundamental basics through position coaches. The level of play varies from country to country and from program to program. Sweden and Germany are two countries that are known for strong American football clubs.

Quite often, the strength of a football club depends on the financial resources and whether or not the league allows import players. I have coached in leagues where imports were allowed (Americans or EU), but smaller clubs could not afford to “buy” quality players. This put the teams who could not afford high quality import players at a huge disadvantage when facing an opponent whose team was loaded with the maximum amount of import players.

Club teams in Europe are basically made up of individuals who are grouped by age that pay a fee to be a member of the club. The Swans’ Senior Team is made up of men who are 20 years old or older. Due to work schedules, family commitments and daily obstacles, attendance at practice during the week varies and generally only occurs twice a week. Again, this is another reason that a coach needs to keep things basic. Introducing complex systems that require a high amount of practice participation would not be as successful as basic concepts.

The number of coaches on a staff also determines how advanced you can coach individual techniques. In Denmark, our staff includes three coaches. Much like the situation in Norway, we teach more general philosophies in order to accomplish the task of coaching all positions. In Italy, we had a staff of seven coaches and could do more individual technique work, much like we were accustomed to in the States.

The Swans also have a “Under 19/U19” and “Under 16/U16” team for younger players. This is often a feeder system for the senior team. The club is currently working on developing flag teams in the public schools for youngsters aged 11 to 13. After hosting several football camps this summer for younger children, there is a growing interest in American football. The club would like to give younger people the opportunity to experience the sport.

Part of my responsibilities with club teams has included recruitment of players and finding sponsors for the club. Quite often, the club will participate in community service projects in order to remain visible. We are always looking for positive ways to promote interest in American football. We have had possible recruits attend practice after interacting with the players during a community service project.

Unlike European professional teams like soccer, club teams are solely supported by local sponsors. Finding sponsors requires cold calls to vendors who are definitely looking for a return on their investment. Club teams do not always generate revenue, so it is a hard match to find a willing sponsor and requires persistence.

The Swans have a unique way of promoting American football by hosting bachelor/bachelorette parties. Amazingly, a wedding party can pay for an afternoon on the field in full pads scrimmaging each other with coached supervision. It is a fun way for locals to experience American football among friends. It seems to be quite popular in the summer and is a way to generate income for the club.

During my initial negotiations with the club, I have always informed the team representative that my wife will be joining me for a visit. If you have family that will be visiting, it is important to let the team know so they can select proper accommodations. In all three instances, the teams have been gracious to my wife and given us pointers on things to see and do during her visit.

Before my wife arrives for her visit, I do quite a bit of leg work to investigate train/bus schedules and local tourist attractions that might be of interest. Each time, I have actually taken a “dry run” for the route required to pick my wife up at the airport so I am certain to be on time when she arrives. When I was in Norway and Italy, I was in-season during my wife’s visits. As a coach’s wife, she is familiar with the weekly schedule and attends my practice and games. We try to time my wife’s visit so that it is in the middle of my time away from home.

Currently, the Swans are gearing up for the second half of their season. I have enjoyed a two week visit with my wife and have two months to go before I return home to Florida. Even amidst the unique challenges that coaching in Europe can present, I am most thankful for the opportunity to be the Head Coach of the Odense Swans.

This is the first of a three-part series on coaching in Denmark by Wayne Anderson. Coach Anderson has coached at the high school, college, and professional level and has been a regular contributor to American Football Monthly.