Women

“The circumstances are right”

She-Wolves boss Tommy Stroot is taking part in his second Pro Licence course.

Die VfL-Wolfsburg-Trainer Tommy Stroot und Sabrina Eckhoff stehen lachend bei Kathrin Hendrich.T

VfL Wolfsburg Women will have to make do without head coach Tommy Stroot at their Algarve training camp until this coming Thursday. She-Wolves boss Stroot is one of 16 coaches taking part in a Pro Licence course which gets under way in Frankfurt on Monday. The 34-year-old will visit the DFB Campus on a regular basis over the next 13 months and will be absent from club duty during these periods. In this interview, Stroot reveals his expectations for the course and explains how VfL will cope in his absence.

Tommy Stroot, you currently don’t need a Pro Licence to work in the FLYERALARM Women’s Bundesliga. The A Licence, which you already have, is perfectly sufficient. What were your motivations to go for the highest possible licence?

Tommy Stroot: “I always want to keep developing and look for opportunities to broaden my horizons. It’s just important for me to keep having new input. Getting the Pro Licence has been at the back of my mind for a while, but the circumstances had to be right. They are now.”

You’ve won titles in the Netherlands and Germany, making you more successful than the majority of instructors from that perspective. What specifically can a successful coach be taught?

Stroot: “That question doesn’t bother me. Lifelong learning is simply important to me – it’s inside me. I never want to be the finished article but prefer to gain fresh knowledge through experience.”

There was a situation before Christmas where the club had to cope with your absence – albeit involuntarily. We’re referring to your illness during the Champions League match at St. Pölten. This time it’s more than just one game. Do you already know what procedures will be put in place?

Stroot: “We’ve already distributed tasks and roles in a clear way, which was also the foundation for the way we approached the game in St. Pölten. Although I’d have liked to have been there, that game was a beneficial experience for the coaching team as a whole, and one which will help us.”

Coaching courses used to include an internship at a professional club. Is that the case with the Pro Licence? Can you tell us more about the course?

Stroot: “I’ll do internships at home and abroad, that’s already been confirmed. I can’t say more than that just yet.”