Team Argos-Shimano is pleased to announce that the Johan Cruyff Institute (JCI) will be providing academic training for the team’s coaches. Since September, coaches Aike Visbeek (NED), Rudi Kemna (NED), Marc Reef (NED) and Addy Engels (NED) and trainers Adriaan Helmantel (NED) and Jorn Knops (NED) have been participating in the JCI’s Master in Coaching program to further strengthen their coaching abilities.
“In our team we are focused on the development of our riders, and because our coaching staff plays an essential role in this process, their development is just as important,” said general manager Iwan Spekenbrink (NED). “The JCI will support the professional development of our coaches, which will benefit them as they work with our riders on their way to becoming world-class athletes.”
In addition to educating the coaches, the JCI will offer several workshops on team dynamics and leadership for the riders during the training camps at the team base in Altea Hills, Spain. “Being an athlete in our team is not only about improving sporting performance but also improving personal skills to improve teamwork,” added Spekenbrink.
“We know that well-educated athletes perform better in sports and in society,” said Niels Meijer (NED), “and that is why the Johan Cruyff Institute makes an effort to help individuals develop skills that are valuable both in sports and in life in general. We see this commitment at Team Argos-Shimano, which has an innovative way of working with its riders. With the master’s program for the six coaches and the team dynamics and leadership programs for the riders, the team has taken an important step toward developing everyone in the organization. In this way we contribute together toward moving the sport of cycling forward.”
The coaches’ Master in Coaching program will take nine months to complete and will consist of 24 education days and assistance from a personal coach.