Become a Creator today!Start creating today - Share your story with the world!
Start for free
00:00:00
00:00:01
S2 E7 - Rod Wilhem
42 Plays12 days ago
On this episode of Session Share - The Coaches Podcast we have Rod Wilhem. Rod is a coach that is passionate about supporting players, has coached on 3 different continents with a UEFA C and National B Concacaf in progress. He has a dedicated YouTube channel that like Session Share is helping coaches world wide with their sessions plans
Follow Rod on
X: @globrod
Instagram: coachrodwilhelm
YouTube: @coachrodwilhelm
Follow Session Share and Craig
YouTube: @sessionshare4375
X: @SessionShareNet
X: @CraigBirtwistle
Facebook: sessionshare.net
Recommended
Transcript
Introduction to Rod Wilhelm and his mission
00:00:18
Craig Birtwistle
Hello and welcome to Session Share, the Coaches Podcast. My name's Craig Burtisall and I'm excited to have Rod Wilhelm. Rod is a coach that is passionate about supporting players. He's coached on three different continents with a UA for C and a National B Congaf in progress. He has dedicated a YouTube channel like Session Share in helping coaches worldwide with their session plans. How are you doing today Rod?
00:00:44
Coach Rod
Hello, my friend. Thanks for the invitation and happy to be here. When it's about talking about football, I'm always here. So, you know, I'm really good.
00:00:53
Craig Birtwistle
100%, you're a man after my own heart, talking football all the time. So Rod, tell us a little bit about your background. What got you interested in football?
Rod's early passion for football
00:01:03
Coach Rod
ah that's that's a That's interesting because when I was ah young, of course, in France, you know, the number one sport is it football as many countries. But my family wasn't so into football. I think I'm umm the only one that was really passionate about football. I don't know how it came. So I played football since I was like, I don't know, like five, six, seven years old. Different teams, you know, different environments, different position on the field. And it came like this and slowly but surely, like I was like always playing football, watching football, learning, reading books.
00:01:40
Coach Rod
And it came like this, really. ah it's It's not like my whole family was watching football with me you know every day. I was almost alone. And I just like took the time to to to to think about football and to ah learn about football. And yeah, here I am.
00:01:55
Craig Birtwistle
Fantastic, and when you like basically understood that you knew the game and you liked the game and everything, did that find did you find like socially um that
Football as a social connector and travel motivator
00:02:05
Craig Birtwistle
helped you? Did you meet friends via football?
00:02:08
Coach Rod
I think that's that's one of the pillars. Everywhere I went to make friends, you know, ah it's like it was about sports. It was about football. I knew that when I was, my first experience on board was in Sweden. And I think the first day I arrived, I was like, okay, you know what? I will just try to find the spot to play football. If it's not a club, I will just go and see around if they they have a pitch and try to see if somebody's playing.
00:02:33
Coach Rod
So for me, it was almost like a social connection, you know, about but like football. It's not just, hey, you play yeah the game, you you win three points, you lose the zero points. It was more about the social, I think, the social connection and the the partnership that you can have with with people. And since then, it it worked really well wherever I went.
00:02:55
Craig Birtwistle
That's awesome. And looking at the intro that I wrote at the beginning of this show, um I love the fact that you've been able to travel so much with coaching the game. So has that been like a motivation in your career? Like what has motivated you in football?
00:03:13
Coach Rod
ah I remember when I was at school and the teacher was always telling you like, Oh, what do you want to do? You know, what's your job? So people, of course, in the past was like, ah Oh, I want to be a professional footballer, you know, this type of thing. Yeah, it wasn't the job. I remember I was like, Oh, I want to travel. And the teacher was always telling me like, no, but travel to to travel. It's not, it's not a real job. And I was like, Yeah, but I want to travel. and So it was is you know it was a perfect connection between football and and and the and the traveling opportunity that I had since the beginning because wherever I went, like I told you, first thing it was like, okay, where is the football pitch? Where is the club? ah
00:03:53
Coach Rod
ah where I can join, where I can you know ah register, because that that was like the direct connection for me. You know, like ah football, okay, another country. Where I go to another country, I try to go and watch a game. ah The only thing I buy when i I go abroad, it's a football shirt or something that is related to football, you know. I have so many shirts that My wife is like, no, there is too many shirts I have. So it's a crazy collection. I think I can open a museum maybe ah one day. And yeah, it was always like, you know, football and travel was always connected and and part of you since the beginning.
00:04:27
Craig Birtwistle
That's fantastic. And you've, as I say, we're speaking about you traveling around the world, getting to see lots of games,
Rod's diverse coaching philosophy
00:04:34
Craig Birtwistle
get to do a lot of practices, find the pitches at your local country and everything like that.
00:04:34
Coach Rod
yeah
00:04:40
Craig Birtwistle
With that being said, as those traveling around, seeing different qualities affected your philosophy, what is your coaching philosophy?
00:04:50
Coach Rod
I like this question. ah for For me, the the the coaching philosophy is really taking different ideas from different parts of the world. like I just came back from Brazil, like it was like two, three months ago. And one of my favorite coaches, Fernando Diniz, that was part of Luminez. He was taking care of the national team of Brazil brazil before and after he did he was with Cruzero. And for me, it was like, it's the type of philosophy we with me. It's really like, I don't have one, like, hey, you have to do this and let's do that. And that's my ah my philosophy. you You do it or you're not part of the team.
00:05:34
Coach Rod
Yeah, I really try to, how can I mention it, to really explore different ah different strengths, different ideas um that from from the different parts of the world where I went.
00:05:47
Craig Birtwistle
fantastic and have you have you found any difficulties with that like we've had some like really established guests on recently that have talked about the importance of culture and one thing that like keeps coming up is the fact that The nationality shapes your culture, the the people within that culture shape it. With you taking little bits of each country and applying it to your own philosophy, if you will, and your coaching, because I've done the same as well. I've lived in England, I've lived in America, I traveled around Sweden. um I've done all that as well. But have you found any issues that have come up in regards to that or has it blended pretty well with your philosophy?
00:06:28
Coach Rod
it's It's... I will try to blend it from, not country, but more continents and... because i I traveled a lot in South America, I was lucky and I and i love this continent. Everywhere and especially you know in North America, I know in in in USA, yeah especially in the South, there is a bit latinoa ah big Latino community in Canada too. But I know that, for example, if I have to coach a Latin player, I know that it will be like it will it will fight on the field. It will bring this type of of anger.
00:07:02
Coach Rod
So that's that's really something that I'm looking for. And and you have different other players, maybe be Canadian or from USA, that there will be, you know, that they are here to learn. So there will be like ah just playing the game and and be open minded because for them it's new. ah You will have people from Europe that they already know the game. So maybe you can maybe ask them to be like a mentor on the field and and give some advice to those that they are just starting ah into the the game.
00:07:30
Coach Rod
So I'm trying to to do a melting spot of the different nationalities that I have, especially here in Canada, that we have ah people from all over the world, and and and and that's really ah something that is ah and it's beautiful. So, yeah, um I know that when I have somebody from some South America, I'm always um'm always like, thankful, because I know that with this type of player, he will bring this, I don't like to say green tar, because it's not the right word, ah but He will bring this, ah yeah, this hanginess on the field, you know.
00:08:03
Craig Birtwistle
Fantastic. Brad, I want to continue this discussion. We're going to come back after a short break ah to talk more about coaching development and player development after a short message from Zegcaster.
Challenges of coaching in Canada
00:08:56
Craig Birtwistle
Welcome back and we're going to delve a little bit deeper into developing players, in particular players in Canada, which is where Rod is based. So, Rod, tell us a little bit about the issues you face on a day-to-day basis when coaching in Canada.
00:09:12
Coach Rod
Yeah, Canada, I come from France, so it's really it's really different. It's really, really different from the structure, from the philosophy. ah there there There are many things that they are really different from from what I saw in ah in in France. and But that's the beauty, too, in the same time. you know there are there There is a lot to do here. It's not like you you come and there is already a script, but almost like ah a white paper. and and And you have a lot of things to do.
00:09:41
Coach Rod
But here, of course, the the the the main thing that I'm always trying to to to establish, it's really to to bring this soccer culture. Because here, you know, they come on the field, they play, and that's it. They see you like the next day. So with me, when I come, especially when there is Champions League game or something like this, I'm trying to, hey guys, don't worry, don't forget this weekend, there is Champions League game, you know? And because our team is really focused on a specific ah a tactic system. I tell them, like, hey guys, watch the Atletico Madrid this weekend because that's really related to what we are trying to do, you know? So I'm trying to involve them into the the game, not just on the field, but outside, you know, at this weekend, and the Premier League that is back, there is the Spanish league. What did you think? What did you watch? And if they watch a game, I'm like, hey, okay, so what did you like, you know, did you see something special?
00:10:36
Coach Rod
So it's not just teaching them the the football on the field, but really the I would say the the football culture outside of the field. you know That's something that is still missing here because of course hockey is really important. They don't have maybe the channels that we have in Europe you know to watch football. So I'm trying to help them ah on this side and of course with the online session that I'm doing with them every week.
00:11:00
Coach Rod
There is always something related to the outside world of football, not just what we do on the field, but what the professional team are doing, you know, if there was the Champions League, the league guard, the Premier League.
00:11:08
Craig Birtwistle
Bye-bye.
00:11:12
Coach Rod
So it's really something that we have to teach them here. It's the culture of football outside of just playing football, you know, when they are with you and you coach them.
00:11:22
Craig Birtwistle
thats so That's good stuff. um How does the Canadian FA help you on a day-to-day basis or is it something a kind of of kind of the lines of you're actually more comfortable doing what you do or is the Canadian FA supporting you in any way?
00:11:40
Coach Rod
To be honest, it's it's more on my side that I'm umm um well i'm working on this. you know It's not like, hey, by the way, guys, ah coaches, ah please ah help her your team or players to do this and that. The same with the club. yeah For example, the online sessions that I'm doing, it was you know coming from my ID. It's not like, hey, by the way, you have to do a session with your player every week, or you have to talk about this, that, that. The system is this one. They give you some, I will say some ah guidelines.
00:12:10
Coach Rod
But after it's up to you, if you are really into it, if you are really passionate, you will go 200%, 300%. If you want to do the the strict minimum, maybe you will talk with them just one time per per month and maybe you will not talk about anything else and just focus on what happened on the field, what happened the last game you play against ah you know ah any team.
00:12:33
Coach Rod
so I mean, there is no a real support at this one. It's more like, depending on the coaches and the clubs, how structured they are and the philosophy that they have, I will say, behind it with the technical directors and everything.
00:12:49
Craig Birtwistle
Interesting.
The importance of learning and networking in coaching
00:12:51
Craig Birtwistle
With um with like the knowledge that you have, the experience you have, who's been like your mentor? Who's offered you the best advice to get to where you were?
00:13:02
Craig Birtwistle
Because you mentioned earlier the fact that your family didn't watch football, you kind of like got involved yourself and then you made like friends within football.
00:13:06
Coach Rod
it
00:13:11
Craig Birtwistle
So who was like one of your mentors and what great advice did they give you to help you get to where you are today?
00:13:18
Coach Rod
That's an interesting question because you know a mentor, like you mentioned, i didn't have like a lot of talks in when I was younger and everything.
00:13:30
Coach Rod
It will be a funny answer. I think I have two mentors. It was football manager and internet, to be honest. Because football manager, it's really something that I started with a long time ago. I was playing, I remember, with a friend. He was taking Real Madrid. I was taking Valencia and we were playing multiplayer during the whole night. We almost didn't sleep and we were just playing you know the same league together.
00:13:53
Coach Rod
So football manager helped me with, you know, of course it's not like, it's not because you play football manager that after you the best manager, but he helped me to, you know, manage your team, just simple stuff in internet, of course, because I'm still learning every day. And, you know, I go and ah watch a podcast, read a book. ah If I can't read a book, I will just put it on Spotify and and it will be audio book. I will, you know, it's, it's taking, I'm, I'm trying to take,
00:14:21
Coach Rod
the information from everywhere and in the same time sometimes i'm trying to select just information because information comes from everywhere especially in the internet with instagram tick tock x uh just the internet so you're like okay oh he's saying this oh but the other guy they'll talk about the same topic but it's not saying the same thing so who's wrong who's right I'm just trying sometimes, okay, you know what, I stay on this on this channel, this one, this magazine and this one and that's it. Because after it's ah it's a stream of information that you can't, you know, at at one point you burn out. You're like, okay, too many information and new videos come every day. So really complicated to follow. So yeah, trying to
00:15:05
Coach Rod
Like I mentioned, take three or four ah channels from the internet, from books, and from coaches. I don't have one that I took a little bit. I love, for example, Jurgen Klopp. We talked with his team, Bialsa, for the passion and the the analytics that he always had on the day yeah every day yeah on the field and off the field.
00:15:27
Coach Rod
i don't do the news that i can mention from brazil because he put back the relation is not in front of everyone that's something that i am trying to do with my team takes more time because. Maybe we have got your line you know you don't have back and you go here and you can't go on the other side of the sector etc.
00:15:47
Coach Rod
I think many players here, they're like, oh, I'm striker. So, you know, I stay on top. That's it. OK, that's my job. I don't have to drop on the field. And I wait for the ball. So the relation is a little bit different. And it takes time, especially in a country like I mentioned, you know, that that doesn't have the same football culture as Brazil has as as Europe, up as other countries or continent, maybe they can have.
00:16:12
Coach Rod
But that's the idea too. You can see the progress too from A to Z. you know You're not starting like, oh, the team is already running well and you know they are winning every game and everything is fine. You don't have to do anything. You just sit and relax. I have to do everything from scratch almost. So I love it. It takes more time, more sacrifice too. But yeah, that's that's where we are.
00:16:33
Craig Birtwistle
I love that. i I love in particular the fact that you mentioned like your hunger for learning, ah the fact that you're listening to a podcast, you'll jump on the internet, you'll make notes, you'll go see sessions.
00:16:46
Craig Birtwistle
i've I've always said the moment as coaches like we are that we feel we know it all, it's time to quit um because it should be every day should be a learning activity.
00:16:52
Coach Rod
yeah
00:16:56
Craig Birtwistle
over in ah the states we have a convention unfortunately this is the first year I wasn't able to go but it's the United Coaches Convention and it's the biggest one in the world and I've been that's right it was in Chicago this year yeah and I've been fortunate enough to go for many many years over the past 20 years that I've been here and what I found was when I was originally starting out as a coach um I was taking like
00:17:06
Coach Rod
Oh yeah, in Chicago? Yeah.
00:17:21
Craig Birtwistle
50% of ideas and I was like bringing them home and I was trying them out with my players some work some didn't depends on the delivery and then I felt every year it started to diminish a little but the way I explained it to my wife when she said well is it worth the money now for you to go I went oh Even if I get 10% or 5% and I'm able to take that on board, it's going to help me grow.
00:17:46
Craig Birtwistle
It's going to help me get better. And I've also said as well, even if I don't agree with something, maybe I can twist it. I can bend it. I can make it a bit more flexible in order to help me get better as a coach.
00:17:57
Coach Rod
ye
00:18:00
Craig Birtwistle
Would you agree with that?
00:18:00
Coach Rod
Yeah Yeah, we have the same here there is like the ah per province there is like a summit and this year it's in March it's the Ontario summit and you know first time I was like and and and that was wrong maybe to say this there was like okay will I yeah learn something you know it's the Ontario from Canada I'm from France blah blah you know we know better because yeah we have this football culture And after i was like wait in any case you know i'm ah i'm a new coach first i really started to coach like since covid it came so three years ah three years ago. Secondly even if you don't agree like you mentioned for me it's the networking even if during the convention you know you're you are participate to like a.
00:18:45
Coach Rod
a meeting that is maybe boring or you're like, oh, okay, whatever. But in the same time, you know, you see coaches next to you with the logo of another club or whatever. And you're like, Hey guys, where are you coming from? Okay. What do you do in your club? And this networking with coaches that I saw last year when I, uh, when I, uh, I was participating, it was really good at that. The reason why every time there is like now a summit that talks about football, whatever it is, it can be like, I don't know, safety in football, uh, how to attach a net or whatever I will go because I'm pretty sure even if it's 1% something interesting, this 1% maybe can change something on my yeah training method or can improve my training method. so i'm like
00:19:25
Coach Rod
Let's go. I'm always like ready to to jump in. So I totally agree on on what you just mentioned about the Chicago Summit. I wish I could go because every time I see it on Instagram and they do a lot of promotion and it's really interesting. Many coaches from Europe are coming. Some of them I noticed from Canada to an Ontario. I noticed some of my colleagues, they went. It depends on the club too. Sometimes they can help you to to pay the the the cost of the flight and the hotel.
00:19:52
Coach Rod
We didn't have this chance this year, but hopefully next year I can participate. Maybe I can meet you if you come and you go, but it will be nice. I really want to participate to this one.
Advice for young coaches
00:20:02
Craig Birtwistle
That'd be great. And one thing I want to bring up that you mentioned there that a lot of young coaches and me included when I was young, I'm not yet so young anymore. But when I was younger, one of the pieces of advice is that I wish I was given that you just mentioned there is the ability to network. I was always focused on the learning side, the growing, the making myself better, making myself players better.
00:20:25
Craig Birtwistle
but I really think the networking is a massive one. And now, obviously, with so much disposal at our fingertips with like TikTok and Twitter, um like we met via Twitter, for example, or X as it's called now, it's definitely something that really helps people grow as a profession. um Sometimes you can grow too fast, if you will, before you've even developed and you've got better by getting overexposed when you're not simply not ready for that exposure.
00:20:54
Craig Birtwistle
But I do encourage all of our young coaches out there to network as much as can, build ah bridges. um It's a very small world that we live in. um So you need as many friends as possible within football or soccer. So that's my piece of advice. um But I'm interested rather, if a young coach turned up at your doorstep and really was starting from scratch, what advice would you give them?
00:21:21
Coach Rod
First I will echo with what you mentioned because I'm still ah a young coach and you know that's the beauty and in the same time sometimes it can be the flip side, the other, know how how you say it in English, the flip side and the back side.
00:21:36
Craig Birtwistle
Yeah,
00:21:37
Coach Rod
the
00:21:37
Craig Birtwistle
yeah.
00:21:38
Coach Rod
yeah Do you know social media? Oh, you know, it's dangerous. But in the same time that do zo right I'm um'm um i' into it, especially Instagram and X and YouTube with the the video, because I always publish them publicly, because if it can help somebody, I'm here, you know, sharing is caring. I see that sometimes, and because you mentioned it, it's just, it's a small world. Sometimes you talk to other coaches and they don't want to talk to you too much because they're like, Oh, why is coming to me? He wants to take my spot, right? So I don't want to talk to him.
00:22:07
Craig Birtwistle
my lot that yeah
00:22:08
Coach Rod
yeah and And maybe that's normal. Maybe it's not just in football, maybe in real life when you you try to find the job is the same. But I mean, you know, I'm trying to just help somebody. So if a young coach is coming and some of them, especially from France, are coming because they are asking me questions about Canada.
00:22:25
Coach Rod
So they are like, I see the question about Canada, how is it coaching in Canada? Do you think I can try and come?
00:22:29
Craig Birtwistle
I like that, yeah.
00:22:31
Coach Rod
So I'm always open to discuss with anybody, you know, whatever they want to ask me, whatever the experience they have, some of them, they have more experience, more diplomas than me, but I'm okay with it.
00:22:42
Coach Rod
You know, yeah I will, I will take, I will, I will just like be a sponge and take the information. But if a young coach come to me, I will just tell him, like be open-minded. start somewhere you know yeah when i started i didn't have experience but i had the passion like i always have now. And you know like a sponge just take the information try to to to to work on your own you know take some information but in the same time like i mentioned don't don't go crazy or because i saw it on instagram right i will do the same exercise with my u twelve.
00:23:14
Coach Rod
You know, and it's like a professional ah intensity exercise from Liverpool and now on the slot and you have your U12, U11 that they are doing the same. No, it's just like, you know, open mind, know where you are coming from, know where you want to go and just take the information from, you know, mentors, audio books, books, podcasts like yours, this type of fee and slowly but surely will come. You just, you have to be patient sometimes, you know, especially maybe in this world,
00:23:45
Coach Rod
It's not like in you the real life, oh, I want to go and find another job. Okay, go and try to find the other job. Ah, yeah, but I need the UFRB because the UFRB, if you don't have it, it's not applicable. And this sometimes it's a little bit frustrating because you want to progress, maybe you are better than even a UFRB or even UFRA, I don't know. But because the spot in the like in the Federation of whatever country in Europe but doesn't accept you or they yeah they are fully, it's full.
00:24:15
Coach Rod
You can't do it, so you have to wait another year. So during one year, you can't do the job that you were expecting to do or you wanted to do. That sometimes can hurt you. So that is why you have to to be patient, work on your body language too sometimes, especially with players. ah But yeah, that that will be the the different advices that I will mention to a young coach.
00:24:36
Craig Birtwistle
I agree. I feel that the biggest thing I would say to someone who wants to get involved in our line of work, you really have to have a massive passion for
Balancing coaching passion with personal life
00:24:47
Craig Birtwistle
it.
00:24:47
Craig Birtwistle
It's got to kind of engulf your life in a bit. And I've always expected people to say like, listen, you do have to have those switch off moments.
00:24:50
Coach Rod
Yeah.
00:24:56
Craig Birtwistle
You've got to go play with your kids. You got to go talk to your wife. We've seen it even on the big end with Guardiola getting a divorce.
00:25:02
Coach Rod
Yeah, exactly.
00:25:02
Craig Birtwistle
like It can really take over your life, but why Why I try to encourage it is the fact, let it take over your life in a good way. Like, want to read that book, want to listen to that podcast, want to volunteer and assist another coach just so you can pick up some ideas.
00:25:20
Craig Birtwistle
If you if you're the, and as a director, a coaching myself, if you're one of those directors, of ah coaches that are always texting your boss and saying, well, there's a cloud in the sky, is it practice canceled?
00:25:31
Craig Birtwistle
Then this probably, yeah, we do, yeah.
00:25:32
Coach Rod
Oh, yeah, this this I saw it a lot.
00:25:35
Craig Birtwistle
and
00:25:36
Coach Rod
It's a great example, you know what, Greg? just to I remember last year, during the summer, there was a lot of storms. Sorry if a coach listened to this from my previous club, but I still remember, there was some clouds, some thunderstorms, and I still remember parents texting me on TeamSnap.
00:25:47
Craig Birtwistle
Okay.
00:25:56
Coach Rod
Session is canceled, right? Session is canceled. I was like, no, no, come. We'll wait and let's see if it's canceled. And we were there. Every other team, they canceled it. They were like, oh, oh, the storm is here. yeah Oh, let's go. And Mia was like, wait, we go there. We are under the the house, so nothing can happen. Let's see, 15, 20 minutes.
00:26:16
Coach Rod
15-20 minutes after, blue sky, the birds were singing, nothing happened, the storm was like 20-30km away, we could play, we were the only team. and I was like, guys, that's you know I don't want to criticize, but that shows the passion. and you know it's It's this, and when the the session is done, you see that nobody is coming after you, you can have an extra 10-15 minutes, just do it instead of I know. OK, it's 3 PM. Bye, guys. See you tomorrow. OK, take the pennies and balls and pull it back in the locker. I see you tomorrow.
00:26:48
Craig Birtwistle
I got to say, I have to tell a little story before we move on.
Stories of creativity and unexpected results in coaching
00:26:53
Craig Birtwistle
One of my favorite ever sessions I had as a kid was the fact that it poured down rain and the field was as muddy as it could be where the fact, the, yeah, exactly right.
00:27:03
Coach Rod
Like Scotland game.
00:27:06
Craig Birtwistle
So the ball wouldn't like move two yards. So what my coach decided to do in his pearl of wisdom, we were wearing white training kits as well. So you can imagine what, right?
00:27:15
Coach Rod
Amazing.
00:27:17
Craig Birtwistle
So ah he taught us how to do diving headers in the mud.
00:27:20
Coach Rod
Wow.
00:27:20
Craig Birtwistle
And to this day, I um remember that to this day.
00:27:24
Coach Rod
Interesting.
00:27:26
Craig Birtwistle
I don't know if he knows the fact that it left such a lasting impression on my mind, but it was one of the most fun. And I've never laughed so much in my whole life when you you stand up and you've got mud from head to toe all the way down.
00:27:41
Craig Birtwistle
I'm sure my dad wasn't too pleased picking me up after that. But that was that's a different story. ah Rod, this has been an amazing chat. We're just going to take one more short break, and then we'll come back to finish the episode.
00:28:10
Craig Birtwistle
Welcome back and we're going to finish the episode. We've been talking to Rod about player development. We've been asking him his advice and just generally having a great chat about football and nothing better than to do that. um Speaking of which, Rod, what's your favorite moment in sports? It can be anything as a player, a fan, or a coach.
00:28:34
Coach Rod
Favorite moment? Okay, it's it's it's not my favorite moment, but I mean, it's a favorite, but it's a funny moment, I think. And it's just to show you how you can be well prepared. so Sometimes as a coach, you can't just, you know, handle everything. You know, you do your part and that's it. And and that's two, I think it's two years or ago.
00:28:55
Coach Rod
So I just added to coach for one here, you know, everything is well. We have an important game because it's the new season. We are going to a higher division. and I'm like okay let's prepare it well you know i'm doing extra session you know so during the weekend i said to the boys you know what if you're available let's go to the park and let's do some ah fitness training you know cardio and everything so everybody responded really positively they came with the extra session tactic is all good i do my online session you know i take the time.
00:29:28
Coach Rod
day of the game I bring my computer I do like an inspiration you know video wow the video is amazing you know like fight for the other tiger and everything end of the game for zero defeat
00:29:47
Craig Birtwistle
Oh, so you didn't charge like a quad yet?
00:29:48
Coach Rod
a I still remember this video, or you know, the video looks amazing on the screen, tactically everybody A-game. Oh yeah, coach, yeah, when he's coming here, okay, I cover here, okay, I take the space, yeah, okay, perfect, I was like, hey guys, hey, we are ready, like crazy, this season, it's top notch. 1-0, 2-0, 3-0, 4-0, okay, Bob, but okay, but at least we try, guys.
00:30:15
Craig Birtwistle
the <unk> no weak
00:30:16
Coach Rod
So that's a thing. I still remember this week because I was so prepared. It was crazy. like I wasn't prepared like this. and Everything was working well. you know And at the end, 4-0. So at the end, you know sometimes it's like, even if you're the most prepared coach, whateverever you prepare everything on the bench.
00:30:36
Coach Rod
on the field tactically everything and the other coach maybe just came he didn't have a warm up session maybe he didn't do online session didn't take extra time for the cardio he just came hey guys okay it's the four four three four three three here you are okay guys have a good game and at the end four zero for them you're like okay what I do now but that was a funny moment it's not my favorite one but ah it's one that I always have since two years every time I've like
00:30:40
Craig Birtwistle
there.
00:30:45
Craig Birtwistle
There's no way
00:31:04
Coach Rod
And some players that, you know, now graduated or they are going to university or, o or, or soccer school or whatever, and they are sort of always take CV coach. Do you remember the day that you came like well prepared with this motivation ah video? I was like, yeah, yeah, I remember.
00:31:19
Craig Birtwistle
Doesn't always go to plan, does it?
00:31:22
Coach Rod
No, this one, my friend, it was, it was do the the most funny one and most saddest day I think of coaching because he was like, you can't prepare everything, be just prepared to not be prepared. That's it.
00:31:35
Craig Birtwistle
Couldn't agree more. Thank you so much, Rod, for your time. I've had a lot of fun and thought this conversation was extremely beneficial, and I'm sure our listeners will agree.
Engage with Rod on social media
00:31:45
Craig Birtwistle
Rod, can you tell us where our listeners can find you on the socials?
00:31:49
Coach Rod
Yeah, like I mentioned, you know, I'm, I'm really into like Instagram, X and YouTube, YouTube. i Like I said, uh, I have more than 200, I think 50 videos because I record every game, every session, the online session. If it's not secret, I mean, you know, whatever, uh, it's public. So you can find all the videos I'm doing. I believe a lot with Ted Lasso. So a lot of videos, when I talk to my teams, the Sunday night, I do a scenario about Ted Lasso. I did it one two weeks ago about you losing two zero half time.
00:32:23
Coach Rod
You have to be, as a group, two or three players to talk in front of your teammates. And I want to see the speech and this, it's an exercise for those. So if I'm taking a little bit more time for the coaches, I think it's an exercise that is really good because you think it's an easy exercise, but you will see that the two or three players per group at each session that I did it, they're in front of their teammates and they are first shy. Even those that they are like captain or they are like, you know, the goofy in the band when they're in front of the teammates and everybody are looking at them.
00:32:55
Coach Rod
First, it's really like they are not loud. Secondly, they are shy. Third, they are like the eye contact. There is no, it's like they are looking all around because they don't want to look at looking at you. So it was an amazing exercise that I did with them. And and and and they realized that if you don't talk loud, nobody will listen to you during the game. So this small details, it was amazing.
00:33:16
Coach Rod
So that's the type of of example that I that i that i yeah publish on on YouTube. So on YouTube, you I'm um'm with Coach Rod Villem. And I think Instagram is the same at Coach Rod Villem and X. I think it's at Glob Rod or Coach Rod Villem too. So happy to discuss with anybody in private or any topics about football. I'm i'm i'm really open-minded. So just just join me on the conversation.
00:33:44
Craig Birtwistle
Fantastic, and what we'll do to ah help our listeners as well is I will leave all of Rod's contact information and these YouTube channel um in the podcast description.
00:33:52
Coach Rod
Yeah.
00:33:55
Craig Birtwistle
Well, that's all about the time we have for this episode of Session Share, the Coaches Podcast. Thank you very much to Rod Wilhelm for joining us. Be sure to get in touch across all our socials to offer your opinions on everything we've discussed today. You can find the social media platforms in a podcast description below. This has been Session Share The Coaches Podcast. Thank you for listening, thank you to Rod and thank you for coaching The Beautiful Game.