Season review triggers Dutch coaching changes

By Melissa Bray

A mixed bag of results through the 2006 summer season has triggered a reshuffle of coaches in the Dutch Rowing Federation following a recent board decision.

Returning to the Netherlands from being the men’s head coach in Switzerland, René Mijnders will take up the position of women’s head coach. Mijnders has spent the last couple of years mainly focused on the Swiss men’s eight that finished in eighth place at this year’s World Rowing Championships.

Citing personal reasons, Mijnders chose to return back to the Netherlands. His timing coincided with the federation looking for a women’s coach. He will officially finish working for Switzerland at the end of November.

Also returning to the Netherlands, after coaching in China and most recently in Indonesia, Diederik de Boorder will take over the role as junior head coach. De Boorder has previously worked for the Dutch Rowing Federation. His new role will be based in Amsterdam at the Bosbaan rowing course but will additionally involve traveling throughout the country talent scouting of young rowers and helping to train coaches.

Moving back into the position of lightweight men’s coach, Susanna Chayes has remained with the Dutch Rowing Federation but in various positions. She worked with the lightweight men’s four up until the Athens Olympics and most recently she has been helping with the open women as well as lightweight single sculler Gerard van der Linden.

Assisting current open men’s coach Mark Emke will be Jan Klerks who has recently been working with the lightweight men.

Dutch Federation team manager Gwen Bakker said the changes have come after a review of the season.

“The feeling was after the results from this summer we were not really on track for the next Olympics,” said Bakker. “So we felt this was time to make changes.”

Currently the federation has a committee that makes the decision on coaching positions but Bakker says that is soon to change.

“We are going to have a professional, rather than volunteer, elite rowing director in charge of coaches and athletes, said Bakker. “We are working on finding someone at present.”

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