Currently the head coach of the SV Hoofddorp youth team in the Netherlands, but during the heights of the covid-19 pandemic, UEFA Licence B holder and Seychellois, Reza Udwadia returned to Seychelles to work together with Rovers FC.
Having previously worked with various teams in the Netherlands and England, Reza has shared with his experiences working Rovers, the second local team he has worked with, after a spell with Victoria City back in 2015.
How would you describe your time working with Rovers?
Overall, my time with Rovers FC was good. Myself and the Club were able to benefit from our collaboration which meant we both had a common drive and goal to achieve by working together.
We spent a lot of time on the field in training working on tactical themes and scenarios. The President , Technical Director and Head Coach Juel Ah-Kong expressed which areas of the game they felt the team needed prioritising, and then I took responsibility to prepare training sessions which would tackle those areas, running through various scenarios that could occur in games and the appropriate solutions.
The squad of players were fantastic as well. A mix of Senior experienced players who have played many years with First and Second Division Clubs coupled by Youth players who are striving to make a name for themselves in Seychelles football. So, they were a good group to work with.
The Club staff were brilliant as well. They were very welcoming of myself to the Club for the short period of time I was there, assigning me responsibility to steer the coaching and training department of the Club for the period I was there. Having that responsibility allowed me to apply my best practices and leadership skills therefore I fully appreciate their trust in me.
Do you feel the ambitions of the Club are realistic when you look at the state of Seychelles football?
Specifically speaking about the Club on its own I would say yes. I believe that the Club has good guidance at the helm to be able to steer itself in the right direction and become the first official professional football Club in Seychelles, as there are many requirements and boxes to tick off the list in order to be classified as a professional club. And from what I see at the moment I believe the Club is on track. Also, Rovers are doing a great job in their player development through the use of Catapult PlayerTek GPS vests to modernise their development of players.
However, Rovers as a football Club can only achieve so much on its own. The governing body of football in Seychelles, the Seychelles Football Federation, needs to raise their game to provide an environment in which local football Clubs can develop. An example of improving the environment would be the current state of facilities we have. They have done a good job in renovating the Astro Turf field at Roche Caiman which is a good start. Now they should crack on to improve the state of football in other areas, such as focusing on Youth development, Coach development and providing Coaches with modern equipment to train players.
Do you see the potential for players to make a name for themselves in the higher division?
First of all, I see the potential for Rovers as a Club and the squad of players they currently have capable of making a name for themselves in the First division. In order to do that they must first make a name for themselves in the Second Division and at this moment of time I can say with confidence that they are.
The First team has a mix of players who have played for 10+ years in the different divisions over the years complemented with vibrant Youth coming from the B team of the Club. In order for players to showcase their talent and make a name for themselves they must do it during competitive games for Rovers where their ability can be showcased along with the contributions they can bring to Rovers going forwards.
What contributions did you bring to the club?
In training for the first week, we focused on technical sessions to improve the simple actions such as passing, receiving, dribbling and finishing. For the following weeks myself and the Club staff decided on different tactical themes to focus on. . So we worked rigorously in training to ensure all of the players involved understood their roles and executed the tactics correctly. Looking back on it now, I can say that there are certainly intelligent players within Rovers as the way in which some of them took to understanding the movements involved was impressive.
Most of the tactical work required players who are comfortable on the ball under pressure and possess good technical ability to pass to supporting team-mates. Fortunately, there are a few players like that at the Club who can execute that system of play.
There was also the opportunity for me to manage the first game back after the COVID-19 pause.
Additionally, a few fun and games were implemented in training to develop team bonding amongst the players so their chemistry would improve therefore bettering the performance of the team as a whole.
From my professional approach to everything I always made sure to have respect for everyone, talk to the players about their life away from football so as to get to know them as people and not just players, know my training sessions inside out so as to keep professionalism and above all remain enthusiastic.
Enthusiasm coupled by a smile on the face is infectious energy that can spread positively to everyone around. It was certainly challenging because on my off days, which we all have from time to time, it was important to keep the enthusiasm flowing because once the players catch onto negative energy it will spread like wildfire through the team so it was important to steady that ship as best and cautiously as possible.
As a whole group we had a lot of fun. I look back on my short time at the Club with a smile on my face.
Do you feel the players have been receptive to your approaches and what do you feel the Club needs to do to keep improving?
Well looking back now from a concluded point of view I would personally sway on the side of saying that yes, the players were receptive to my approach to help them develop as individuals and a team. For each individual their receptiveness to the approach would have been different. For most of the group it was a positive response but also, I have to be realistic and say that my approach is not tailored for everyone therefore a few players may have received my approach in a negative manner. That is part of football and the managing side of the game. One important phrase I told the players was ‘allow us as coaches and Club staff to captain and steady your ship’.
It was pleasing to see the players take on board the tactical information we worked on in training so as to develop the team playing system. After all, when it comes to playing the game, it is 11 players at any one time of the whole squad which have to perform. Therefore, to be intelligent and soak up new information and then apply it was brilliant to see. What was also interesting and important to see was what the players knew already beforehand so as to check what their intelligence level of the game is and how it could be applied to new ideas that were brought forth.
Going forwards the Club has hard-working staff who are always ensuring they do their best to maintain high standards of performance in training and good management of the players. I am aware of the efforts being made behind-the-scenes therefore they are on good track.
From a distance being back in the Netherlands where I am currently at, I remain available to Rovers on a consultancy basis. Therefore, if they require any tips or advice, I can be in reach to offer my opinions and advice. I do not involve myself with day-to-day management or coaching of the team now that I am abroad as that is the responsibility of the Club staff which are on the field day-in-and-day-out with the squad of players.
Will you look to work with the team again in the future?
Provided that when I return back home to Seychelles for three weeks or more at any one time then yes it would be amazing to link up with the Club again. We left on a good note therefore any future collaboration between myself and the Club is certainly welcomed.
What’s next for you now on a personal note?
Well at this moment of time I am currently with my Club in the Netherlands SV Hoofddorp. I train the Under 18s Saturday Selection First team along with another Head Coach. We are currently challenging for promotion to a higher division. I have my ambitions for the future lined up therefore I am doing my best to strive to achieve them.
In July and August, I will be going to the USA with Ajax as part of the Ajax Camps & Clinics programme to train players in the States using the Ajax player development philosophy. It has always been an ambition of mine to travel and teach football so I am delighted that my first visit to the USA will be teaching football with the crest of a world class football Club such as Ajax Amsterdam on my jersey.
In terms of education and licences right now I am satisfied with what I have. Of course, the UEFA A licence will be on the cards in the future however with my University background, UEFA B licence and 8 years coaching/managing experience in three different countries I feel it is good for the moment to make progress in my chosen career pathway.