Anthony McCarthy played as many sports as possible when he was younger, but during his teenage years he began to concentrate on golf. He reached a fairly high level, but was much more interested in becoming a coach rather than a player. He studied Sport Science (Sports Studies) at university in London to further improve his knowledge, and started coaching golf soon after. He studies the International Master in Coaching (MIC), edition 2010-2011, at the Johan Cruyff Institute for Sport Studies.

Why did you choose to follow the Master in Coaching?
It just struck me as a fantastic opportunity to progress and evolve as a coach. Being in the presence of elite sportsmen and women whilst getting taught by some of the worlds’ best coaches was obviously an attractive prospect. As someone coming from outside the Netherlands, the chance to immerse myself in a country and culture that seems to breed outstanding performers and coaches was too good to turn down. It must be said, the fact that Mr. Cruijff has been shown to know a thing or two about coaching also helped me make my decision!

Please explain your experience studying at the Johan Cruyff Institute.
The institute is primarily concerned with getting the best out of the individuals it works with, so in fact it is really hard not to get inspired whilst working in such an environment. Even though it is a part-time Master, a lot of my thinking time between classes has been based around the concepts covered in the course. Staff have been so helpful and I am so glad that I made the step to come over and take part in the course.

Please explain what you like the most about the program until now (January)
To borrow a phrase from the course, I have learned to “put up a mirror” to myself to really identify who I am, both as a coach and a person. This process has highlighted strengths and weaknesses that I never realised I had and ways in which they can be changed and implemented into coaching practice.

What kind of people you think would benefit from following this Master?
Speaking from our class’s experience, we are made up of 17 different individuals with different sporting backgrounds, careers and years of experience. However, we are all passionate about looking to improve as a coach. So, if that is the case, then I can’t recommend the course enough.

Can you say a few words about what it is like to live in the Netherlands?
The fact that Amsterdam in an international city and most Dutch people can speak English to a very high level obviously helps with moving over to the Netherlands and with socialising, finding jobs etc. I have also found the Dutch to be an extremely kind group of people who are more than happy to help with any queries or difficulties that you may or may not experience when moving over. However, with regard to finding accommodation, I would recommend trying to find somewhere as early as possible because, as I myself found out, it is notoriously difficult to find suitable accommodation over here. Saying that, everything else about moving over has been absolutely great.

What are you planning to do after you graduate in June?
I am currently applying for Research positions based around Movement Science at various international universities. If I were to attain such a position, it would be another step up the ladder towards my goal of being a golf professional on the European Tour. The Master in Coaching has really inspired me to be the best I can be and therefore put me in a great position to be able to achieve my dream.