Video Analysis: It's a Family Affair

Meet the De Nooijers…

The de Nooijer brothers, Dennis (left) and Gérard (right)

Born on the 4th of April, 1969 in the Netherlands, twin brothers Dennis and Gérard de Nooijer have shared more than just a womb during their lifetime.

Both grew up to be talented footballers and both had distinguished playing careers in the Dutch leagues. In fact, they even played in the same team for the majority of the 80s and 90s.

This journey began when they were signed together to Sparta Rotterdam where they played together a little over a decade between 1987 and 1998, competing in almost 500 games each.

After this, the duo moved to SC Heerenveen in the late nineties before finishing their playing careers together at FC Dordrecht in the mid 2000s. 

All in all, this is a remarkable story which highlights the close bonds developed by twin brothers.

But not only this, after hanging up their boots, the brothers went on to promising coaching careers in the Dutch leagues.

Currently, Dennis is the head coach at VV Goes in the Dutch third division while Gérard is head coach at HSV Hoek in the same division. This means they’ve gone from being teammates to rivals, an interesting situation.

As well as their football careers, the De Nooijers have also shared similar journeys in the world of video analysis. They both use Nacsport and Nacsport Hub at their respective clubs to improve player and team performance - and that’s what we’re talking to them about today.

So, let’s hear from the brothers themselves…

Hello to you both. Can you tell us a bit more about yourselves?

Dennis: Hi there! My name is Dennis de Nooijer, and I’m the head coach at VV Goes. For the past three years, my main responsibility has been guiding and coaching our first team.

Gérard: And I’m Gérard de Nooijer, head coach of the 1st team at HSV Hoek, a club in the Dutch third division. This is my first season, and I’m responsible for the team’s training and competitive performance.

Can you tell us how video analysis fits into your weekly schedule?

Dennis: Well, I believe video analysis is essential for us. I regularly use it to evaluate our matches and individual player performance. 

It helps us to identify areas for improvement and, of course, the strengths we want to build on.

Gérard: I agree. It’s more or less part of my daily routine. I usually start reviewing our match on Sundays, using Nacsport to analyse key moments. 

By Monday, I’m preparing an analysis of our upcoming opponents, sending clips to players and other coaches. 

This is a routine that keeps us sharp during training and gets us prepared for match days.

Dennis de Nooijer analysing a game with Nacsport

What are your primary goals when using video analysis?

Dennis: As I said earlier, my main goal is to enhance our team performance and help individual players reach their full potential. 

Video analysis allows us to see patterns and insights that we might miss in real-time.

Basically, it aligns with our growth-focused team philosophy.

Gérard: Yes, I have a similar philosophy when it comes to using video analysis. I would say there are four main areas where I use the software. These would be:

1. Opposition analysis to give us an idea of the strengths and weaknesses of our next opponent.

2. Tactical training to allow our players to identify various game situations and make the correct tactical choices.

3. The match itself, in which players consciously recognise surprising moments that resulted from the analysis and training.

4. The post-match debriefing based on the analysis where we look back at our plan and evaluate how well it was implemented.

I feel that it’s an invaluable tool for helping players recognise critical situations and refine their decision-making.

Gérard de Nooijer's analysis set up with Nacsport

Is Nacsport used with all the teams at your club?

Dennis: Not every team, but there are several teams within our club structure that use Nacsport. 

This helps us to maintain consistency in our training regimes and match evaluations across all levels. This encourages consistent growth as players move through the ranks each year.

Gérard: At HSV Hoek, Nacsport is used almost exclusively by the first team. For us, it’s a core part of our technical and tactical preparation.

Which Nacsport tools do you use most in your daily work?

Dennis: I’ve been using Nacsport for many years and the key tools for me are the timeline markers, KlipDraw drawing tool, and, of course the tagging window. 

The tagging window allows me to create personalised parameters for an analysis and helps me to pinpoint and highlight specific aspects of gameplay.

Gérard: Yes, I also have a good few years experience working with the software. I previously worked at a football academy in China where Nacsport is used extensively.

The main tools I use would be the video tagging feature, Nacsport Hub and the video presentation creator. All of these allow me to create a detailed analysis of our games and solid presentations for sharing insights to the players.

So, how do you present these insights to players?

Dennis: I use multiple approaches when it comes to video sessions - team video meetings, one-on-one meetings and online sharing through Nacsport Hub. 

This allows for a great mix of both group learning and individual feedback.

I also use KlipDraw to visually enhance our presentations. With it, I can add tactical drawings, annotations, and graphics to illustrate key which fosters better understanding and communication.

Gérard: For me, it depends on what our focus is for that week’s training. 

Sometimes, I share insights individually or with smaller groups - such as the defenders or attackers - but I also hold full-team sessions where we get everyone together and look at the most important points from our previous matches or upcoming opponents. 

I too share clips via Hub, though I don’t use KlipDraw much at the moment. Hub is an extremely convenient communication tool from Nacsport. I might also share the most relevant clips via WhatsApp.

Can you tell us more about how you use Nacsport Hub?

Dennis: Yes, Hub is used as a centralised platform for storing, organising, and sharing video analysis data.

It allows us to collaborate seamlessly and access valuable game insights across the entire organisation.

Gérard: Only our first team coaches and players have access to Hub, but they can do this through the dedicated mobile app and check out video clips on the Team Channel where we can also have conversations like we would on a social media app.

Do you analyse live games?

Dennis: Yes. I use Nacsport to tag key moments and actions in real-time. This provides us with immediate feedback so that we can make quick tactical adjustments. 

Nacsport Tag&view, a mobile app for iOS, enables me to quickly access our tagged clips and give instant feedback to the team.

Gérard: At the moment, I don’t analyse live games, although it maybe something I will consider in the future.

Gentlemen, thanks for your time. Any last words?

Dennis: Thanks to you too. As a final word, I’d just like to say that Nacsport and KlipDraw allow me to leverage video analysis to continuously improve our team performance and support the development of each player within the club.

Gérard: Yes, thanks. For me, I’d say that it can’t be argued that video analysis adds value, helping improve team and player performance.

Nacsport makes it possible for every club to analyse matches and improve quickly as a team.

Conclusion

For Dennis and Gérard de Nooijer, video analysis isn’t just a tool; it’s a cornerstone of their coaching strategy. 

By meticulously dissecting games, training sessions, and even opponent strategies, they bring a level of precision that elevates both individual and team performance. 

Their combined experience underscores the transformative potential of video analysis in modern football, and they continue to inspire other coaches to embrace technology in pursuit of excellence.

Again, we’d like to thank Dennis and Gérard for taking time out of their busy schedules to answer our questions and give us this fascinating insight into how video analysis is used in Dutch football.

If you are interested in leveraging Nacsport to improve your own team’s game, we recommend trying our free, no-obligation 30-day trial. You can get started here.

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Thanks for reading.