With more than two decades of coaching experience, Dutch national rifle coach Rolf van der Velde has built a career dedicated to athlete development and high-performance success.
Based at the National Olympic Shooting Centre in Emmen, he leads the Dutch Rifle Team across senior, junior and para-shooting programmes, while also contributing to the ISSF Coaching Education programme.
From guiding athletes to European Championship medals and finals appearances to representing the Netherlands at major ISSF competitions and European Games, van der Velde brings a wealth of knowledge and international experience to the latest edition of Coach’s Corner.
Based at the National Olympic Shooting Centre in Emmen, he leads the Dutch Rifle Team across senior, junior and para-shooting programmes, while also contributing to the ISSF Coaching Education programme.
From guiding athletes to European Championship medals and finals appearances to representing the Netherlands at major ISSF competitions and European Games, van der Velde brings a wealth of knowledge and international experience to the latest edition of Coach’s Corner.
What is your coaching philosophy in one sentence?
Train the mind and the body equally, because technique without mental strength will never reach its full potential.
What is the one habit you try to build in every athlete you coach?
Consistency in the process. I strongly believe that elite performance is not built on occasional brilliance, but on the daily commitment to doing the small things well. I work with every athlete to shift their focus away from outcomes and towards the quality of their execution — so that when competition pressure rises, their routine and mental discipline carry them through. This habit, once truly embedded, becomes one of the most powerful tools an athlete can have.
At elite level, what separates a good shooter from a great one?
At the highest level of the sport, technical ability is rarely the defining factor — most elite athletes have already mastered the fundamentals. What truly separates good from great is mental resilience: the capacity to remain composed under pressure, to reset quickly after an error, and to perform with the same level of focus in a final as in training. Great shooters have a deep understanding of themselves — they know their triggers, they manage their emotions effectively, and they bring a quiet confidence to the line that is built over years of disciplined preparation.
How do you balance technical training with mental preparation?
I do not treat technical and mental training as separate elements — in my approach, they are deeply interconnected from the very beginning. Strong technical foundations build confidence, and confidence is the bedrock of mental resilience under pressure. As athletes develop and move towards the elite level, the emphasis naturally shifts, and mental preparation takes on an increasingly significant role in our sessions. We work with individualised strategies for focus, stress regulation and routine building, always ensuring that these mental tools are practiced within realistic training conditions rather than discussed only in theory.