key values
““In sport, movement is nothing without purpose — action is movement with a goal.”
#1
Mission Niels de Vries
At Vortex Sport, I see sport as more than performance on the field — it’s about growth, purpose, and long-term development. Movement with purpose to lift, as in a vortex.
My mission is to empower both coaches and players to make every action intentional, every performance focused, and every step forward meaningful. By combining sport science with practical coaching expertise, I bridge the gap between research and the pitch.
#2
What I Bring to the Game
Science into practice: I transform research into clear, effective ideas, insights, training and recovery programs, that directly support performance goals. Players are not robots.
From movement to mastery: I help coaches interpret movement and movement behaviour. Out-of-box views on awareness, quicker recovery, decision-making, and maintain execution (under pressure).
Focus on what matters most: Beyond strength and fitness, I emphasize game intelligence, positioning, and the mental side of performance. Female players are not small men, and certainly no robots.
Building intentional culture: Together, we create environments where athletes know why they train, how to measure progress, and what drives sustainable improvement.
#3
Why me?
With over ten years of experience as a sport scientist, (performance / fitness) coach, and consultant, I bring both energy and expertise to every project. I’ve had the privilege of supporting the Dutch Women’s National Team at multiple European Championships, World Cups, and the Olympic Games. These experiences have shaped my ability to work under pressure, to innovate when it matters most, and to keep athletes performing at their best.
What sets me apart is not only technical knowledge, but the ability to connect science with people. I believe true progress happens when evidence meets passion — when data and metrics empower players and coaches to perform with confidence.With over a decade of experience as a sport scientist, coach, and consultant, I bring passion and precision to my work. I’m proud to have been part of the Dutch Women’s National Team staff, contributing at major national and international tournaments. My strength lies in sharing knowledge, driving innovation, and creating real impact.
Journey 2000 – 2025
The first experiences in testing players and supporting coaches on elite level was during the study Human Movement Science (1997 – 2000). Sc Heerenveen (Foppe de Haan), FC Utrecht (Mark Wotte) and the European Championship (EURO2000; Frank Rijkaard) highlight this period.
At SportDrenthe (2000-2006) active in the field of movement and health programs for different groups, with special focus on (children with) physical disabilities. More and more involved in football, starting at the Royal Netherlands Football Association coordinating training and testing professional referees (2003 – 2015) and involvement in the Academy for football conditioning (Raymond Verheijen).
Monitoring and testing players at different national football teams, youth and senior, men and women, including futsal and beach soccer. Involvement in women’s football, monitoring and coach support national team (Vera Pauw and Ed Engelkes) grew to full time commitment (2015 – 2025) to the FA’s women’s football, supporting youth national team coaches, talent programs and club development. And becoming a national team technical staff member (Roger Reijners, Arjan van der Laan, Sarina Wiegman, Mark Parsons and Andries Jonker).
02.
Experiences
Through the years… I was member of the technical staff (exercise scientist or assistant coach) on the Dutch women’s national team during women’s football tournaments:
– 2013 UEFA WEURO Sweden
– 2015 FIFA WWC Canada
– 2017 UEFA WEURO The Netherlands
– 2018 FIFA WWCU20 France
– 2019 FIFA WWC France
– 2021 Olympics Tokyo
– 2021 UEFA WEURO England
– 2023 FIFA WWC Australia & New Zealand
– 2025 UEFA WEURO Switserland
