Svein Tore Brandshaug
He has experienced the ups and downs of top-level football. Today, Svein Tore Brandshaug uses his experience to develop Oslo Folk High School's football players – both on and off the pitch.
Svein Tore Brandshaug had – like many young players – a clear dream of becoming a professional footballer. As a final-year junior at Molde, the dream became a reality when he signed a professional contract with the club he had played for since he was five years old.
One of the highlights came before the start of the 1999 season, when Molde faced Ajax in Amsterdam. The then 19-year-old Molde player scored three times in 17 minutes – a hat-trick against one of Europe's most renowned teams. That same autumn, the Champions League awaited, with opponents such as Real Madrid and Porto.
Throughout his career he played for clubs such as Ham-Kam, Strømsgodset and Haugesund and has, among other things, two silver medals in the Tippeligaen with Molde, over 100 matches for Strømsgodset, and has played in the cup final at Ullevaal with Haugesund. He also has 25 U-national matches and two junior NM gold medals.
– Spending an entire year with like-minded football players creates a unique learning arena, and that is perhaps the greatest strength of a folk high school year.
From top player to coach
When he was 31, Svein Tore decided to step down as a player. He moved to Oslo, began studying sports and at the same time became a playing assistant coach in Skeid.
The transition gave me a taste for more.
– It was natural to focus on a coaching career after I chose to step down as a player, he says.
This was followed by several coaching assignments, including as head coach in Årvoll, as well as work as both a zone and district coach. With a UEFA-B license at the bottom, he has solid formal competence, and even though his everyday life as a father of young children and a folk high school teacher is packed, he still has a strong commitment to the coaching role. Today, he uses his experience in a slightly different way – as a coach for Skeid boys 13, where his own son also plays.
Top sports at folk high school
After completing his studies, an opportunity opened up at Oslo Folkehøgskole. He started as a sports teacher, but quickly discovered that many students were most interested in football. This was the start of the school's top football program, which he has led since 2016.
– As an A-team coach, a lot of it is about results. At the folk high school it is more about people. You have to see the big picture – both the football-related and the personal.
Many of the students also play in clubs outside of school, and that is why he is keen to adapt the training routine so that the total load is not too great. He believes that few schools can match what Oslo Folkehøgskole Rønningen offers:
– The students have access to top facilities: a SATS-level weight room, a large hall, an artificial turf field, skilled teachers and good food. They get to live like top athletes – but also experience much more.
In addition to the school's facilities, the top football line has close collaboration with local clubs, which provides good opportunities for further development.
– Here, students become part of an environment where sports are not everything. They get to live as top athletes, but also be more than that.
Unity, development and opportunities
After a long career as both a player and a coach, Svein Tore has experienced how crucial unity and environment are for development – both on and off the pitch. Many of the friendships and networks he still has today stem from football. He knows how strong and valuable relationships are created through sport, and he sees the same mechanisms in the students at the folk high school.
– It is easy to see how important it is for young players to develop both as individual athletes and as people. Spending a whole year with like-minded football players creates a unique learning arena, and that is perhaps the greatest strength of a folk high school year.