From the NASL website.
“When Dwight and Hans first told us about Harry, we felt like he would be the perfect coach to pick up where the two left off,” said General Manager Mel Kowalchuk. “Harry has gone through the same Dutch coaching program as Hans and even has experience working with both Dwight and Hans back in Holland. We’re happy to get him signed and expect the transition to be almost seamless.”
Sinkgraven has experience coaching at the U20 level for the Dutch Football Association, the Dutch Premier Division as well as the First Division. He also coached the National Olympic Team of Indonesia in 2006.
Sinkgraven began his career in professional football in 1988 as a player for FC Groningen in the Dutch Premier Division. He followed that with stints at SC Cambuur, where he achieved promotion from the Dutch First Division to the Premier League, and finally with FC Zwolle.
After retiring as a player in 2001, Sinkgraven decided to put the coaching training he received from the CIOS – a vocational school for sports instruction in Holland – to use, and became the Assistant Coach and Trainer for FC Zwolle’s U19 team in 2001. He was promoted to the first team as an Assistant in 2002 and finally took over Head Coaching duties in 2006.
Sinkgraven attended a course put on by KNVB (Dutch Football Association) and brought his talents to the international level as a Trainer and Coach with the National Olympic Team of Indonesia. He then moved on to take over Head Coaching duties for SC Heerenveen’s women’s team before going back to international football as an Assistant Coach and Scout for the U20 Dutch National Team in 2007.
Sinkgraven’s last head coaching job was with FC Emmen in the Dutch First Division.
Sinkgraven currently holds a UEFA Pro coaching licence and instructs “A” level coaches in Holland, Trinidad and Tobago, South Africa and Indonesia on behalf of the KNVB.
“I am looking forward to starting the job with FC Edmonton,” Sinkgraven said, shortly after signing his contract. “For me, it is a big challenge to work with the team and to start in a new league. I’m looking forward to that challenge.”
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ABOUT HARRY SINKGRAVEN:
Born: January 21, 1966
Marital Status: Married to Mirjam
Children: Esmee (16), Daley (15), Jade (10) and Indy (8)
Experience: * Instructor KNVB U20 & U23 (Dutch Football Association) 2007- 2009
* Trainer/Coach FC Emmen (Dutch First Division) 2009-2010
* Scout KNVB U20 and U23 (Dutch soccer association) 2007-2009
* Assistant Coach KNVB U20 (Dutch Soccer Association) 2007-2009
* Trainer/Coach SC Heerenveen (Dutch Women’s Premier Division) 2007-2009
* Trainer/Coach National Olympic Team of Indonesia (Asian Games) 2006
* Trainer/Coach FC Zwolle (Dutch First Division) 2006
Filed under: FC Edmonton, NASL General News | Tagged: Harry Sinkgraven, Mel Kowalchuk |
The NASL Fanatic! 
I thought Lodeweges was their coach?
Last week FC Edmonton GM Mel Kowalchuk announced that Head Coach Dwight Lodeweges and Assistant Coach Hans Schrijver have accepted positions with a club in Asia.
The fact that Sinkgraven was recommended by Lodeweges and shares a background in Dutch football with him suggests that there will be continuity in the coaching philosophy and training with the FC Edmonton club that played an exhibition schedule in 2010 against such teams as Portsmouth, Colo Colo, and the NASL’s Montreal Impact and Puerto Rico Islanders.