I have had the pleasure to work with great coaches, players and managers throughout my career.
Check out what they have to say about working with me.
Coaches
Rick Rhoades // i.a. Team Austria, Graz Giants, Delta State, Troy University
“I am very excited to learn that Max is going to continue his coaching career through his new consulting service. I have known and worked with Max since the beginning of his coaching career and consider him to be among Europe’s best coaches. His experience, knowledge and credentials can be of great help to any program whether established or just beginning.”
Florian Grein // Team Austria U19, Raiders Tirol Youth Coordinator
“Max is one of the most passionate coaches i‘ve ever worked with! He‘s not only coaching the game, he is living and loving it!”
Patrick Resch // Styrian Hurricanes
“One of the greatest influencers in my young coaching career. His ideas and inputs are effecting our practice-schedules, playbooks and my coaching mindset. Max helped me to establish a professional structure and culture in a lower Austrian Football division.”
Nick Johansen // i.a. Wroclaw Panthers, Graz Giants, Team Austria
“Coach Sommer and I worked together with both the Graz Giants and the Austrian National Team throughout the World Championships. He is has a very detail oriented style of coaching that allows players to thrive. This being done while making something complex and not complicated for the athletes. Would highly recommend Coach Sommer to anyone who is looking for ways to improve on a championship organization or starting from the foundation of a new program.”
Thomas Hohenwarter // Carinthian Lions
“I had the pleasure of watching Max Sommer through different stages of his Career. It was incredible to see his development from a Player in the Youth to an assistant Coach with the Giants and the National Team and finally as the OC of the Giants. The way he prepares, his ability to focus when it’s time to work and his knowledge about Football is second to none. You combine all that with great leadership skills and get one of the best Coaches in Europe.”
Stefan Pokorny // Danube Dragons, Team Austria
“I had the pleasure to coach together with Max Sommer at the Austrian Under 19 and Men’s National Team. Max is a really smart football mind with great passion for the game. I can recommend everybody on any level to work together with Max to become a better coach and teacher. He understands the challenges, boundaries and opportunities of European American Football and how to build a successful program.”
Skip Albano // i.a. Sierra College, Team Austria, Vienna Vikings, Danube Dragons
“I have known Coach Sommer for over a decade. Dedicated and knowable, Coach Sommer is well grounded in the game of football.”
Michael Nitsch // Graz Giants
“Certainly one of the most passionate coaches in Europe. His work ethic and knowledge of the game really helped me to step up my coaching.”
Players
Pasha Asiladab // Vienna Vikings, Danube Dragons
“Working with Max was always a pleasure. His knowledge of the game combined with the sense of treating every team member individualy is unique. Over the years Max has not only become a rolemodel to many young athletes he also has established himself as one of the biggest experts in the football community.”
Chris Gross // Vienna Vikings, Baden Bruins
“I have had the chance to experience Coach Sommer’s passion for American Football for over a decade and his energy on the field is electrifying. His knowledge of the game is very versatile and besides running interesting schemes at different tempos, I highly respect his ability to coach and understand the Quarterback position.”
Clint Floyd // i.a. Arizona State University, Graz Giants, Asahi Challengers (JAP)
“You don’t meet too many player coaches and Coach Max is just that. Not only can you come to him and talk about football but you can talk about life and what it has in store for you afterwards. Through my time at the Giants, I learned so much more about systems, offenses and schemes. He is just not a great coach but a great person to be around. He gets players fired up and he knows how to get your engine going. His energy is positive which rubs off on players to go out and play the game with passion, toughness and he always reminds players most importantly to have fun.”
Alex Sanz // Graz Giants
“A coach who turned generations of boys into AFL and national team starters and who cares about the things beyond the football field.”
Adrian Platzgummer // Raiders Tirol
“Very knowledgeable and views his offense from a players perspective. Extremely well-prepared, has a plan for every situation. Uses every opportunity to improve and to make his players better.”
Sandro Platzgummer // Raiders Tirol
“Best prepared and most motivating coach during halftime speeches I have ever known.”
Bernhard Seikovits // Vienna Vikings
Ich durfte von Max Sommer erstmals als 16-jähriger beim Nachwuchs Nationalteam gecoached werden. Innerhalb von den drei Tagen hat er mir mehr Football beigebracht als ich sonst in einem ganzen Monat höre. Abseits vom Feld hat er mir auch gezeigt wie man sich als Leader einer Mannschaft verhält. Ich habe den größten Respekt vor Max Sommer als Coach und auch als Mensch. Er ist ein Mann, der Football einfach im Blut hat und diese Liebe für den Sport an sein Umfeld weitergibt.
Precious Obgbevoen // New Mexico Military Institute JC, Vienna Vikings
“Coach Sommer is a tough coach, but he will bring the best out of you! He is always highly motivated and brings energy to the football field.”
Jan-Phillip Bombek // Colorado State, Feather River JC, Hamburg Huskies
“In my opinion coach Sommer is an excellent coach, who not only posesses good football knowlege, but also interacts with his players in a good personal way. This attitude makes his players work harder and more focused than with other coaches.”
Valentin Gruber // Vienna Vikings, Simon Fraser University
“Besides his schematic expertise and offensive football proficiency, it is Max’ personality as a coach that sets him apart in my eyes. Stepping in front of the team at the Austrian Men’s National Team in 2010 at a very young age left a big impression on me, and he has continued to build on that ever since.”
Thomas Tippold // Vienna Vikings
“Knowing Max Sommer for a long time, I got to witness his development as a person and coach first-hand. His passion and leadership skills were outstanding even at a young age, and set the bar high for his players and coaches.
Today, Max is one of Europe’s brightest, young coaches, with in-depth knowledge about the game and excellent teaching skills.“
Sebastian Schreiner // Graz Giants
“Ich habe Max Sommer vor über 10 Jahren kennengelernt und er hat mich seit diesem Zeitpunkt trainiert und mir das trainieren von Jugendlichen beigebracht. Max vermittelt durch seine Erfahrung nicht nur sportliches Wissen, sondern legt viel Wert auf die Entwicklung von Charakterstärken. Ich glaube, dass ich sportlich und akademisch nicht so viel Erfolg gehabt hätte und haben werde, wenn Max Sommer nicht mein Lehrer und Freund gewesen wäre.”
Florian Probst // Graz Giants, Highland Park HS
“Because of Max‘s valuable experience at the youth as well as the Nationalteam level and his tireless work ethic he always thinks one step ahead and knows how to bring out the best in every player.”
Matthias Kiegerl // Graz Giants
“Max sommer is a great football coach and an even better person. He had an major impact on my football career and life. Max helped me to become the very best footballplayer i can be and together with him i was able to achieve lots off success in football.”
Manager
Karl Wurm // Vienna Vikings, AFBÖ
“Bewusst nahm ich Max Sommer zum ersten Mal als National Team Coach bei B-EM in Wolfsberg wahr, wo er die RB über hatte. Schon damals war ich sehr verwundert, dass ein so junger Mann mithelfen konnte, ein so profundes Trainingsprogramm für das Österreichische Herren National Team auf die Beine zu stellen. Bei seinem Stamm-Verein, den Graz Giants, übernahm er in weiterer Folge u. a. das Training und Coaching der diversen Nachwuchs Teams. Auch hier war im Laufe der Zeit nicht nur eine deutliche Qualitätsverbesserung zu beobachten, auch die Verbesserung im quantitativen Bereich der Grazer Nachwuchsteams wurde augenscheinlich. Somit hat Max zu einer der wichtigsten Aufgaben eines Football Vereines entscheidend beigetragen: Jungen Burschen (und Mädchen) unseren geliebten Sport näher zu bringen.”
Christoph Schreiner // Graz Giants
“For quite a few years Max Sommer was one of the most influential people on the Projekt Spielberg Graz Giants. As a youth coordinator he positively affected young men teaching them the nuances of the sport and the importance of being a good person and a team member. As a senior coach he helped mold them into AFL and National Team players. On the organizational side he was very much involved in getting the Giants Family together thereby strengthening the bond between players, coaches, families and fans.”
Georg Zivko // i.a. Vienna Vikings Youth & Academy Coordinator, Team Austria
“What can I say? Great guy and awesome coach! Love working with him at the Nationalteam and as well developing the AFCC. He is putting a lot of passion in his work and takes everything really seriously! I’m honored to call him a friend of mine.”
Thomas Ölsböck // Chief de Mission AFBÖ
“Als Coach und Chief suche ich immer die Definition eines Football Coach Nerd zu finden. Dies sind meine Definitionen des FCN. Motiviert, kein Football Buch Coach, Erfahrung durch Hand an den Job, Erfahrung durch jahrelanges erleben und zuhören, verschließt sich nicht neues zu lernen, versteht Jugendliche und weiß mit ihnen umzugehen. Coach Sommer qualifiziert sich definitiv für meine Definition des FCN.”
Christian Kranz // Steirischer Footballverband
Es freut mich besonders, dass Max Sommer sein langjähriges Know-How den Vereinen in Zukunft wieder zur Verfügung stellt.
So wird er Vereinen nicht nur sportlich weiterhelfen, sondern sie auch in der besonders wichtigen Aufbau- und Nachwuchsarbeit unterstützen können.
Bojan Savicevic // Referee AFSÖ
“Coach Sommer hat durch seine harte Arbeit und die Leidenschaft für Football diese und kommende Generationen im American Football nachhaltig geformt und das Leben jugendlicher Spieler positiv beeinflusst.