MANCHESTER, England — Over the years, Thomas Gronnemark has encountered pretty much every conceivable reaction to his work.
He has known some players who have laughed at the idea. He has found others who think his job is “weird.” He has met many, too, who are willing to listen, happy to explore any possible route to improvement. Only very occasionally, though, has he run into someone who has met someone like him before.
Gronnemark is, to the best of his knowledge, the only specialist throw-in coach working in professional soccer. For the last 12 years, he has trained top-level teams in his native Denmark, Germany and, as of this year, England, running sessions for players who have spent their lives honing and fine-tuning every aspect of their craft.