IIHF U20 2022 / WC 20 hockey 2022 – Finland’s coach has a secret weapon against the Slovaks

Slovakia’s match schedule for the 2022 Under-20 Ice Hockey World Championship
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Slovakia has a challenging duel ahead of it against a stronger and favored opponent on paper. The junior national team “Suomi” won bronze at the last championship and it is expected that they will not leave this tournament empty-handed either.

The management decided to increase the chances of winning precious metals by expanding the implementation team with a reinforcement that will ensure the advantage for the young Finns. It therefore engaged Tatja Holmová, who became the first sports psychologist in the coaching group of the under-20 national team. The working environment was not completely unknown to her, she had already assisted head coach Antti Pennanen in the past.

“I work with the head coach. Among other things, my role is to support a good working culture. I participated in the trainings and observed the emotional state and atmosphere of the team. Of course, my observations are not related to hockey, but to psychology,” she summarized her work for Iltalehti.fi.

Interviews with players are part of her job. “We also had good sessions between the coach, the player and me. Antti Pennanen brings hockey and coaching into the discussion. I ask questions from the point of view of sports psychology.”

Tatja Holmová had no problems with acclimatization in the team, she was well received in the cabin. “The players were open, curious and interested. They have a strong desire to develop. My presence is one of the things that promotes competitive advantage. I think the players feel that way too.

They said they feel safe in this team. The atmosphere is open, you meet people here as they are. This frees the athlete to be strong, perform well and give his best.”

The common goal of the Finnish national team is the junior world championship title. That is also why the head coach is pleased that he has a psychological ace up his sleeve. “I always wanted to have a competitive advantage over other top countries. Tatja supports the team process,” says Antti Pennanen.

See also how Juraj Slafkovský and Filip Mešár entertained in a joint interview:

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