HV71 and Rögle BK snub interviews – but Skellefteå confirms: I’ve been two young men in four years
HV71 and Rögle refuse to talk about young people being ostracized by their associations and forced to finish their high school education prematurely.
Skellefteå AIK stands to discuss Sportbladet’s disclosure – but does not want to show agreements as they claim terms are clear to families.
In four years, we’ve had two players that we felt would be very difficult to play J20 last year, says Niklas Lundqvist, NIU’s director and sporting director at the club.
Who is responsible for educating our children?
That is the question from the nine families now testifying at Sportbladet about how their children were excluded from their high school education in ice hockey.
So who is responsible?
HV71: part of previous articles
HV71 He is a strength factor in Swedish ice hockey. They are the eighth most successful SM franchise ever in terms of SM titles and in 2021/22 their turnover reached around SEK 100 million.
Along with Sanda Municipal Sports Center and Sanda Gymnasium, they also have a joint secondary education in ice hockey.
But despite their great status and responsibility, they don’t want to respond or discuss Sportbladet’s disclosure.
“We have noted previous articles and are not interested in participating in them,” Daniel Eriksson, head of development at HV71 with his past in the Swedish Ice Hockey Association, wrote in an email to Sportbladet.
It was not specified what the previous articles were, but in the #Utgallrad review, Sportbladet was able to show, among other things, how elite clubs demanded hundreds of thousands of kroner from families whose young people wanted to finish their secondary education early.
After the disclosure, Sportbladet also received 227 new testimonials and advice about irregularities in Swedish hockey.
However, they refuse to answer why the HV71 does not want to discuss the issues.
On the HV71 website we find information about all of the club’s facilities, with the skills corner and large salad buffet five minutes from the track, and we have clearly defined the point leagues for both emerging teams. On the other hand, Sportbladet cannot find any policy document on how to manage micro-activities and the values on which the activities are based.
Sports Director: That’s not good
Denis Olander is the director of the Sanda Sports Centre, the municipality’s joint sports investment linked to school education. He describes both the lack of transparency and control over what the associations say and do with students outside school hours.
What happens locally in the life of associations, such as playtime, is very difficult for me as a representative of the manager to influence. But I assume that all students will participate in the central content of education. But if everyone plays 25 or 10 matches, it’s very difficult for me to determine true and false.
If they couldn’t play at all in the last year then?
– That’s not good. Then you do not meet the central contents. But I would like to believe that we do not have this kind of business with us.
And if you have?
– These are not the signals I get.
Rögle: on an individual basis
also Rogle BK, who won the regular season in the SHL last season, refuses to appear in an interview. Via text message Peter Ekholm from Communications says “Most people do, but if there are a few who don’t, we help them get time to play at other clubs.”
When Sportbladet asks to speak to a person in charge of the club, Ekholm wonders why. When we present three follow-up questions (how the club looks at the mental side of the selection and still trains with its old teammates, how they see the player’s three-year contract written but could be terminated prematurely and how good the information is given to parents before high school is chosen) the club means that these are matters.” on an individual basis.”
“What I can say is that we always prioritize the individual and do our best for them regardless of the situation. We communicate and work with the player, even if it is time to play at another club for a certain period. Everyone should get the best possible development – that is our goal” , writes Ekholm without answering any of the questions.
Sportbladet also does not have the opportunity to ask questions to anyone outside the communications department.
Rögle BK stresses the importance of transparency in its player development guidance document The Academy Journey. This is to achieve the vision of creating the “best Swedish environment for children and youth”.
School Principal: clash with core values
Susan Okesson, principal of Rögle BK co-op school Ängelholms gymnasium, describes how to finally contact her when students have to change schools.
Usually we as a school learn about this when the decision has already been made and they already have contact with another club or school. I always face the fact that now they have to change schools and they have to get help with that now. Preferably within two hours. I don’t have much contact before then.
Can you ask clubs to be more considerate of school?
– Both yes and no. What is really the problem is that the world of sports and the world of the school itself contradict the school’s value base.
How?
The world of sport is characterized by rapid changes, competition and competition. The school world revolves around equality and core values that everyone must share. These two legs are not compatible but what we are trying to do is make sure it still works. But I can only make sure there’s an equation on the NIU school courses, not the evening practices or the lineup.
The only association that stands by to discuss problems is Skellefteå AIK. Their sports director, who is also responsible for NIU education, Niklas Lundqvist, begins by describing how well the association feels the school collaboration is doing well.
The business we run does a lot of good for our young people who love ice hockey. They get a wide range of good opportunities and become the best in the environment you creates Good opportunities and conditions. I say it’s magic for a hockey player.
At the same time, he stresses that not all students get the chance to play league hockey at Skellefteå AIK during all three years in the club’s ice hockey hall.
In four years, we had two guys who felt it would be very difficult for them to play third year J20 in high school hockey. Then the boys still hold their place in high school in the activities we bring in in the morning and we help them play at a nearby club. We have a partner club that plays J20 and another where they can play first hockey in Division 2.
So maybe not everyone wants to play in those environments, but they find their own alternatives and keep playing hockey, which we think is the important thing. Among those who quit with us, they all found solutions, even if they had their own alternatives for individuals.
Having two guys in four years means that one in 28 students on the club’s ice hockey hall doesn’t hold their guild spot for the entire decade.
How do you see the mental side, that it can be difficult for a young man to train during the day with the same teammates and coaches who were criticized in the evening?
– We’ve thought about it and of course there’s a challenge in that. At the same time, we believe that in the school part we offer a unique opportunity for self-development as an individual in a very good environment, which is the great thing about NIU. Then there are group exercises in the evening, but these guys have the same opportunity to train as the hockey players in school. They are the same coaches and the same commitment. It’s a blessing to get the chance to do that, no matter what budding team you’re playing on in the evening.
How do you view the fact that the player’s contract is for three years but can still be terminated after two years?
– I think sometimes that is the case in elite business. Sometimes it just doesn’t turn out the way you thought it would, although we hope all 14 people listed look great.
Lundkvist describes the club as doing a solid job of finding new students who will be able to combine three years of study with an elite investment in the club. At the same time, he describes that a lot can happen and that it is also difficult for a 15-year-old to understand what life in an elite company really means.
– As with the NHL Draft, it is very difficult to pick the right person in the draft as well and no one knows who will be the best. It is normal for things to happen that no one can predict. But if you solve it with good dialogue and sound leadership, I think it will still be good.
What information do families receive in advance that the meeting place may disappear after two years?
– When we go through the NIU convention, it states that and we’re also talking about that clause. So it is very clear.
In NIU’s player contracts from other clubs seen by Sportbladet, it does not appear that contracts can be terminated prematurely, except in cases of gross mismanagement, breach of contract or doping.
So we’re asking Skellefteå AIK for a copy of one of their standard conventions where Niclas Lundkvist thinks it’s mentioned.
Then Lundkvist announced that the club would not release any agreement and at the same time says that they “will not spend any more time on this”.
Do you know more?
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