Kovland Hockey is broadening its training to include dance and conversations about self-esteem, security, and team camaraderie to become stronger as a team and individuals, with the goal of creating a stronger community and contributing to shaping confident young boys. The initiative originated from Emma Nyman, the mother of a player in Kovland Hockey who often sits in the stands watching during training sessions. According to SVT Västernorrland, the idea to build something more than just a team grew from Emma Nyman's observations in the stands.
In the later part of the hockey season, Kovland Hockey has chosen to broaden its focus beyond on-ice performance to include important values outside hockey. The initiative has been received positively by the boys, though it has been challenging at times. According to SVT Västernorrland, players have described the experience of dancing in front of others as quite nerve-wracking but still fun and an opportunity to dare to be yourself a little more.
Through various activities, the players get the opportunity to show other sides of themselves – strengths that are not always visible in the match report.
Key unknowns include how many players are involved, what specific dance activities are included, how long this broader training approach has been implemented, what measurable outcomes have been observed, and whether there are plans to expand or formalize it in the future.
For us, this is a way to develop secure young boys, not just better hockey players. At the same time, we believe that the work we do off the ice also makes us stronger on it.