Golf | Sports fans were dismayed: the national team got a coach with no coaching experience – a family friend as manager

The former of a competitive player Mikael Salminen the choice to be the coach of the amateur national golf team causes a stir in domestic sports circles. A group of players and coaches are dismayed by Salminen's selection for the job.

36-year-old Salminen has played very well on domestic courts. He also has experience in international competitions and the Challenge Tour, i.e. Europe's second level tour.

However, the choice is questionable for many reasons.

Salmi doesn't have a single day of coaching experience and he ended his active career two to three years ago to move from sports to civilian work.

In addition, Salminen is very close to his future manager and family friend, the head coach of the Golfliitto Eero Kangasniemen with.

According to HS information, the close distance between Salminen and Kangasniemi is quite common knowledge in golf circles. The connection is more unknown to the general public. Concerns have arisen among sports fans that Salminen's choice does not look very good from the outside.

According to HS sources, Salminen's name was not included in the coaching discussions at all.

“Nobody knew anything about the whole thing. There were forty applicants for these national team coaching positions,” says a source who speaks anonymously due to his position.

“

“We weren't really looking for a coach, we were looking for team members.”

Golf Association publicly Team Finland's coaching team in early January.

According to the association, the selectors were convinced by Salminen's strong knowledge of the sport, his stable personality and his ability to understand processes.

The association says that it considers the duties of the coach of the amateur national teams and piloting the competitive players in the transition phase forward to be a challenging task.

That didn't stop the association from choosing a person for the job who doesn't have a single day of coaching experience. How did the association end up choosing Salmi?

“On the basis of the strategy and on the basis of the action plan and goals built from it”, executive director of the Golfliitto Juha Korhonen answers.

In addition to the coaching manager Kangasniemi and executive director Korhonen, the competition sports manager was responsible for the application process Juha Juvonenwhose decision-making power is characterized as tough.

“We weren't actually looking for any coach, but we were looking for team members with strong interaction skills and an understanding of processes and how to go through them,” says Korhonen.

“

“He knows Mikael Salminen and told all the connections.”

Let's choose According to executive director Korhonen, “perhaps some misunderstanding”.

“Maybe it comes from that coaching title, but of course it's a very established title. Of course, you could have thought of another term for that,” says Korhonen.

“The process was very clear, and our team handled it very professionally. I have been in the financial industry for 18 years and managed dozens of recruitment processes myself. This is right up there in the high end.”

Kangasniemi would withdraw himself from the process related to Salmi after this application came in, i.e. before the interview phase.

“He said he couldn't and didn't want to have anything to do with it. He knows Mikael Salminen and told all the connections,” says Korhonen.

Despite that, Kangasniemi will work as his family friend's supervisor for the next five years, so the stay will not extend to the actual job.

“Of course it has been discussed. It would even have been pretty close to discrimination, if it is stated that others think Salminen is the best, and if Eero had flagged that he couldn't choose him,” says Korhonen.

“

“In that, Eero must be especially careful, that equality and justice are realized.”

Executive Director stresses that Kangasniemi's and Salminen's friendship must not affect the solutions and decisions made in the operation.

“It is of course clear to everyone. In that, Eero must be especially careful that equality and justice are realized in all aspects in everyday work.”

In addition to the lack of experience, Salmis also lacks the training to become a coach. He has not taken any level of PGA training. Does the union intend to train Salmi and if so, on what schedule?

“That was a condition for the whole selection. We went through that with him as well. It was recognized and we want to educate ourselves and apply for that knowledge,” Korhonen replies.

“Salminen is committed to our training paths. He has actually already started down that path. Of course, we want to develop that side for him.”

The Golfliitto invests, at least on a strategic level, in support measures for the players by more strongly supporting the cooperation between the athlete and his personal coach.

It also requires competence from the national team coach, because interaction with the home coach has to work. That's why Salminen has to be a coach and the so-called captain's role doesn't work.

Olympic Committee top sports manager Tommi Pärmäkoski says that it is too early for him to take any position on the appointment of a coach.

However, as with other golf-related issues, there is a discussion with the sports association.

“The sport is responsible for its own activities and the Olympic Committee always spars with the sports association. In any sport, the Olympic Committee will not dictate from above that this is how it should be done,” says Pärmäkoski.