Erkka Westerlund, who aspires to become the president of the ice hockey association, wants to change the stale culture of the sport. In his opinion, hockey should be an encouraging and nurturing environment for all players.
Competitive The ice hockey association’s first post got significantly hotter on Monday, when Erkka Westerlund signed up.
Westerlund knows that when he talks, the puck crowd listens. He feels that he has followed the direction of the sport from the side long enough to know that it is time for a change.
The desire to be a leader of change stems from the old fashioned institution of the sport of hockey. As the society around changes, hockey should lead the change in the sport.
“In ice hockey, we have had a fairly hierarchical, even authoritarian operating tradition. Someone tells you how to do things and then others do it. The best communities, leaders and coaches have already moved from this operating model to the operating method of creating trust and common understanding. These are two completely different methods of operation and require different skills,” says Westerlund.
Just like in his time at the helm of, among others, HIFK, Jokeri or Leijoni, Westerlund’s goals are not the most modest. He wants to help shape the future of not only hockey but also Finnish sports as a whole. And through that, the future of Finnish society.
Erkka Westerlund knows that he has changed a lot as a person and as a coach during his career.
Specially Westerlund calls for a change in human management. He emphasizes that he is the sports alternative to the sports task in the chairmanship.
“We need an education of the heart to work with people. And it is precisely the change in the operating culture that I am after. Ice hockey should be a trend setter for Finnish sports. The problem is that we lack the know-how in this regard.”
On a practical level, the success coach mentions the association’s current strategy for the years 2022–2026.
“There is no know-how to put into practice the good things that are written there.”
Westerlund wants to bring “sport management” to the Ice Hockey Federation through his own expertise. The association itself is its own thing, but Westerlund is more interested in what the sports culture will become in the next few years.
“Cultural change must be reflected in the actions of our coaches. If you think about competence in Finnish sports, the biggest bottleneck is coaching competence. If there are no competent instructors and coaches, we play bad sports.”
Erkka Westerlund and Raimo Summanen formed a successful – and explosive – coaching team at HIFK, Jokerei and Leijon.
Westerlund’s in my opinion, it is necessary to be able to improve the skill of meeting people. What is important is not only how many of the age groups become star players, but that the sports environment is encouraging and nurturing for all players.
“For a long time, we have been doing sports mainly top sports and competitive sports first. In the future, it must be done on the terms of each participant. We have to take care and care about everyone who is taken in and lured in.”
“We have to understand what a responsible task it is if we want to keep sports in a big role in society. With the help of sports, we can make Finland a vibrant and functional nation.”
Cases that have been in the headlines in recent months, e.g. In Westerlund’s opinion, the harassment and abuse of SM league players are examples of the fact that there is a lot of room for improvement in the culture of the sport.
“Of course, many factors affect such cases. Still, it can be said that hockey has not been successful in this regard. Sport is the best opportunity to influence children and young people. We should be experts in human development. Concrete measures must be found. Now we have a great strategy, but it doesn’t work in practice.”
Westerlund coached the Jokers in both the SM league and the KHL.
Why So should Erkka Westerlund be chosen for this particularly demanding change leader position? His background is specifically from this old, hierarchical hockey era. He is remembered as the successful coach of the Jokers and HIFK and naturally also as the helm of the Lions.
“I coached for the first 30 years with a rather authoritarian approach. After that, for the last 15 years I learned a new people-oriented way of working. I have experienced these things in practice. I know what I’m talking about.”
In recent years, Westerlund has worked as a senior advisor for TPS’s SM league team.
Westerlund has also served as the principal and CEO of the Vierumäki sports school and was a member of the Huippu-eruhlu change work group.
Westerlund sees his sports background as his most significant contribution in the presidential race. With the previous chairman of the association Harri Nummela has a business background, not a sports background.
“We are currently undergoing a change in the culture of meeting people. It manifests itself everywhere. How we lead, coach, teach and even sell things. I wanted to participate in this competition specifically as a sports candidate. I want to bring sport back to sport.”
In addition to Westerlund, the Jääkieksoliitto’s presidential race has also registered Heikki Hietanen.
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