The IFF Member Associations’ meeting was organised in St. Gallen during the 8th Women’s World Floorball Championships.
During the first day of the Member Associations meeting the success factors and major challenges of Floorball, IFF and the IFF member associations were discussed. The IFF also signed the Special Olympics Proclamation.
IFF Member Associations’ challenges & IFF focus for the upcoming years
Based on the pre-survey, five major challenges & recent successes IFF member associations, the IFF MA:s consider floorball development issues as their biggest challenge.
Most important challenges according to the MA survey:
1. Development (27 %)
2. Finance (22 %)
3. Organisation (18 %)
4. Competition (14 %)
5. Official Recognition (11 %)
6. Marketing (8 %)
The IFF member associations gave their opinion of what the direction of the IFF support should have in the future, and this issue was discussed in a workshop with the following groups:
Group A: Australia, Japan, Netherlands, Russia
Group B: Czech Republic, Finland, Denmark, Germany
Group C: Latvia, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland
Group D: Belarus, Iran, Spain, Turkey, Slovenia
Group E: Austria, Canada, Estonia, Singapore, Slovakia
Workshop results
The IFF member associations came to the conclusion that IFF should focus development, marketing and to get into the Olympic Games. A summary of the answers is found below.
What direction shall the IFF support have in the future and what focus shall IFF take?
* participating in multi-sport events
* floorball into the Olympic Program
* growing the sport by receiving more member nations
* developing existing nations to become top nations, localised support
* collecting and publishing best practice models, mentoring program and materials
* assisting in getting floorball to schools
* having 500 000 licensed players worldwide
* marketing and increasing visibility
* assisting in finding local sponsors for member associations
* developing WFC´s
In what kind of projects would your association like to participate?
* development work projects
* hosting events projects
* projects focusing on MA:s helping each other
IOC Full Recognition implications – Floorball on the way to Olympics
IFF Secretary General, Mr. John Liljelund, presented the IOC Full Recognition implications for the IFF and the needed actions for IFF in order to reach the Olympic Games.
IOC Short List system
IFF now has the opportunity to meet the IOC requirements until April 2015 for the short list, in order to have a chance for the 2024 or 2028 Olympics. The IOC is evaluating the sports based on the following criteria:
* General Themes: Added value to the Olympic Games
* Governance: Good governance, Strategic planning, Athletes, Gender equality and Illegal & irregular betting
* History and Tradition: World Championships & Multi-sport Games
* Universality: NOC affiliation, Active members, Global spread
* Popularity: Spectators, Media, TV coverage, General public appeal, Sponsors
* Athletes: Athletes’ commission, Athlete Career Program and Entourage
* Development: Development programs, Technical Evolution, Gender Equity, Sport for All, Transparency and Fairness & Environment
* Finance: Finance, Venue costs at Olympic Games, Technology requirements and TV production
– Now the focus must be given to enhance membership services, in order to fulfil the new IOC requirements and give us possibilities to grow, Liljelund concludes.
Floorball development points
Mr. Jean-Laurent Bourquin, consultant from ADVISPORT and former Senior Advisor of the IOC Sports Department, was the key note speaker of the first day of the IFF member associations´ meeting.
Mr. Bourquin pointed out important development points that floorball should look upon in the future in order to reach the Olympic Games:
* The perception of flooorball from outside: Floorball is seen as dynamic, fast, full of action, young sport for schools, but it´s not necessary perceived by all as a top sport for the Olympic Program.
* Visibility: Floorball has to work on visibility and raising the awareness from outside
* Development and level of competitions: Floorball needs 8-10 teams from 3-4 continents that can reach a WFC medal and attract more spectators from outside the sport
* Universality: Floorball needs to continue developing outside Europe
* Name: Floorball should have one brand image and one name
– It is still a long journey for floorball to be on the Olympic Games and I recommend that floorball will try to keep the most important values of the sport and the unity of floorball even though there might be changes required, Mr. Bourquin (in photo) concluded.
Universalism in Sports – FISU
Another key note speaker of the first day was FISU Vice President, Mr. Leonz Eder, who presented the example of the Universiade as a multi-sport event.
The Summer Universiade is the biggest FISU event and there are 10 compulsory sports:
– In addition to this there are 3 optional sports, which could be an option for floorball. Another option would be to include floorball into the Winter Universiades with less compulsory sports (8) as the entrance can be easier, Mr. Eder explains.
– The organisers of the WUC can propose 1-7 optional sports to the FISU Executive Committee, who will evaluate the sports, Mr. Eder continued.
Floorball still needs to have more participating teams in the World University Floorball Championships and especially more teams from outside Europe are needed
IFF signed the Special Olympics Proclamation
The IFF singed the Special Olympics cooperation for increasing cooperation. The SOEE representative Mr. Denis Doolan and the IFF Vice President, Mr. Suman, signed the proclamation.
Special Olympics Floorball is now recognised in 15 countries worldwide and SO Floorball will have its first appearance on 10th SO World Winter Games taking place in PyeongChang, Korea in 2013. SO Winter Games is a multi-sport event for athletes with intellectual disability and will take place from January 29th to February 5th 2013.
