The Swedish Floorball Federation has appointed the former world champion and Swedish champion Sofie Andersson as the new elite & national team manager.
– I feel incredibly honoured and happy to have the chance to work even more focused with elite and national team floorball, that I am strongly passionate about. I look forward to working with all parties within Swedish Floorball, contribute to the development in several different ways and strengthen the position as a world-leading floorball nation. First and foremost, I want to build on the great work that has already begun and at the same time contribute with my own experience and competence. I am incredibly eager and look forward to getting started, says Sofie Andersson in Swedish Floorball Federation’s press release.
Sofie Andersson will be the head of a newly formed unit that includes the elite and national team operations. With the unique interests and conditions that the two operations have, the organisational change aims to gather knowledge and resources under the same management for the 16–25 year old. This includes, among other things, the high school activities, career transitions such as “Talang 17” and “Guldsteget” and the national team. Andersson will start her position in May.
– It feels fantastic that Sofie has accepted the role. We look forward with excitement to see her contribute to the continuous development of Swedish Floorball, says current national team manager Joakim Lindström and continues:
– Sofie has a great understanding and insight into the business, partly through her experience as a national team player, and partly through her current role as the responsible sports psychologist for the national teams. What made Sofie such a strong candidate is the combination of her sports background, her academic education and qualifications from working life in leadership development. It is a profile that we are convinced is right for us and that we hope will make an impression in the business. With Sofie’s professional and warm personality, which is a decisive factor in our recruitment, it felt obvious that Sofie is the person we were looking for.
The Swedish Floorball Federation has an ongoing process to develop its activities and the national team and elite activities are part of that process.
– We have together with the Secretary General Mikael Ahlerup since early autumn looked at how we can take the next step to develop Swedish Floorball’s sport flagship. In addition to the personnel change with the recruitment of Sofie, we see that this organisational change will give additional power to the work. And what is important, is that this also fits in well with the overall work that is going on to lift the entire Swedish Floorball Federation to the next level, says Lindström.
At the beginning of 2020, a sports group was appointed with the mission to develop a long-term model for the work that connects the elite and national team activities.
– We have now started to implement this model. If the national team coaches focus is on winning the next World Floorball Championships gold, then the sports group’s work is about ensuring the structures and operational activities for long-term success. This group will be led by Sofie and will continue to be an important tool in our work towards our vision, Lindström adds.
The sports group’s operational work is also supplemented with a Sports Council. A council that is responsible for issues of more strategic nature, such as the extension and recruitment of new national team coaches. The Sports Council includes the Secretary General Mikael Ahlerup, the elite & national team manager Sofie Andersson and Joakim Lindström.
Joakim Lindström took over as national team manager after Emil Risberg in 2015. Since 2018, Lindström has had a combined role as office & national team manager. When Sofie joins the office in spring, Lindström will completely transfer to a role as administrative manager at the Swedish Floorball Federation.
Source: Swedish Floorball Federation
