Tapio Kangasniemi started as the head coach of the women’s national volleyball team in 2014. 25 years had passed since the last place in the final tournament of the Finnish women’s team in Tuollo.
Under the leadership of Kangasniemi, Finland has raised its level so that the third consecutive European Championship is ahead. In addition to the prestigious competitions and their qualifiers, Kangasniemi has increased the number of games played by the national team by leading the team in the European League.
The eight-year period as the head coach of the national team ended on Saturday, when Finland secured its place in the 2023 EC final tournament. The victory in Montenegro was Kangasniemi’s last as head coach.
During the Kangasniemi era, an amazing change has taken place in the Finnish national team. Finnish women have risen from the bottom to become regular visitors to prestigious competitions.
What really happened during those eight years?
The inexperienced Kangasniemi made an impression
Antti Paananen was choosing Tapio “Tase” Kangasniemi for the position of the national team’s head coach, when he worked in 2014 as a top sports director in the association. Even though Kangasniemi did not have extensive coaching experience at the time, he convinced the selectors.
– Basic characteristics, such as a career as a top player and character as a reliable builder, were the reasons that made it easier to take that risk, Paananen recalls.
Paananen currently works as the director of the Olympic Committee’s sports academy program.
Paananen sees Kangasniemi’s work with girls’ and women’s volleyball at the coaching center as one of the reasons for the success. Kangasniemi had already gotten to know the players well at the coaching center and gained their trust.
– This has been a story of growth. When Tase came, he still didn’t have much experience in coaching, but he had a strong desire to do things and believed in the Finnish team, having played in the national team for a long time Pauliina Vilponen says.
According to ‘s expert Vilponen, Kangasniemi’s strength has been that he has always wanted to move forward. Kangasniemi not only wanted to develop players, he also wanted to develop himself.
– He has gone to watch what the top coaches in Europe are doing and always thought about who is a good second coach, what is a good combination, how to get the best out of the players. It has resulted in a result.
According to Vilponen, the team has been driven forward by Kangasniemi’s unyieldingness and determination. The goals were clear to everyone.
– For example, before the summer of the national team, we always talked about the team’s goals. Very often there was, among other things, that we want to be the best passing team in these qualifiers or this Golden League. There were clear goals to go towards.
Good relations with players and other sports people
Paananen also emphasizes that the coach must have trust not only in the players but also in the rest of the team and especially in the league clubs, where the majority of the national team players come from.
– “Tase” has succeeded well in this. He has not been provoked at any point, but has been able to build trust both in the direction of the players and the sports community. It has given good conditions to implement the conditions that he has had, says Paananen.
One proof of the trust in sports circles is, among other things, how the resources of the women’s national team have grown over the years. The number of camp days for the national team has increased, and in addition to qualifying games, the European League was added to the national team’s match schedule. The number of tough, international games has therefore increased, and at the same time, Finnish players have also been able to move to tough European club teams.
Good relations with the players, sports association and clubs laid the foundation for the possibility of success. Kangasniemi’s faith in the players has also helped.
– No matter what opponent we played against, we always won, Vilponen recalls.
Work on volleyball continues
Kangasniemi will now become the head coach of the Volleyball Association. So his handprint can also be seen in Finnish volleyball in the future.
– He is there in the background, which I think is good. He enjoys such respect that it is good that he continues there in the background, Paananen estimates.
The national team secured its place in the European Championships on Saturday in the qualifying match against Montenegro. Kangasniemi’s successor will therefore immediately lead his team to the prestigious tournament.
– I think that there will be a coach who already has some kind of experience. He then brings his own spice and teachings on top of what is built on it. I would at least hope that the life I lived would remain with me, says Paananen.
The team has now reached the level at which they go to the EC final tournament. Tapio Kangasniemi hoped that after the qualification contract was over, the team’s game would develop in such a way that it would also do well in the prestigious competitions and advance from the first group to the next one.
Vilponen believes that Kangasniemi will bring a lot of joy and support to the new head coach as well.
– Yes, in the role of head coach there is always a big responsibility. The more support and experience there is, the easier the transition will certainly be.
Trust and faith in the players
Paananen says that Kangasniemi’s thoughts are well described by a sports slogan about the relationship between a coach and an athlete.
– They have to know you care, before they care what you know (They have to know you care before they care what you know). Tase really lived this with his own team, says Paananen.
Pauliina Vilponen, who played in the national team between 2010 and 2018, didn’t have to think long about what her best memory of Kangasniemi is.
– Definitely trust. I too had hard times and good times. The best thing for me was that Tase always gave a hundred percent credit. Even though it was a difficult season, when Tase called the national team, he said that it will be a great summer. It was also visible in my own work, with him I played the best national team summer I have ever played.
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