The seasons of the winter sports ball series culminate in late spring, when the playoffs are underway. On Monday, April 17, some of the best in their sports are scheduled to begin their military service at the Defense Forces Sports School.
The most famous athlete of the incoming batch is a basketball player Lauri Markkanen.
For the April arrival batch among the selected (you will switch to another service) there are several athletes participating in the SM medal games, such as Tappara from Tampere Petteri Puhakka and Akaa Volley Jere Tikkala and Petteri Tyynismaa.
The men’s volleyball league medal games are already underway. Nokian KrP and TPS meet in the final series of the floorball league starting on Friday.
Playing in KrP’s line Juuso Ahola, 19, will start his military service on Monday, but for example the third match of the final series will not be played until Tuesday. He won’t wear the army greens until after the final series.
– On Monday I will go to visit and apparently I will be able to leave during the same day. When the finals have been played and the season is over, I will return full-time, Ahola says.
Floorball’s Finnish champion will be decided with four wins, so if necessary, the series of matches will continue until April 28. Ahola does not yet know how the service will continue after the final series.
– Apparently then on the 17th it is possible to ask if I can stay with the team for a few more days. It may also be that I have to go into service the same evening or the next day.
In the entry batch that is starting now, 230 athletes applied to the sports school, of which 99 were selected. On Monday, about 80 top Finnish athletes will begin their military service. The new students of the sports school operating in Helsinki and Kajaani are Winter Sports athletes in the April arrival batch.
Read also: Lumi Hetta is a soon-to-be military World Championship formation skater who is equally at home in the capital as well as in the reindeer fence
Military training and sports coaching
On Monday, Lauri Markkanen, who was selected for the sports school, will also start his military service in November 2021 (you will switch to another service). He said earlier that he does not yet know how many days he will have to spend in the service.
– The criteria for the duration of the service are the same for everyone, regardless of whether it is a top athlete or not, says the director of the sports school, first lieutenant Ville Halonen.
The most important task of the sports school is the same as that of all military units, i.e. to train wartime troops. How can the Sports School fulfill its mission if the athletes have so much time for training?
– Things are trained at a closer pace and the training utilizes the characteristics of the trainees, such as good physical and mental condition. The quick learning of a soldier’s basic skills is promoted by the athletes’ excellent ability to learn new motor skills, says Halonen.
According to him, the athletes’ training time is used effectively. For example, theory training is included as self-study, among other things, along with sports coaching.
– Existing skills are also taken into account in the training, for example a competitive orienteer does not need orienteering training.
According to Halonen, the key thing is that general conscription is an integral part of Finland’s defense both now and in the future.
– General conscription includes that as many Finns as possible perform military service. Top athletes are not an exception, but they are subject to the same obligation as all other males.
The sports school’s places of service are in Helsinki in the Kaarti Jääkärirykment and in Kajaani in the Kainuu brigade.
The Sports School of the Defense Forces trains intelligence teams to meet the needs of emergency situations. The employees of the sports school are employed either in crew duties for 165 days or in leadership training for 347 days. The distribution of newbies to these tasks is about half and half.
In the sports school, as in other departments, the service starts in the rookie period and continues in the training branch period. After that, it is continued either with a special training and mass training period or, for those being trained as leaders, with non-commissioned officer and reserve officer courses.
The service of conscripts serving in the sports school is made up of the same entities as the conscript service of other conscripts.
However, in the service of the sports school, military training and sports coaching are combined. A personal training plan is drawn up for each athlete, in which these areas are coordinated. The training is implemented as part of the day service program and sports assignments are part of the service.
Sports school recruits are granted sports commissions according to a personal training plan. Sports commissions are granted for a maximum of 95 days for those who have served 347 days, and for a maximum of 45 days for 165 days of service. Where the sports assignments are scheduled during the service period depends on the sport and on what time the competitions take place.
Finnish Olympic Committee by (you switch to another service) in addition to sports commands, athletes are allocated 2–8 hours for training every day. Also available almost all evenings and weekends, excluding military exercises.
In addition, the Sports School offers eight weeks of camp for training in the garrison or at sports colleges.
For and against
Conscription of elite athletes has been a watershed for years, as there are strong arguments for and against the service. Lieutenant Colonel Halonen does not take a strong position in the discussion. He states that it is great when role models of the general public can fulfill their civic duties.
Top athletes, such as a hockey player Mikko Koivun and a swimmer Jani Sievinen, short service times (you switch to another service) however, have spoken. Sievine slept two nights in the barracks and Koivu was in the garrison for a good month.
– The mentioned example cases from years ago easily give a wrong picture of the service, says Halonen.
Koivu’s sky was followed, among other things, at the media day organized by the Defense Forces. According to Halonen, the public image of the sports school is currently built from the direction of competence and performance requirements.
– At the sports school, training and service are organized in such a way that at the time of discharge we have conscripts with the required skills and abilities to be placed in the wartime ranks. Service and training are organized in an unusual way, but in accordance with laws and standards.
Over the years, the news media have actively followed, especially the service time of Finnish players in the NHL, or its postponement.
Only a few of Finland’s top NHL players have completed their military service. However, very little individual information about the players is available.
Now, among the NHL players selected for the sports school, there is only one from the New York Islanders organization Robin Salo24. He last played for the team in December, but at least for now the Islanders are locked in a playoff spot.
According to Halonen, no athlete or sports group is a special cause of grief for the Finnish Defense Forces.
– But it’s clear that starting military service is a bigger change for athletes whose whole life is on the other side of the ocean than for those who live in their own country and whose life phase is slightly different.
– Sports school is the best place for the vast majority of athletes to complete their military service. The young athletes who are role models for the sports audience and the youth serve as great examples when they complete their military service at the Sports School or in another group – now and in the future, Halonen sums up.
We are happy to serve you
Floorball player Juuso Ahola says that he heard from his teammates that combining a sports career and military service has been successful at the sports school.
– Of course, not so well at the beginning, when we do a little more of the intit work to learn practical ways.
He says he doesn’t yet know how long he plans to be in the service. In terms of a sports career, the shortest service period would be “in some ways better”, but that is not his main thought.
– Perhaps my starting point is to be what we are told.
Ahola states that he is happy to start military service – especially if Nokia’s KrP wins the Finnish championship.
– Waiting for that Friday (the opening of the final series) is quite a long day, hours and minutes. Isn’t that where it comes from?