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Finland Oskari Vihervaara's blog« See all Obama's blogs

Use your force to develop minigolf
22 Feb 2011 at 13:22 | Posted in: General | Views: 4267 | Comments: 7
Use your force to develop minigolf
HNGH!!

I've been thinking. Again. This time it's not about zen. This time it's about the state of minigolf. It's poor. How to develop in smaller minigolf countries? Should we use only one ball in competitions, shorter concentration periods, fashionable clothes etc to get attention from media? Would that totally change the identity of minigolf and do we need attention from media or will it eventually come to us? How is chess so popular? Are international competitions healthy for smaller minigolf countries? Does it take away the opportunity to develop since it takes a lot of resources and money to go abroad playing? What if antimatter is born inside this planet? Who are you? Where?

(-_-) ...... ?!

I got inspired by this French project where two guys from the FFM did some partnership work with some school. Then I was delighted to hear that WMF gives financial support for projects like these. Then I was not so delighted when I heard the number of applications. Why is this? Now I have been planning to do something like these two French gents: get in touch with a local school and make them interested. We have had "minigolf schools" held by Pekka Peltola mainly for juniors in Tampere and it has produced couple of active juniors. What kind of work does the German or Swedish federation do to get juniors or is the sport big enough to feed itself in these countries? Or is it just based on club activity?

The situation in Finland is what it is. The federation is scratching its tummy and waiting for a miracle to happen. You could think that a city of half a million inhabitants like Helsinki would provide some juniors but the fact is that there is NONE. Four active clubs (HRGK, SMGK, ECM, TaRGS) and zero juniors. There just isn't any activity going on. I'm not saying the Finnish minigolf federation is vain, in my opinion it's just focusing on wrong things and building the future in a very short terms. The Finnish minigolf federation makes money for example from competions (held under the rules etc of the federation) and player licences. Now what happens to this money? It's used for supporting financially the national team every year. So in the end of the year the bank account of the federation tells the truth: zero. Wouldn't it be a little bit more sustainable to actually not support the national team every year? For example save some money and make own (or buy old ones and reconstruc) courses to get a own financial source. That would provide more money that could be used on junior activity and providing something to the clubs that actually are a part of the federation. More clubs -> more players -> more visibility -> more players -> success and financial wealth -> good for the sport. Generally making the activity larger on three different areas: financial growth, area growth and more players. In this case, there is quality in quantity. I am applying to the Finnish minigolf federation (when next time elected) and I would also like to hear if anyone has some good visions on sustainable development within minigolf...

I 90% disagree that the future of minigolf is in media. Atleast not yet. I know a lot of people who have never played minigolf, who think there is nothing wrong with the sport. It's intence, you see clearly the lanes and what the players are doing etc. Golf and formula's are boring. They are big because they are provided with major sponsors and there is alot of money involved. Now which way is better, trying to get attention from the sponsors or letting the sponsors eventually give attention to the sport itself? When the sport is big enough, sponsors will notice and give support to make it even bigger. Now... if a average Joe is watching minigolf competion on TV: what is the fact that makes him interested in the sport? Does media provide as much as it takes for a small sport like minigolf? Think about chess. It's not how it looks, it's the game itself that has made it popular. Minigolf offers the same challenges and has a lot more potential in the game instead of how it looks. So what to do? Teach it to the people. Make them realize that this is actually a fantastic sport. This is the reason why I give so much credit to the French gents' project. In the end, is there something that YOU can't do to start a project like that?

What is the situation in your country? Improve it!!! Cheers again from Oskari "all in all a great guy if brains, personality and looks don't count" Vihervaara. I even shaved my very nice moustache as a sign of a new day called sustainable development. Be active, may the force be with you.

Comments (7)

  ( ) | Delete

23 Feb 2011 at 11:47
PS: it would be very interesting to know from bigger countries like Sweden, Germany, Austria, what they try to do about this matter. Sharing experiences would be the best way in my opinion to do something all together for the future of minigolf sport.

  ( ) | Delete

23 Feb 2011 at 11:46
If I read Oskari's post without knowing the author, I can guess this is written by an Italian minigolf player.
The situation in Italy is very similar to what Oskari said.
Federation budget is small, we have a sponsor that support our national teams (because this give visibility to their brand), and the remaining money are used to manage the daily needs like national rankings prizegivings, tournament organized by Federation and stuff like that.
A system made "by active players for active players" if it's clear what I mean.

But I'm not sure that the lack of young / new players depends totally on Federations' policy. They can help, with money if they have them, but the main responsiblesof finding new players are the clubs, because they are the only who can work on the "ground" and find the best way to attract new players.

Here in Italy the actual situation for young players is "very high quality but very low quantity". You have seen the silver medal team in Sochi, they are maybe the best youth players we have ever had in our history...but there's not much more beyond them.
Usually, a young player in Italy starts to play minigolf because he's son of a player or because he has some friends playing or the minigolf course close to his house. It is very difficult to get players from outside the minigolf world (only in Südtirol they manage to work with schools and find every year some new players).

Main reasons for that are in my opinion:
- most of our clubs are not the owner / manager of their course. This makes it more difficult to use the course for this kind of activity
- typical italian bureaucracy: with my club I tried to propose minigolf for school students, but to do that you have to spend 1/2 of you life in asking permissions and so on
- young people often don't want to take sport as a serious effort. As soon as they know that they have to wake up early on Sunday morning, stay on the course all day long, they quickly stop playing. Here this is a problem also in bigger sports like football, and it becomes also bigger in smaller sports that don't offer the dream of becoming famous and rich
- often club members don't have the time / wish to work to find new players. They just think about playing competitions they like. Most of italian club (expecially bigger clubs) only think about playing top tournaments, but don't have a new player since years (except those they catch from smaller clubs or abroad).

Sweden Hans (Hans Bergström) | Delete

22 Feb 2011 at 21:04
Hi Oskari.
It’s really nice to read your thinking. I see now that is sharing a lot of thinking between us. I was once the president in the Swedish Federation and soon became known as a guy with lots of crazy ideas. And I think this is what the sport needs for the future. Some of the ideas are still in the "freezer" waiting for the right moment but some have become reality in Sweden. One example (not my idea though) is the fact that clubs in Sweden can apply for financial help to run education project lead by professional instructors around in Sweden, usually Young National Team members. This has become a quite popular way of promoting the sport in small clubs that don’t have stars of their own, and it’s also a meaningful "summer job" for some of our future stars in Sweden. More or less all is paid by the Swedish Federation. This project has within a few years helped the Swedish Federation to go from sinking member figures to slowly increasing again. It’s worth every penny if you ask me.
I also want to mention another idea that has not yet became a reality but that I still believe myself is brilliant. It’s called a "Virtual weekly club competition" where we connect all clubs that want to be in there in a virtual competition every week, say Wednesday between 18.00-21.00. All can participate and play one round paying 5 Euro. Their result reported to a website and will be compared with all other players the same week. Depending on their HCP and the PAR of the course it’s possible to calculate every week’s best score nationwide, no matter where they have played or what surface they have played. The winner can maybe get 500 Euro. It’s a thrilling and Internet enabled way of getting attention for all players each week. And your home competition will mean a little bit more than just competing against the usual 5-6 people as all weeks.
Another thing that I am a firm believer in is that our clubs need to totally rethink what they are doing when it comes to create possibilities for developing the sport. Today’s club has often a few very dedicated members each doing all the boring work of “kiosk assignments”, taking care of the course, selling lottery tickets or whatever is needed. They don’t have the time or energy to spend on doing the really important tasks like taking good care of our youths. The only way out of this is to be more professional and make more money. Our clubs need to invest in our courses in a way that it can financially support employing people to get the cash in, taking care of the course and the garden and serve the cafe or beer. This is possible, see for your-self what Askim has done in my home-town Gothenburg and what Gullbergsbro is following now. There are more clubs to following here in Sweden, investing in Artificial Grass courses that can generate big money for the clubs. This means that our members can spend their time on the interesting parts, counting the money and teaching the young’s to play.

Finland Obama (Oskari Vihervaara) | Delete

22 Feb 2011 at 17:55
@ JJM

I agree on some levels but this so called socio-economical atmosphere also has benefits. It's a safe and friendly atmosphere. What it does to sport is bad. Occasionally.

90% of those people who quit, did it in the turn of the century when the new alcohol policy came into minigolf.

@ G (not Gangsta but Günter)

Yes I also shaved my blackguyhairstyle. Thank you for the gratulations... :) Sounds good. In Manse we have all that covered, all we need is more juniors. A lot more. We could take 500 (we have 5 active at the moment). Long process yeah but long distance though. Get the juniors started and they'll learn. Don't have to do that much in the end. Guidance!

I agree with the last sentence!

Finland HansIII (Pasi Aho) | Delete

22 Feb 2011 at 17:51
JJM off topic: floorball would be even better bet...

Austria bfree4life (Günter Inmann) | Delete

22 Feb 2011 at 16:49
hey Oskari

Nice view from another side of minigolf. And i agree with you! we have the same situation in my homeclub ( Dornbirn, Austria and NOT Olten! ). we did a good job for stay on healthy financial feets in my club. now we invest some money for having a good course. and next step MUST be, to bring more players to the club. to show them our lovely sport, to make substantual basics for a self growing, healthy club with many members for every part a club needs. for youth basics, for basics at the course and local presence on the tournaments around my town and country and also basics for a good first team with own players in the highest league in austria, where young players want to be in! BUT... this is a process for some years, maybe 3 or 5 or more. and you have to be patient for this and never loose your focus and your goal you made before you start this. you have to have some guys for helping in these things and also be in common with your clubmembers. otherwise this doesnt work well. my opinion is to build a team with your own players from your own club will protect the future of club and your sport! doesnt matter what kind of sport!

greetz from austria and gratulations for shaving your blackguyhairstyle... ;-)

Finland JJM (John Mittler) | Delete

22 Feb 2011 at 16:34
I am a product of the junior work of Manse RG, so I have seen what it takes to make a junior: social activity at the minigolf course, economical sacrifices to support competition travel expenses, give a chance in the club team, etc.

In the last 10 years I have had none of these privileges, I should have quit the game long ago (and I actually did, already twice), like so many others who had talent but no place on the economical map of Finnish minigolf.

The socio-econimical atmosphere in Finnish minigolf doesn´t look very fruitful for my son when he grows up. But there are otehr games to go for... floor hockey is a sure bet.
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