Swiss Hockey: Retus, most GC members don’t know any other president. How long have you been at the helm of GC?

Retus: I took over in 2000 after the then president resigned unexpectedly. So that’s just over 25 years.

Swiss Hockey: Wow ¼ century … no wonder that for many people your name is synonymous with “president” … What made you decide to become president of GC Landhockey back then?

Retus: On the one hand, country field hockey at GCZ gave me a lot, which I wanted to give back. On the other hand, as Vice President at the time, I felt obliged to step in.

Swiss Hockey: That’s great to hear and very honorable of you. Can you tell us what the highlights of your presidency were? What do you like to remember?

Retus: Winning titles is great, of course, but great trips abroad to the ECs and convivial get-togethers also stick in my memory. But the best thing is the many friendships that bind us together in the club.

Swiss Hockey: Great. And which events would you rather forget?

Retus: There are none, thank goodness.

Swiss Hockey: What tips can / would you like to give Toni along the way?

Retus: Toni doesn’t need any tips – he’ll do an excellent job

Swiss Hockey: Thank you Retus. Also for your more than 25 years of great commitment to country field hockey at GCZ and in Switzerland. Toni, you just heard it from Retus: you will do your presidency “excellently”. But how did you get into country field hockey in the first place, Toni? Can you tell us your caps?

Toni: I grew up in Hamburg and started playing field hockey there at a very early age. When our family came back to Switzerland, Stefan Leuenberger persuaded me to come to a GC training session. I soon started playing in the U21 national team and then spent many years in the men’s national team, some of them as captain. In total, I played just over 50 international matches with a few great highlights, such as the European Field Championships in Dublin and the World Field B Championships in Kuala Lumpur.

Swiss Hockey: Wow, that’s obviously a very impressive field hockey CV. And we have noticed: You play field hockey, your kids play field hockey and you’re all at GC. Is GC now becoming a “Haberthür Inc.”? 🙂

Toni: No, I don’t think or hope so. But field hockey is of course above all a family sport and it’s quite normal for children to take up field hockey too if they find it a positive experience with their parents. But it’s also very important to me that my children play the sport of their own free will and not because of me. I think that’s the case today. In addition, I will never and should never influence their sporting careers in my role as president.

Swiss Hockey: What made you decide to make yourself available as President of GC Landhockey?

Toni: For a long time, I couldn’t even imagine it, especially as Retus did such a great job as my predecessor. But I also understood that, after 25 years, he was entitled to a successor – I was a suitable candidate because of my work as financial officer. I am always very grateful to the sport and the club for the many wonderful experiences and this is an opportunity to give something back.

Swiss Hockey: Giving something back, that’s nice to hear. What do you think are the challenges facing your traditional club?

Toni: Like many clubs, we are on the cusp of becoming a semi-professional club. In other words, professional work is already being done with paid coaches etc. and at the same time, the club relies on a large number of volunteers who make a hugely important contribution. Combining this and developing it further in the context of a changing society and growing sporting ambitions is the challenge we all face.

Swiss Hockey: And how would you like to tackle these challenges?

Toni: On the board, we talk a lot about our goals and try to develop and implement them as a team. Creating the basis is always the most important thing: the finances and the people who work with us. This is followed by specific measures and projects to achieve the goals we have set ourselves. Communication is key here, both within the club and externally. We have to generate and activate funds, young talent and helpers – which is not necessarily easier in a big city like Zurich than in a smaller agglomeration where things are manageable and distances are short. We also see ourselves as an open club with an international character, which is a result of the large number of expats. This enriches us as a club, but also creates challenges such as greater fluctuation.

Swiss Hockey: How can the association help you with your challenges? What are your expectations of the association?

Toni: The association should organize our game operations efficiently and clearly and support them with systems (keyword: club) and training (keyword: referee career). It should set up and manage the national teams from junior to performance level in such a way that Switzerland can compete as successfully as possible at international level in relation to its size, which in turn serves as motivation for our young players at club level. And finally, to ensure the best possible representation of our sport vis-à-vis the media and associations such as Swiss Olympic, etc. Close cooperation and exchange with the clubs is essential for this.

Swiss Hockey: Thank you Toni for the exciting insight. We wish you all the best and continued enjoyment at GC and with country field hockey.