A special moment of the evening was the appointment of Paul Schneider as an honorary member of Swiss Hockey. Paul worked for the association for 36 years – in various key roles, including as national coach, head of competitive sport and later as managing director. Hardly anyone has had such a lasting influence on the development of Swiss field hockey as he has.

Paul also played a central role in the cooperation with FOSPO: as head of education, he was responsible for all coach education within and outside the association. For decades, he accompanied and helped shape the education of countless coaches – with enormous expertise, great passion and a keen instinct for people.

With this honorary membership, Swiss Hockey expresses its deepest gratitude and highest appreciation to Paul Schneider for his extraordinary life’s work in the service of field hockey.

You can read more about Paul Schneider’s departure from the association in this article.

The General Assembly in Lausanne was not only an occasion for annual reports and future plans, but also a moment of pause and recognition. Swiss Hockey would like to thank Paul Schneider and Benjamin Messerli for their many years of inspiring commitment and wishes them all the best for the future.

Benjamin Messerli was also honored at the AGM. As an international referee, he has represented Swiss Hockey at the highest level for years. With his professionalism, his understanding of the rules and his sure instinct for the game, he is one of the most recognized referees in international field hockey. Swiss Hockey is proud of Benjamin’s successes and the way he represents Switzerland on the world stage of refereeing.

Another article will be published on this website shortly, taking a closer look at Benjamin’s recent assignments as a top international referee.