As soon as the weather allows it, the field hockey kids and juniors are back on the field. Whether in Romande, Ticino or German-speaking Switzerland: there’s no stopping them from finally playing outside on the pitch again. No matter how cold or wet it sometimes is.
Particularly impressive during the spring break are the field hockey camps, field hockey weeks and yes, even 3-week “Spring Trials” with partner schools – to mention just a few of the clubs’ activities.

It’s not just about getting the kids and juniors fit for the outdoor season, but also about having a great time together with lots of fun and enjoyment. For the young participants, this is one of the reasons why they take part in these camps in the first place.

These camps / field hockey weeks are not new. This is not the first time the Tenero Hockey Camp has taken place and some of those who attended the camp as a little girl now find themselves back as organizers. We therefore don’t want to withhold the exciting interview with Barbara Flückgier (Berner HC, President; OC Tenero Hockey Camp) from you.

Swiss Hockey: Barbara, thank you for taking the time to talk to us about the Tenero Hockey Camp. One week after the camp – how are you doing?

Barbara Flückiger: Thank you. Yes, I have “slept in” and think back to the camp with pleasure. It was a wonderful camp – just like all the others before it.

Swiss Hockey: Great. What were your personal highlights of the camp? What would you still remember in five years’ time?

Barbara Flückiger: What I particularly liked about this camp was that we had a wide range of participants, from 6-year-olds to young adults, and that the group of young adults is getting bigger, so they keep taking part in the camp. As selected and national players, they are of course role models for the young participants and it’s great when they are present and show off their tricks and skills.

Swiss Hockey: Yes, we can well imagine the children’s amazement at the tricks. How many participants did you have at this year’s camp?

Barbara Flückiger: We had a total of 60 participants this year, 15 of whom were leaders. That’s certainly a large management team, but of course it also takes the pressure off us all to organize and run such a large camp.

Swiss Hockey: Wow, that is indeed a big camp. We’ve heard that it wasn’t just Berner HC that took part in this camp …
Barbara Flückiger: Yes, we’ve been organizing this camp together with HC Steffisburg for years.
Swiss Hockey: This is of course a great example of two clubs working together to organize a great week of field hockey for their juniors.

Barbara Flückiger: Yes, exactly. Another highlight is the friendly match with the U15 team from HC Lugano, which is just around the corner from Tenero. It has now become a tradition.

Swiss Hockey: That’s really great, you should really cultivate traditions like that. Are there also things that you think could be done better / differently?

Barbara Flückiger: In terms of infrastructure, Tenero is really brilliant, absolutely perfect. We always look at the camp itself to see what structures we can put in place and how much freedom we can give. After all, it should be a camp where the community and being together is lived. That’s why we always make sure that we strike a good balance between fixed training sessions and free time for the children and young people.

Swiss Hockey: Yes, the experiences outside of training are certainly the ones that stay with the participants. You mentioned earlier that the Tenero Hockey Camp has been around for a long time. Can you tell me for how long?

Barbara Flückiger: Hey, I first joined the camp as a junior, as a “greenhorn”, because I had only played field hockey for 3 months before that … it’s certainly been 40 years that this camp has been around.

Swiss Hockey: Oh wow, for 40 years already?!?!! That’s really a long time ago … chapeaux to the BeHC and HC Steffisburg for such an achievement! Perhaps one last question for you Barbara: Is the camp also open to non-club members or are only club members allowed to take part?

Barbara Flückiger: For a while, we also opened the camp to external children and young people, e.g. participants could take their friends with them. Recently, however, we have mainly taken kids and juniors from the club and from school sports with us, so these are the ones who are a bit more hockey-savvy.

Swiss Hockey: And what about participants from other clubs? Would they be allowed to take part? Would you be open to that?

Barbara: We are always open to it. It’s always nice when other clubs join us. It’s a great way to exchange ideas and talk shop about field hockey.

Swiss Hockey: Thank you Barbara for the shop talk and the exchange about the Tenero field hockey camp. We are looking forward to the camp in 2027.