They are the masters of disasters, no game runs without them. Michael Zeis and Fabio Dornbierer are the nuts and bolts of the Swiss Hockey League – from the U12 to the NLA.
Half-time in the 25/26 field season. Time to take a look into the “engine room” and find out from Michael Zeis (Championship Director, Swiss Hockey) and Fabio Dornbierer (Head of Refereeing) how the half-time went.
Swiss Hockey: Your duties as Championship Director / Referee Officer are not easy. Why did you take up this position at Swiss Hockey anyway?
Michael: Over the last few years, I’ve already been involved in various committees and have been indirectly involved in the operation of the game. In my new role, I would like to play an even more active role in the development and organization of the championship at Swiss Hockey. My main aim here is to work with the clubs to find solutions to any challenges that arise.
Fabio: Referees are needed for the game to function. I experienced this myself as a player. As the referees also need a contact person and someone to make the assignments, I have offered my help.
Swiss Hockey: “Finding solutions to problems that arise” – isn’t that already part of your daily routine? What does a typical working day at Swiss Hockey look like for you?
Michael: In my new role, I quickly realized that you have to be very flexible because you work with a lot of volunteers. So there is no such thing as a “typical working day”. During the week, it’s a lot about developing the match schedules, dealing with requests for match postponements and managing the weekend fixtures. At the weekend, I spend a lot of time on the field hockey pitches myself.
Fabio: There is no such thing as a typical working day. As I also work 100% on the side, there’s a lot of work in the evenings and at weekends.
Swiss Hockey: The halfway point of the field season is now over – overall, how did it go for you?
Michael: The first half of the season was intense, but overall very positive. We were able to watch a lot of exciting games and most of the processes ran smoothly. Of course, there are always issues that we can continue to optimize – but that’s part of it.
Fabio: The first half of the season went well, we were able to fill about 95% of the games with official referees
Swiss Hockey: And what went well – and what could be improved?
Michael: The cooperation with the clubs and team managers is going well. I still see room for improvement in the long-term planning and communication of match postponements. If we become even more efficient in this area, everyone will benefit.
Fabio: The cooperation with the clubs. When we had to reschedule games or needed referees, the clubs were very helpful. We certainly need to improve the training of referees for adults and young referees.
Swiss Hockey: We may not be on “Make a Wish”, but if you could make a wish for your work, what would it be?
Michael: More time for personal exchanges with the clubs. That sometimes gets lost in the daily grind, even though it’s hugely valuable.
Fabio: I wish that respect and acceptance towards referees would continue to increase – on and off the pitch. That would make the sport even fairer and more enjoyable for everyone involved.