FIN team managers Haavisto & Hietanen leave their positions

Cross-Country team leader Matti Haavisto and branch manager Eero Hietanen will not continue in the Finnish Ski Association after this season.

Haavisto's and Hietanen's employment contracts are expiring in the spring and have announced that they will not be available for further negotiations.
 
Matti Haavisto has been a member of the Nordic national teams for ten years. For the first four years as United States National Team Service Manager, 2014 as Cross-Country Ski Service Manager and last two years as Cross-Country Head Coach and Team Leader. Haavisto has been on full-time leave from the Inland Police Department for the past two years.
 
“Many thanks to my employer for the police, who have made it possible for me to work for Finnish skiing for ten years. Now is the time to go back," says Haavisto, whose leave ends end of May 2020.
 
As the national team leader, Matti Haavisto was responsible for organizing coaching for women and men, serving as a service manager, leading the preparations for the competitions, and coordinating expert and health care personnel within the national team.
 
“Of course it is a pity that we were unable to continue with the organization we have built and proven. Now the coaches have had more time for the athletes, even though the team has been remarkably big. I hope, nevertheless, that the future is secured with durable coaching solutions in the coming weeks,” says Haavisto.

Haavisto's decision not to negotiate was influenced by the Ski Federation's financial situation and the plan to maintain the work of coaches at the athletic interface for top-level sporting activities, despite the difficult economic situation.
 
Exceptionally, due to the coronavirus pandemic, athletes begin their new training season independently. Haavisto believes that the national team's athletes can cope well with the start of the practice season.
 
“Our athletes are experienced and each has a personal coach as their backing. A transitional period is still underway and we do not really know how long the emergency will last. We support athletes in our best efforts,” concludes Haavisto.
 
Matti Haavisto will continue as Krista Pärmäkoskias a personal trainer. The two will make plans for the upcoming season after Easter until the overall plans for the national team are completed.
 
Eero Hietanen Returns to SantaSport
 
Eero Hietanen, who was a Cross-Country skiing coach from 2014 and last year's sport manager, returns to SantaSport in Rovaniemi after six years of leave. Hietanen's responsibilities in the Ski Association have been to lead and development of Cross-Country skiing for domestic operations and to serve as the backbone of the national team, with primary responsibility for coaching and developing club and competition activities.

“When I joined the Ski Association in 2014, we started with Reijo Jylha with national team practices and coaching reform. In those things, I think we did well and got the targets to the goal. As far as domestic operations are concerned, we have good projects under way to develop Cross-Country skiing and I hope that these things will also be possible in the future. These include renewal of coaching and competition-related reforms,” says Hietanen.

The Ski Association commends the Cross-Country skiing leader and hopes that cooperation will continue in the future.
 
“On behalf of the Finnish Ski Association, we are grateful for Matti and Eero's work to date in Finnish skiing. As the entity and people change, the collaboration with Mat and Eero will not end, but will build on future roles through future roles. We really appreciate their expertise, ”says Ismo Hämäläinen, CEO .