Why play floorball?

Floorball is the biggest indoor sport in the Czech Republic and is becoming more popular all over the world. While the game is similar to ice hockey, floorball players do not require protective gear – the sport has rules limiting contact, and is relatively safe. Floorball is exciting to play and watch, because of the speed and action during the matches, the quick transitions and the number of possible goals within each 20-minute period. Moreover, floorball is a very affordable sport – all you need to get started are the stick and ball. 

The University of New York in Prague invites all UNYP students to come and test their floorball skills and join the new UNYP Blazers Floorball Men’s and Women’s teams with a coach from the iconic Sparta Praha athletic association. To give you a better idea about this sport we asked coach Jakub Horyna about his professional floorball career, his UNYP team coaching experience and floorball’s place in the Czech Republic. 

Could you please tell us a bit about your career?

J.H.: “I started playing floorball as a kid in elementary school when I was nine or ten years old. At first, I only played in school, both as an offensive player and as a goalie. Later I joined the Fbš Bohemians floorball team as a goalie. Then I gave up goalkeeping and became a field player.”

How did you get into coaching Floorball?

J.H.: “I was approached by the Bohemians management, who asked whether I would like to try coaching little kids. About the same time, Dan Wertheim from Sparta reached out to me and offered me a position coaching kids at Sparta. He offered me much better conditions, and when I saw Sparta’s dedicated and professional attitude, I accepted. Since then, I have worked with Sparta.”

UNYP supports the idea that a fit body means a healthy mind

What do you like about being a coach?

J.H.: “When talking about coaching 6-8-year-old children, it is the pure energy that they share with you. Their enjoyment of the sport is innocent and honest. They always surprise me with their positivity, and as they grow, there are other aspects of their personality and behavior that we then work on. That is a different challenge, rewarding in its own way. When talking about the UNYP team, I really liked the friendly and easy-going atmosphere we had with the team last year. This year we’ll start playing UFL matches – that is a thing I am looking forward to now.”

Could you please tell us about your most challenging floorball-related experience?

J.H.: “My transition from goalie to a field player. I felt like I didn’t have much impact on some matches and that frustrated me. I felt tied to the net, I wanted to help the players more and contribute to scoring goals. I didn’t feel creative enough. At first, I was terrible and had to catch up with other teammates, which was hard. But I improved and in my last season as a junior led the team as one of the key players. I even won the individual contest by having the most goals+assists.”

In your professional opinion, what are the qualities of a good floorball player?

J.H.: “You can only be a good floorball player if you are a good sportsperson, so physical preparation, speed, and strength are the most critical factors in my opinion. A fast and strong player usually wins over a skilled player, but the great players have both.”

How often should floorball players train per week (professionals and amateurs)?

J.H.: “At Sparta, we have a saying: 1 training session per week for fun; 2 training sessions to keep your current skills; 3 training sessions to give you space to improve. 

Most professional teams would train four times a week at least, combining floorball skills with physical preparation, and then play matches. Three-sport sessions should still improve your physique. If you count training sessions, gym workouts, casual evening runs, matches, and other sports competitions, you will become a better floorball player even when doing floorball training only once a week.”


Why would you recommend that UNYP students join a floorball team?

J.H.: “The training sessions are fun and casual. We will play some serious matches against other universities, and you will meet other students and have some fun together. Plus this fall, the Czech Republic is hosting the Floorball World Cup, so you should know what all the buzz is about. It is going to be huge!

I’m looking forward to our training sessions:
every Wednesday 19:00-20:30
Arena Sparta – Podvinný Mlýn

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