Trelleborg. She sees it as a journey of a lifetime.
That started with games in boys teams and questioning to now be moving on to a fourth Olympics.
But first await the World Cup for Damkronornas captain Jenni Asserholt .
– It will be incredibly inspiring to play the World Cup on home soil. We have shown that we can be up there and sniff at the medals.
It’s been twelve years since her national team debut. In a few weeks fills Jenni Asserholt 27 years old and certainly she has had her doubts about how long she’ll continue with hockey but passion has always won.
– I see hockey as a life’s journey. And I still feel that I can learn new things and evolve, and with it comes the motivation to continue, says Asserholt.
When Sweden today begins the World Cup at home is Asserholt one of the most experienced players. It is her ninth World Cup. And for a while then sat Jenni Asserholt down with coach Leif Boork to discuss the future. A meeting that resulted in that she makes a bet against another OS, it Pyeongchang 2018, which also will be her fourth.
– My passion for playing hockey is still so great that I feel I want play another Olympics, says Asserholt who is also the newly appointed Swedish champion with his club Linkoping.
– I have had problems with a thigh injury and it looked like I would miss the entire playoffs but it healed well and I could make a comeback to the other semi-final.
“means a lot”
Jenni Asserholt not only plays in Linköping, she and national team colleague Kim Martin Hasson is also employees of the club. For Asserholts this means job in the marketing department but also as a physiotherapist.
– This means of course very much and makes it easier for me to adapt training and jobs.
You can not live solely on playing hockey?
– No, we are not there yet, but it’s a goal we have. To damhockeyn to stand for more income and to gradually also be able to start paying salaries.
– Now is more about materials and offering food after exercise. It may sound trivial but it means a lot to many players.
Linkoping driving development
Asserholt also believes that Linköping is the locomotive of the hockey-Sweden when it comes to investing in women
– It feels like we are one big hockey family, from the youth level up to the women’s and men’s teams and that one is
– Maybe not the ladies as much as men but it is still the right direction advances.
What is damhockeyns biggest problem right now?
– That it are too few players, the most important thing now is to get more girls to start playing hockey. Take Linköping, where we have the elite but lacks a proper width. Right now we are 90 women players in the society, there must be more.
– Since it is important to smaller clubs embark on damhockey well, to more girls will start playing.
How often met by prejudice?
– Not so much anymore, it was more when I was younger. I have been involved throughout the journey and it is incredibly much has changed. Think of it I was a kid and played with the boys team, and people thought it was strange and wondered if girls could even play hockey at it’s completely different now. Everyone knows that there are damhockey in Sweden and it is accepted in a completely different way.
“It’s a big boost”
What is the goal of the World Cup women’s team ?
– At the Olympics last year, we showed that we can be with and sniff at the medals. We managed to knock out Finland in the quarterfinals although it was too tough in the semifinals against the United States. But if you put medaljmål it is easy to put focus too far ahead. We believe more in putting performance in every match goal in the World Cup.
What do Leif Boork as coach?
– I think he has been received very well. It is a big boost for damhockeyn in Sweden that such an experienced person takes the step over to the women’s side. He is a pioneer in that way.
– Then there are more men who are also well versed in damhockey, as Mikael Renberg and Magnus Wernblom . They have come over and realized that it’s exactly the same thing we do and that we are competing and want as much.
Can you imagine going for a managerial career?
– Absolutely, I would very much like to do. And we need more female coaches, there are far too few in the current situation.
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