Nita Koivisto.
On the last day of the tournament, in the USA-Latvia bronze medal game Nita Koivisto from Fan Advisors -team was awarded as the volunteer of the game. Nita, who is originally form Helsinki, is here for the fans. She works, for example, as a walking information desk at the arena, quiding fans to the correct entrances and answering their possible questions before the games.
Nita is in her third year studying communication at the University of Tampere. She heard about the volunteer recruitment through her own student organization. ”Our student organization received an email about this and I got interested because I’ve never been involved in such a big event before and I wanted to experience the atmosphere of these games. And also I’m a bit of a hockey fan”, Nita explain why she applied.
”This is a great way to try new things and see what the atmosphere and event organization are really like”, she says, encouraging anyone interested to apply as volunteer in the future.
According to Nita, the best part of the tournament has definitely been the fans, especially the enthusiastic supporters who warm her heart. ”These Latvia fans have been amazing today and the Hungary fans have been lovely too”, she says.
Before the final game, Nita sends greetings to other volunteers: ”Let’s enjoy the remaining moments of the atmosphere!”
Nita is in her third year studying communication at the University of Tampere. She heard about the volunteer recruitment through her own student organization. ”Our student organization received an email about this and I got interested because I’ve never been involved in such a big event before and I wanted to experience the atmosphere of these games. And also I’m a bit of a hockey fan”, Nita explain why she applied.
”This is a great way to try new things and see what the atmosphere and event organization are really like”, she says, encouraging anyone interested to apply as volunteer in the future.
According to Nita, the best part of the tournament has definitely been the fans, especially the enthusiastic supporters who warm her heart. ”These Latvia fans have been amazing today and the Hungary fans have been lovely too”, she says.
Before the final game, Nita sends greetings to other volunteers: ”Let’s enjoy the remaining moments of the atmosphere!”
Julian Laudan.
photo: Arttu Timonen
Referee Host Julian Laudan was the last awarded volunteer in this tournament. He was surprised at the middle of final game, which by the way has special meaning to Laudan. He is German.
“Germany in the final was a huge surprise to me, to all of us Germans. Of course, we hoped it to happen, but seriously here and now. Wow! Germany has played really well at this tournament and done everything right!”
Laudan knows a few German players from the time he was a referee himself or from his hockey player years. 27 years old Laudan is from a small town near Hamburg but lives now in Järvenpää.
“It was a big thing for me leave hockey times behind and to Germany, but I have learned to live Finnish atmosphere. Järvenpää is a good place to start life in Finland, but my heart truly beats for Tampere.”
Laudan is very interest in Finnish ice hockey and maybe someday he will work in Liiga. He already knows some Finnish referees and assistant referees. He works as an engineer for now.
Moving to Finland was also about change and Laudan wanted something new to his ´life. He says that he is not much of a summer people, so Finnish summer sounds good to him.
“I also love nature, silence and “empty spaces”. Finnish people are very interesting: they start as an introvert, but suddenly they warm up.”
As a referee host Laudan and his team takes care of referees – that they have everything they need so they can focus only to the game. Referee host are truly for the referees.
” There are so big events that the referees can’t be late,” Laudan says and laughs.
This is Laudans first time as a volunteer and there is one thing that was a massive mind blow to Laudan: “I truly didn’t realize how much there is things to do and stuff going on behind the scenes. It was fun to witness, and I will always remember this experience.”
“Germany in the final was a huge surprise to me, to all of us Germans. Of course, we hoped it to happen, but seriously here and now. Wow! Germany has played really well at this tournament and done everything right!”
Laudan knows a few German players from the time he was a referee himself or from his hockey player years. 27 years old Laudan is from a small town near Hamburg but lives now in Järvenpää.
“It was a big thing for me leave hockey times behind and to Germany, but I have learned to live Finnish atmosphere. Järvenpää is a good place to start life in Finland, but my heart truly beats for Tampere.”
Laudan is very interest in Finnish ice hockey and maybe someday he will work in Liiga. He already knows some Finnish referees and assistant referees. He works as an engineer for now.
Moving to Finland was also about change and Laudan wanted something new to his ´life. He says that he is not much of a summer people, so Finnish summer sounds good to him.
“I also love nature, silence and “empty spaces”. Finnish people are very interesting: they start as an introvert, but suddenly they warm up.”
As a referee host Laudan and his team takes care of referees – that they have everything they need so they can focus only to the game. Referee host are truly for the referees.
” There are so big events that the referees can’t be late,” Laudan says and laughs.
This is Laudans first time as a volunteer and there is one thing that was a massive mind blow to Laudan: “I truly didn’t realize how much there is things to do and stuff going on behind the scenes. It was fun to witness, and I will always remember this experience.”