Tears of Joy After Every Match – Including the Final One at the Championship

This excitement stems mainly from the fact that two years ago, the Slovak girls’ team, despite being the youngest squad among all competitors, made it to the silver-medal final. So it’s only natural that anything less than reaching the final again would be a modest goal. However, since the Slovak coaching staff is well aware of the strength of their opponents, the players will approach every match with humility – but also with the full determination to have tears of joy not only after every game, but also at the end of the whole tournament.

We were curious to get a behind-the-scenes look at the home team’s preparations for the upcoming World Championship. That’s why we were glad that Andrea Pastorková Rišová, the women’s ball hockey manager for Slovakia, helped us peek into the team’s inner workings.

How many training camps has the team had so far, and how many more do you plan before the World Championship begins?
So far, we’ve had three training camps. Before the championship, we plan to hold two more. Most of the girls also play ice hockey, so we have to take into account that they still have club duties.

What are you focusing on in your preparation?
We’re focusing on traditional game elements – explosiveness, game systems, physical conditioning, penalty killing and power plays. Basically, the ball hockey and sports training standards that pretty much everyone uses.

Is the final roster for the World Championship already set?
We’re getting close to the final stage. Some girls are still “under the microscope” as we try to make the best possible decisions. For sure, a few girls will have to leave the team after the last camp, and that’s probably the toughest moment not only for them but also for the entire coaching staff.

Are you planning to play any friendly matches before the championship?
We’ve had a system in place for years now where we collaborate with boys’ teams during preparations. So, the girls play practice games at every camp. If the camp is in Žilina, we play against the boys from Medokýš Martin; if it’s in Poprad, we play against the Pirates from Poprad. I want to take this opportunity to thank the boys and their coaches for helping us and being great sparring partners.

The girls have also already played practice matches against the Slovak women’s national A-team. These games are very valuable, because they let the girls test out what they’re learning in practice – theory is good, but actual game experience is even more important.

What is the team’s goal at the home championship in Poprad?
Hmm, it’s not just a cliché – we really do want to approach every match with humility and avoid talking big, so as not to jinx ourselves with too much bravado. We want to take it step by step, minute by minute, game by game… But of course, we play to win. Speaking for myself, no matter how things turn out, I’ll be happy – I’m always proud of these girls. With every camp, you can see how much they’re progressing. I just hope that continues right up to the final whistle at the World Championship – and if there are tears on our cheeks, let them be tears of joy.

Photo (hokejbal.sk): Shots from the May national training camp in Poprad, including Andrea Pastorková Rišová (center, on crutches) with two ball hockey players