Locker room stories: Ice hockey

Sports are perhaps the best means of integrating into a city. Young and old, newcomers and born 'Eindhovenaren', all meet on fields and courts for weekly matches and a chat afterward. It's the perfect way to unwind and encounter new people. In this series, we visit three teams from Eindhoven and ask what sports mean to them.

Part two: the ice hockey players of the Kemphanen

"Anyone who wants to become really good at playing this sport should start at the age of four." We are at ice hockey club Eindhoven Kemphanen, and talking to Sjors Vermeulen, player and team manager of the FUNteam. Some of the team members were indeed on the ice before they could even walk. Alexander Fyukov, a Russian by origin, for example. He tells how he used to tie homemade irons under his shoes and thus spent the harsh winters in his native country. Alexander now lives in the Netherlands with his family and works at the High Tech Campus. Friday evenings at the Kemphanen are the perfect way to wrap up a busy week.

The FUNteam was founded about twenty years ago by parents of youth members who wanted to play ice hockey themselves. The team's composition is diverse, ranging in age from early twenties to late sixties. All ice hockey teams here at the Antoon Coolenlaan are a great mix of backgrounds and nationalities. There is the first team for the fanatical players, which competes in the premier league. And if you really want to become good? Then you can join the Kemphanen ice hockey school, where they welcome little enthusiasts from the age of four.

Want to know more about the Kemphanen? Here you can find all the information you need. The 'ice hockey school' offers two free trial lessons for kids to get acquainted with the sport. Would you like to experience a thrilling ice hockey match? Buy a ticket for a home game of the first team here.