"Why do we competitive athletes tend to change our clubs from time to time? What makes us break the old and start something new? One can easily find several explanations, or dozen and maybe even hundreds of great answers. In these kind of situations, I've looked at the history to find a solution."
Sinkki-Sepot, Lampinsaari 1984-1993, 1996-1997 (Vihanti, Raahe 2013)
A foster club is the most dearest one. In my case it's especially true, because Sinkki-Sepot was the club of my birth place Lampinsaari. Sinkki (=Zinc) refers to Vihanti mine (located in Lampinsaari), which was one of the biggest zinc mines in the whole Europe in 1980's. Village is within one square kilometre area and surrounded by swamps. There used to be three shops, big school, track and field arena, ice rink, football and tennis-courts, swimming pool and great running opportunities in summer time.
I was simply born to be the member of Sinkki-Sepot. Only in my adulthood I started to realize how big was the meaning of my childhood surroundings, people, club - to my athletic ego. It has only grown when I get older and I can't still yet express it by words. The effect if so unbelievable huge.
Pyhäjokiseudun Suunnistajat 1994-1995 (Vihanti, Oulainen, Haapavesi, Ylivieska etc.)
In this Pyhäjokilaakso -area there were other active clubs than only Sinkki-Sepot (Oulaisten Huima & Taru, Haapaveden Urheilijat, to name some) and it was maybe in the autumn 1993 when they decided to gather the power of the clubs into one club. It was fun time, but as usual it collapsed pretty soon. So I represented Si-Se for two more years.
SK Pohjantähti 1998-2004 (Oulu, Pohjois-Pohjanmaa, Lappi, Kainuu)
I started to race in H21 already in 1997 and as I was doing those races in Northern Finland, young top-club SK Pohjantähti got interested in me. Especially Juhani Palonen and I found myself on the club's training-camp already on the same year. Very encouraging time back then! Old top runners like Karppinen and Parkkinen were still very good and the baseline of the whole club was high. Back then I was also happy that all the runners had roots in northern Finland.
1998 I started to be successful individually and also had my chanche to break into the first team in big relays. These were pretty boosting phases to my psyche. At that time other clubs weren't fishing out so much from other teams and probably I was considered as "a boy from the north". I indeed was even if I had lived in Keski-Suomi already from august 1996 (went to Hankasalmi Orienteering High-school).
Vaajakosken Terä 2005-2015 (Vaajakoski/Jyväskylä, Keski-Suomi, Finland and finally whole Europe)
When the old starts to get old in Pohjantähti and many other runners scatter all over the Finland, I started to wonder whether we could build up a strong team in Jyväskylä. That happened actually pretty fast during the autumn 2004. We all were really excited about that new team, but my mind was suffering for leaving Pohjantähti for two years at least. As my spondylolithesis was revealed on the first year of Terä, it didn't make things easier.
First Terä years were cool, as the "Kortepohja boys" lived within one square kilometer and whole squad in Central Finland. I was very active in the club during those years - both in good and bad. In fact, my career as a player-coach had started already in 1995, when my sister Mervi started to make the first (and the last ;)) training programs for me. I was applying them to my younger athlete friends, of course :). Bit by bit my own problems started to affect my athletics and coaching duties in the club and this had an effect on how I felt my role in the club. It's hard to be the saint when you are sometimes also the satan. Somehow I survived from the load, because I surprisingly was able to know myself. But I understand very well, if you couldn't see from the outside...
During the last years there has been many changes in the positions inside the club and unfortunately also in the spirit. Nothing lasts forever, as my good friend Anders Nordberg would put it. I am not saying that the spirit is bad nowadays either, but it's not the same anymore. This was recognized many years ago, we have made many efforts to change it, but nothing really good happened. Some day good happens to Terä-spirit again.
Paimion Rasti 2016-> (Paimio, Turku, Finland, Europe)
Losing some of the spirit wasn't after all the key reason for the next chapter in my competitive orienteering life. There isn't a single reason for that, but many small things. In the end of July I moved to Turku to be a National Olympic Coach in Turun seudun urheiluakatemia and in Kerttulin urheilulukio. I have been wondering my own role in the orienteering sport from many angles and come to a conclusion that I will most useful for others, when I am also part of something every day. These kind of social surroundings I have due to my work as I am meeting Kerttuli high-schoolers, adult athletes of the academy, my coaching colleagues and orienteering friends from the whole Varsinais-Suomi -area every day. Even when I have the worst day of my life, I can't say that I am lonely.
But something is profound in representing a club, being in contact with your club-mates in every day life and regional sense of community. I want to be PART OF SOMETHING. In Varsinais-Suomi there are many good "gangs" and during the last month I went through all the choices many times. Paimio was the choice finally because I have known almost all the athletes and background people long time and I know they share the same ideology towards the sport as I do. Financial aspects and chances to make some success came always after that social core in my considerations and are then just a nice addition. Future seems now bright and it's nice to be part of something again. Every day.