Immigration to Finland as an underaged ice hockey player : experiencing the first steps of an athletic career in a foreign country

Abstract

An increasing number of foreign junior ice hockey players move to Finland every year to pursue their athletic career in a competitive environment. According to the players’ views, Finland offers better opportunities to develop during junior years than their home country, and makes it is possible to play ice hockey as a professional. The dream of becoming a professional athlete is pursued by many, but only a few make it to the top.

The purpose of this study is to find out how players describe their immigration experience, what kind of support the players have received or needed, and what factors have influenced their adaptation. The aim is to produce the first overview of the experiences of ice hockey players who came to Finland as children and became successful in their careers.

In this study, I interviewed six male players who moved to Finland at the age of 13 or 14, half of whom moved from their home country without their family and half of whom arrived with one parent. The sample consists of players whose careers have successfully progressed during or after their years in Finland towards becoming professionals, i.e., players whose immigration has led to them achieving their career goals. The interviews were analysed according to the narrative framework.

All the players felt that the sacrifice was worth it. For some, the experience was more difficult, others viewed it mostly as a positive adventure or an anticipated continuation of their ice hockey career. These stories were all presented with gratitude, joy, and contentment, and as a key finding, the players described how the difficulties they faced made them stronger and readier for a professional career. Loneliness, language barrier and the demands of growing up quickly were named as the biggest problems. The players emphasized the importance of the support of family and friends for their adaptation, but also pointed out that one’s own personality and actions influence the success of immigration and thus career advancement.