ÖEHV and ÖGK launch ‘Vere­in­scoaching’: health services for Austria’s ice hockey clubs

The Austrian Ice Hockey Association (ÖEHV) is entering into a new partnership with the Austrian Health Insurance Fund (ÖGK): with immediate effect, ice hockey clubs throughout Austria can take part in ‘Vereinscoaching’ free of charge. The aim is to firmly establish health topics in everyday club life – from work with children and young people to adult sport.

Specifically, the initiative trains health officers at participating clubs, who will in future serve as permanent contacts for all health-related matters within the club. Building on this, ÖGK and ÖEHV organise free ‘on-call seminars’ directly on site – dates and content are individually agreed with each club. Topics covered include healthy nutrition in sport, addiction prevention and the prevention of sexualised violence.

‘This is an outstanding programme for all ice hockey clubs in Austria: our clubs will gain free access to courses and coaching from genuine experts – particularly in the youth sector, but also for adults, this interdisciplinary perspective beyond one’s own field is highly valuable. Health must never be neglected in club sport, and with ÖGK we now have the ideal partner at our side. We are very much looking forward to the collaboration and to everything that Vereinscoaching will achieve for our sport,’ said ÖEHV Managing Director Alexander Helwig.

ÖGK Chairman Andreas Huss also emphasised the added value for clubs: ‘Sports clubs bring people together while promoting health – both physically and mentally. Ice hockey stands for far more than competition, speed and physical intensity: it is about exercise, solidarity and healthy togetherness. Together with the ice hockey association, we are creating services through Vereinscoaching that will sustainably strengthen our clubs’ physical and mental health.’

Interested amateur clubs can register with immediate effect, while the first training course for health officers will take place online on 8 October 2026.

All information is available at:

·         www.eishockey.at/der-oehv/trainer#vereinscoaching

·         www.oegk.at/vereine

·         For enquiries, contact: peter.schweda@eishockey.at