Tapion Sulka has been steadily moving towards the future, developing both its coaching expertise and a strong, community-driven club culture. The club’s strategy is grounded in a humane, learning-oriented approach that combines high-performance sports with lifelong physical activity. The role of the new executive director is central to leading and developing this overall vision – with the responsibility of turning strategic goals into concrete actions in everyday operations and ensuring that the club continues to grow as a strong, influential, and sustainable force in Finnish badminton.
The recruitment process for a new executive director, conducted over the spring, has now been completed. The application round was highly competitive, with over 40 qualified candidates applying for the position. After two rounds of interviews, Tarja Arkio was selected for the role.
We’ll get to know Tarja better as the new season begins, but here’s a message from her as we head into summer:
"I’m truly excited to join Tapion Sulka on its journey. The club has a strong drive to grow and lead the way in Finnish badminton, and I believe we’ll achieve a lot together. And the foundation we’re building on is something to respect: for 65 years, this local Espoo-based club has not only offered high-quality activities for badminton enthusiasts, but also helped Finnish players reach the top level internationally. See you at the hall!"
The club’s development work continues with an even stronger focus on coaching
Tapion Sulka aims to become a forerunner in Finnish badminton – both in its club culture and coaching. In recent years, we have invested significantly in developing our coaching expertise and systems. Our coaches have participated in developing their expertise at university level as well as in national and international coaching programs. Throughout the season, we have also regularly organized coaches’ meetings and book clubs to support the professional development of our session coaches. Additionally, we actively use MIELI ry’s “Young Mind in Sports” materials to support the mental wellbeing of our young players.
We have refined our coaching philosophy by placing the athlete’s own learning at the center. Based on ecological dynamics theory, our training emphasizes the development of game understanding – helping players learn to read the game by observing their environment and making tactically sound decisions in response to in-game opportunities (affordances).
With these themes in mind, we look forward to continuing the work in the fall – but in the meantime, let’s enjoy some ice cream, sunshine, and well-earned summer days. See you back at the hall in August!
