JISKA - U8/U10

How did you get into inline hockey?
Because the ice hockey season slows down during the summer, I started playing inline hockey. It was offered as an alternative, and I immediately really enjoyed it.

Why did you start coaching?
I started coaching because I want to share my experience and contribute to the development of the youth. At the same time, it's also a great opportunity for me to grow and experience the sport from a different perspective.

What would you like to pass on to the youth?
Always give your best, whether it's a training session or a game. Keep believing in yourself, even when things don't go perfectly. Making mistakes is part of the process and actually gives you the chance to grow and learn.

Favorite quote:
Keep going!

ELZA - U8/U10

How did you get into inline hockey?
I wanted to keep training during the summer break of the ice hockey season, and that's how I ended up in inline hockey. There, I discovered that the game is played even faster than ice hockey, giving an even more intense workout. Amazing!

Why did you start coaching?
There was a shortage of coaches in inline hockey. In addition, I often babysit in my free time, so I thought coaching might be something for me as well. After helping out a few times, I realized that I really enjoy guiding youth in the sport.

What would you like to pass on to the youth?
Have fun in everything you do! It makes everything so much easier. And don't be afraid to work hard for something you really want.

Favorite quote:
A day without laughter is a day wasted!

GUST - U12/U14

How did you get into inline hockey?
I had just started playing ice hockey and thought that every player trained inline hockey during the off-season. It turns out that many don't, even though inline players always have the best start to the new season.

Why did you start coaching?
Passion for hockey and passing it on to the little ones, but the need for a head coach for the U12 team definitely played a role as well.

What would you like to pass on to the youth?
Always give your all for every goal, and don't give up just because of a goal against you. This applies not only to hockey, but to everything.

Favorite quote:
I'm far too nice to you. With another coach, that would have been 10 push-ups.

MILAN - U12/U14

How did you get into inline hockey?
Through the inline training sessions in Rozebroeken with Josse, Wout, and Thomas.

Why did you start coaching?
I realized how much joy I get from explaining the game to others. It's amazing to see players grow, gain confidence, and improve as a team.

What would you like to pass on to the youth?
Keep enjoying the game, don't be afraid to make mistakes, and remember that effort often matters more than talent. Teamwork and having fun always come first!

Favorite quote:
Hard work beats talent when talent doesn't work hard.

IDRIS - U12/U14

How did you get into inline hockey?
Because the ice hockey season had ended.

Why did you start coaching?
To help the youth grow in the sport and contribute to their development.

What would you like to pass on to the youth?
Keep putting in the effort and attend training regularly to improve quickly.

Favorite quote:
Every day is a good day for hockey.

DRIES - U12/U14

How did you get into inline hockey?
I started with regular ice hockey for a couple of years, and then I found out that there was a group that kept training during the summer as well. Since then, I've been playing inline hockey every summer—first only youth practices, and now also games with the adults.

Why did you start coaching?
I started coaching because I was asked to help out, since during exams and holidays there were sometimes shortages of coaches. I enjoyed it, and now I mainly do it for fun.

What would you like to pass on to the youth?
I would like to pass on to the youth that the coach is always right and that you should always do your best.

Favorite quote:
They don't ask how, they ask how many.

ZEGER - U12/U14

How did you get into inline hockey?
I don't remember exactly, but the need to stay active after the ice hockey season and the opportunity to do this with participants/players from the Ghent Dragons was a pleasure I didn't want to miss. I had also started ice hockey after skating every day with my friends in the neighborhood and wanting to do a bit more with it, so in a way it was a return to my roots.

Why did you start coaching?
The youth are, of course, the future, and being able to help them grow and see them develop is a fantastic experience. There was also a need for coaches, which played a role as well.

What would you like to pass on to the youth?
I want to emphasize the importance of starting from a place of fun in this sport. It's a team sport where we are all important and can push each other to a higher level. Always go one hundred percent for the puck, even if it seems out of reach. Watch and learn from your teammates and opponents, and believe in your team!

Favorite quote:
A quote that refers to how good deeds, even unseen, can have incredible effects or influence for the better:
"The work an unknown good man has done is like a vein of water flowing hidden underground, secretly making the ground green." — Thomas Carlyle

TALBOOM - U16/REC

How did you get into inline hockey?
To get through the summer, since ice hockey is on break then.

Why did you start coaching?
Due to a shortage of coaches.

What would you like to pass on to the youth?
Have fun in the sport!

Favorite quote:
I'd rather you try the exercise as it is than do something that looks similar just because it's easier.

THOMAS - U18/GIRLS/DIV3

How did you get into inline hockey?
I started at the age of 8 with the Huskies, which were then based in Sint-Gillis-Waas. I enjoyed a strong youth program under Stefaan De Bel until I was 15. Like many others, I stopped for a while, but at 21 I picked up the sport again. By then, Jonathan Lejeune was the head coach of the Huskies. After 8 seasons, I moved to Dogs Eeklo, where I have been active in recent years.

Parallel to my inline career, I also played ice hockey, including with the Antwerp Phantoms. Eventually, just like with inline hockey, I moved more towards Ghent – and that's where I also started coaching.

Why did you start coaching?
I honestly don't remember exactly why I started. It was probably a classic case of being a "Chinese volunteer" or just a shortage of coaches. What I do know is why I still do it today with passion and dedication.

I look back fondly on my youth at the Huskies. Our team was more than a team – it was a close group of friends. The club gave us a safe environment where we could grow as athletes and as people. We worked together with purpose, but there was also room for fun, self-development, and friendship. That feeling, that structure, and that trust – that is what I want to pass on to the youth today.

I also find satisfaction in the coaching process itself: setting goals, building structure, and working together towards a vision. I find it inspiring to think across clubs, to take ideas from others, and to build something meaningful with a young, driven, and passionate group.

That is also why I joined the Roller BeeZzZ project. For me, it was unthinkable that a vibrant student city like Ghent no longer had an inline club. I have received so much from this sport – now it's my turn to give back to the community.

What would you like to pass on to the youth?
That sport can be much more than just training and performing. It can be a second home, a place where you learn to collaborate, grow, fall, and get back up again. I want to create a safe and challenging environment where young people can be themselves and surpass themselves.

Above all: today, it's about them, not us. The future lies with the youth – and they deserve to be supported and inspired in it.

Favorite quote:
Not exactly a hockey quote, but one that has inspired me for years. A beautiful quote from Rage Against the Machine:

"It has to start somewhere, it has to start sometime.
What better place than here, what better time than now?"

NIELS - U18/GIRLS/DIV3

How did you get into inline hockey?
Like most others, I got into it through ice hockey. I wanted to keep playing sports during the summer after the ice rink closed, so I thought: why not try inline hockey? I had always played on my inline skates on the street as a kid, so I expected I would enjoy it. And as it turns out – of course – it's even more fun when you play in a group!

Why did you start coaching?
During games and training sessions, I started getting more and more questions from fellow players and realized that I actually had something to teach the youth. So I wanted to share my own knowledge.

What would you like to pass on to the youth?
That team sports are incredibly important for learning to interact with others in a fun and respectful way. You learn to work together, win together, and also lose together.

Favorite quote:
Hard work pays off too!

WOUT - U18/GIRLS/DIV3

How did you get into inline hockey?
Too little ice time; inline hockey is a great alternative.

Why did you start coaching?
To help take the youth to a higher level.

What would you like to pass on to the youth?
The joy of the game.

Favorite quote:
Driekant