He accompanies Swiss golf careers
25.03.2020
In January, Marc Chatelain took up his new position as head of Competitive Sports and Junior Talents at Swiss Golf. Prior to this, he had been in charge of the junior talent department at the national association. His area of responsibility at Swiss Golf has thus been significantly expanded. Chatelain makes it clear: "I did not take over the job from Paolo Quirici and therefore do not have the same competences and tasks 1:1 as he did". In the course of the restructuring, Swiss Golf has reorganised the "Sport" division. "For me, the new job means that I'm no longer just responsible for the junior division, but for the entire spectrum of our athletes - from the junior squad to the pros," explains Chatelain. Within Swiss Golf he reports to Barbara Albisetti, who is now responsible for the "Sport" division and will in future manage the office together with the Head of "Service".
As Head of Competitive Sports and Junior Talents, Chatelain is the contact person for all ambitious golfers in Switzerland. Transferred to the FTEM scheme of Swiss Olympic, this means that Chatelain is now responsible for all areas from T to M and is, among other things, responsible for the Swiss Golf Team, which currently has nine playing professionals. In his previous function, Chatelain was mainly responsible for the junior (T).
According to Marc Chatelain, the structure in the sports area of Swiss Golf has advantages for the athletes, among other things because it ensures continuity. "Our coaches have been going along with the players since 2015, which means that they look after the athletes from the U14 elite squad to the E or M level. This makes it easier for athletes and coaches because they can continue to work together and the communication channels are easier - because they are known and well-rehearsed".
Marc Chatelain, Swiss PGA Vice-President and Member Support Playing Professionals
There are also changes in the current Swiss Pro Team under the leadership of Stuart Morgan. The new name is Swiss Golf Team and top amateurs will also be included in the training structure. "In the last few years as amateurs, we want to prepare these players for the transition to professionals. They have to be 'ready' when they take this step," says Chatelain.
The new head of Competitive Sports and Junior Players at Swiss Golf took up his post at an extremely challenging time. The coronavirus crisis has also taken a firm grip on golf: "Many activities that we wanted to start are being postponed. The athletes' international tournament calendar now needs to be reconsidered. And last but not least, it is now a matter of keeping our players busy at home for the next few weeks or months." The fitness area is less of a headache for Chatelain, "the athletes are trained to train outside the gym or the joint squad training, i.e. at home". It is more challenging to train the golf specific part. "But this crisis can also be an opportunity to work in areas that are otherwise somewhat neglected," explains Chatelain. He sees good opportunities in the mental area, for example by visualising and running routines, to stay fit as a golfer. It is also important that the players think positively: "In Europe, everyone is in the same boat; at the moment, nobody can train on the course. When the season starts again, nobody has a training advantage".
He sees his main task in Switzerland in creating the framework conditions for competitive golfers so that the athletes can be successful. "This means, among other things, designing an appropriate training structure and culture. Swiss Golf has decided against a national performance centre. That's why we are now looking for other solutions," he explains. A winter base abroad, where top Swiss golfers can train together, is currently in the project phase. A closer cooperation with indoor facilities in Switzerland is also currently being examined. "We are taking a close look at the existing infrastructure in Switzerland. Our aim is to enter into cooperation with existing facilities in the regions in order to be able to offer a good range of services in winter. Artificial turf is a good keyword in this respect, a major development has taken place here in recent years", says Chatelain. He also emphasises in this context: "Swiss Golf is committed to cooperation, the association does not aim to own a training facility".
Marc Chatelain is not only closely associated with Swiss Golf, he has also been a board member of the Swiss PGA for many years. His new position at Swiss Golf means that his time here is somewhat shorter: "As part of the restructuring of the Swiss PGA Board, we already reorganised the tasks internally last year," he explains. The Captain's office, which Chatelain held for a long time, has been split between two people. "Within the Swiss PGA, I look after the playing professionals; in addition to the members of the Swiss Golf Team, we have another 25 golfers in Switzerland who earn their living by playing tournaments," says Chatelain. Swiss PGA board member Gianluca Patuzzo has been in charge of the Swiss PGA tournaments since 2019.