"I arrived at the ECSG with colleagues but I left with another family!"

Team Hager celebrates team spirit, cooperation and medals at the "European Company Sport Games"!

The long-term project “ECSG 2022” had its big final in Arnhem (The Netherlands) from the 22.-25. Of June. 40 colleagues from 6 countries and 10 sites participated in 6 different sport competitions (Athletics, Badminton, Basketball, Soccer, Tennis, Volleyball) and were more than successful! The European Company Sport Games is the major event in the European Company Sport calendar. Since the first Games, the number of participants and the dimension of the Games have grown dramatically. From 800 participants in 1977 to more than 7000 in Salzburg in 2019. In this 2022’s edition in Arnhem, around 5000 participants from all over Europe challenged each other on 23 sports.

But let's tell the story from the beginning. Actually, it all started back in December 2021 with an internal call to all colleagues from Europe to join a team that would represent the Hagergroup at the European Company Sport Games (ECSG) in the Netherlands. In the end, more than 40 colleagues answered this call ! This was the beginning of an exciting journey with a common goal: ECSG 2022 in Arnhem!

For a sporting competition, training and cohesion are of course important, and this was probably the most difficult part. Due to the geographical distance between each other, it was not always possible to train together, furthermore most of the colleagues did not know each other yet and so ways had to be found to ignite the team spirit! An important part of motivation and getting to know each other was a team channel for all participants. Here, fun icebreaker sessions and challenges took place regularly to cheer each other on, motivate each other for the competition and build a strong community. Some international teams even managed to meet in person beforehand to get to know each other better.

“Organisation BEFORE the event was really cool (icebreaker, weekly contest …) this created also the TEAM” Patrice Cohaut, Obernai, Badminton Team.

After more than 6 months of virtual meetings, individual trainings and a few meetings, the time had finally come on 22.06.22 and the European Company Sport Games had begun! Even though organization team faced some last minute cancellation, it did not impact the overflowing energy of all the 40 participants. We thought back and forth about completing the teams and thanks to our committed communities such as TAI, IC Agent etc… almost all teams were able to take part in the end.

Team Hagergroup motivated each other with photos and messages already on the journey to the Netherlands. “Speaking about the trip, I thought it would be long going by car, but it comes that it was a really good time. And seeing everyone coming in their car to the bungalow, brought some good vibes.” Brian Moothian, Saverne, Soccer Team.

On site, everyone met live for the first time ever and the feeling of togetherness was there immediately: "We arrived and hardly knew each other, but we immediately felt the team spirit and in the end, we were one big family as well as the Hagergroup." Says Clotilde Raingué, Obernai, Volleyball Team who organized everything around the ECSG together with Thomas Schneider, Obernai, Volleyball Team.

“At all times (on the field, in the bungalows, at meals…) I felt what I think is most important between human beings : complicity, friendship and respect. When I felt these three values, I felt that in 5 days we all created a new family, based on the values also of the Hager Group.” Added Joao Mateus, Lisboa, Soccer Team.

Hager Group did not come back from Arnhem empty handed, indeed some colleagues performed and put Hagergroup on the winner’s podium! Together we won three silver medals (100m, 800m, 5000m) and two bronze medals (1500m and 4x100m relay)

Even though not every team went home with a medal or a good ranking in the end, everyone was enthusiastic and wants to come back next year for the ECSG in Bordeaux even better!

« I have to say that we had fantastic team spirit and I cross my fingers, to take a chance to play again next year!
For me Bordeaux 2023 will be a chance for a great reunion- perfect balance between company of wonderful people and fair sport competition.

Hope to see you all in France next year!» Lukasz Cielinski, Kornik, Soccer Team