Ondřej “Benki” Benkovič (Slonokobra Brno)
I am Ondřej Benkovič, creator of this website. Well, people call me Benki. I started playing floorball when I was about 13 years old instead of ice hockey – like lot of other floorball players 🙂 It was before year 2000, in the small town of Pohořelice in Czech Republic and almost nobody knew the sport here. We were just so lucky that there was a new sport hall with cheap rent, so SuperLeague team Bulldogs Brno had the practices there and sometimes played even the league matches in Pohořelice. It was my first contact with this great game and with few friends we put together small floorball team. That was in the time, when even local elite goalies used volleyball knee pads, old hockey helmets and not everyone had even the floorball trousers…
It was not easy for us to get the sticks, goals and balls – but when it came to goalie’s gear – that was really challenging. Like many of you, I started with just some sport trousers, jacket and junior hockey helmet (which I got from my younger friend and which was little bit small for my head, so after some time, I always had a headache). And of course, for first few years, I used those damned volleyball pads.
Few years later, we played some friendly match with Bulldogs youngsters, we lost it badly,… but their coach invited me to their summer camp – great opportunity to meet other goalies, learn something new… and in the end, it led me to spent next season with the team where I could learn from SuperLeague goalies and also Czech national team ex-goalie was my coach for the end of the season.
My career ended when I was 17. Had some problems with knees and also other interests.
Well, not yet.
Two years ago I gave it another try and felt in love with the sport again.
Now I play for amateur team Slonokobra (Elephantcobra:D) which I put together with some friends and for amateur team AntiPraha, both in Amateur Floorball League in Brno. I also practice with some other teams including Bulldogs Brno (well, just the C team – with lot of my friends from the early years!).
Now, when I am 30, dreams about being a elite goalie are gone but still I wanna be the best I can. The biggest steps we can do by hard practice but I am sure that we can also help each other by providing some information, tips, know how… Join me and help me to make this site home for those strange people – for the floorball goalies!
Here are few vids of me in action, I am a lucky guy! 😉