About the past season as well as about the next plans we talked with Tibor Tartaľ, coach of HK Mládež Michalovce.

You came to Michalovce before the last season. How did you like the club during your first season? Did your expectations meet?

Everyone in the club tries to work at 100%, which is very positive. Also I like Michalovce as a town, with cadets (U16) we achieved our goal - to get to the highest competition for the next season, so there's a lot of satisfaction. I believe that things that the club could not influence and did not work during the last season will improve in the next.

With which age groups you worked in Michalovce? How was the work with your players?

I worked as a head coach of U16, U12 and U11 teams. The work of a coach with children is always interesting. If it fills you up, there is always a lot of positives in it.

Your U16 team "fought" in two new competition. What could you tell us about your team performance in your home competition, which has the new format in this season.

Our goal was to get to the highest competition for the next season and we did it. Thats why I could appreciate last season very positively, and it can be considered as successfull. We will be able to see the new format in next season, because we played a "regional group" that did not differ much from the model that was in previous seasons.

The second competition was the international Carpathian Junior Hockey League. Your team reached second place, satisfaction?

It would be bigger, if we finished on first.

Before the season you said that the benefits of this competition for your players will be possible to appreciate after the season ... so?

The benefit was great in terms of socialization and cohesive cooperatives in the field of relations, as it was like we are on a "trips". Match quality and the amount of matches played in CJHL really helped us. We could tried some other things without pressure, and that definitely helped us later in our efforts in Slovak league. The boys became aware of a new culture, mentality and I think that at their age it is very important for them to have an international confrontation. So I appreciate the participation in this competition and I believe that the next year will be even at a higher level.

The training process did not stop even after the end of the season. How it looks "summer" training under the Tibor Tartaľ? What do you aim for in off-ice training?

Every age category has its own specificities and norms in terms of physiology, and they can not be skip. At U12 and U11 category I focus on speed, coordination and stickhandling (work with a stick and a ball), which is very important. At U16 players there is endurance, deep stabilization system, strength. So I'm trying to go especially to the new trends that dominate in world hockey.

It is not so long, as you finished your player´s career. As a player, do you liked summer drill, or not?

I think that my generation was lead that way, we had to train hard and no one explained why and it was a mistake. Grumble did not help anyone. Due to fact that I did not have so much talent, I had to love summer drill  ? ?. Today, as a coach after I graduated on FTVS, I know that it is necessary and I understand it. I always try to explain to my players what we are doing and why.  I want them to understand why we need to do it and where it moves them.

Summer is coming. Do you plan to relax from hockey or do you have any hockey activities planned also in the summer?

Before my comming to Michaloviec I worked as a coach in Russia. I had some contacts there, so in the summer I will co-organize the hockey camps in Russia. For me is a hockey also relaxation and work that recharges me with energy.