Skjern Håndbold launches the vision for the talent academy “Magneten”
A new talent academy with room for 60 girls and boys aims to attract young people to Ringkøbing-Skjern Municipality and create a strong gathering point for sport, community, and experiences.
Magneten, which is scheduled to open in the spring of 2028, is intended to strengthen both talent development and the opportunities for young people in the municipality.
The vision was presented Thursday morning to the Ringkøbing-Skjern Business Council at Innovest.
The plans behind Magneten have been developed in close cooperation with TARS (Talent Academy Ringkøbing-Skjern), which will—with this project—be able to expand and offer even more students modern facilities and surroundings.
The launch of Magneten is not only about improving sports opportunities – it is also meant to ensure that more young people choose to study and settle in Ringkøbing-Skjern Municipality.
The vision has already received strong support in discussions with businesses, educational institutions, and local politicians.
– “We hope and believe that the vision will become reality, as it will help strengthen Skjern Håndbold’s ambition to remain the ‘World’s Smallest Big Club’ and at the same time become a new beacon in Ringkøbing-Skjern Municipality,” says Skjern Håndbold CEO Carsten Thygesen.
– “Magneten will also help create new spaces for communities with opportunities for many major events – and at the same time further strengthen the social cohesion in the municipality,” says Carsten Thygesen.
In the Skjern Håndbold board, Magneten is seen as a strategically important initiative – both for the club and for the municipality’s future attractiveness.
– “When it comes to attracting new young residents to the municipality, it is hard to imagine a more effective single initiative than Magneten.
Players, coaches, leaders, and volunteers in a handball club come and go over time. Magneten, on the other hand, will remain for generations as a testament to Skjern Håndbold and the local community’s will to always take on the challenges that life on the far west coast of the country has always presented and always will present,” says Skjern Håndbold board member Dan Hammer.
Magneten is planned to be built across three levels with a clear distribution of facilities:
Ground floor: State-of-the-art training facilities, physiotherapy and health center, as well as common areas supporting daily operations and activities.
1st floor: An exclusive lounge and a conference room with views of the arena, with a combined capacity of up to 700 people.
2nd and 3rd floors: Housing for the academy’s 60 students – the girls and boys who are part of the talent development environment and who will live in the municipality.
