Interview with Dan Refstrup Jakobsen January 8, 2021

When Dan Refstrup Jakobsen, at just 19 years of age, took over the position as chairman of the Jutland-based club BTK Viby in 2009 from the outgoing chairman Hans Boisen, the club was facing numerous challenges.

A few years earlier, at the age of 16, Dan had begun working as a coach at the club, where a new youth section needed to be built from the ground up, as he himself was the only remaining youth player at the time.

By 2009, Dan had established a youth squad consisting of 16 regular players. The senior section relied largely on routine, with a couple of active teams and limited training activity beyond occasional match practice. The club also had a veterans’ section, which played every Friday morning and largely operated as a kind of independent association within the club.

“The club could be described as functional, much like many other smaller clubs. There were dedicated individuals who ran the traditional club championships and served as team managers, and the members were satisfied with this setup. There were no greater ambitions, as the workload required for further development seemed overwhelming,” says Dan Refstrup Jakobsen.

In 2009, BTK Viby invested in a new red competition floor for the four tables in Hall 1. At the time, the club had seven permanent tables spread across two rooms and approximately 30 active members.

The premises are being renovated, including new red flooring. Photo: Private.

Progress at a snail’s pace

During the first few years with Dan Refstrup Jakobsen as chairman, there was no major development in the club.

“I was inexperienced and unfamiliar with board work. My focus was primarily on youth training and my players” Dan Refstrup Jakobsen explains.

After a couple of years, things slowly began to move forward. A few parents joined the board. They brought skills and ambitions that would prove to be a turning point for the club.

Higher ambitions

“The parents’ ambitions made me believe that there were people around the club who wanted more than the setup at the time allowed. They wanted more members. They wanted to create better conditions for the youth players. In short, they wanted to see how far the club could be taken toward new heights,”says Dan Refstrup Jakobsen.

But ambitions cannot be fulfilled unless they are followed by visions and objectives. Dan therefore started where he had the greatest know-how and motivation – the elite level.

At the time, the senior section was playing somewhere between the Jutland Series and the 2nd Division, with Dan as the leading player alongside Karl Edney.

“We needed a proper flagship if our youth players were to have something to aspire to. We needed a stronger first team. In fact, one could say that BTK Viby went directly against the conventional idea that you build a strong club by focusing first on the grassroots and only then on the elite” Dan Refstrup Jakobsen explains. He used his networking skills to persuade several players to return who had otherwise put their bats on the shelf.

As a result, the club first brought in a new leading player in Rasmus Brunbjerg, followed later by Simon Nykjær-Fisher. Together with Victor Nielsen and Dan Refstrup Jakobsen, these players eventually promoted the club’s top team to the 1st Division.

The younger generation joined in

The arrival of stronger senior players at BTK Viby had the desired effect on the youth section.Training culture improved even further among the most ambitious players. Training frequency increased, and the club also succeeded in establishing a beginner youth team, from which it became far easier than before to recruit and retain young players.

Dan’s younger brother, Philip Jakobsen, and Simon Nykjær-Fisher formed a strong coaching team for this group. At the same time, Philip was the club’s best youth player and thus a direct product of Viby’s youth program, later transitioning into a leadership role. This was something the board was pleased to see, as it aligned with one of the club’s many new objectives.

“A sustainable club must educate leaders and coaches who can carry the club’s culture forward — and preferably develop it to even greater heights” explains Dan Refstrup Jakobsen.

Youth training underway. Photo: Private.

The strongest club in Aarhus

When BTK Viby were promoted to the 1st Division, the club managed to strengthen the team to an extent that would truly put BTK Viby on the map in Denmark and cement the club’s position as the strongest in Aarhus.

The club added Alexander Jørgensen, Sebastian Brinch, and national team player Tobias Stemann Lau to the squad. This gave the club a 1st. Division team consisting of Tobias, Alexander, Rasmus Brunbjerg, Simon Nykjær-Fisher, Sebastian Brinch, and Dan Refstrup Jakobsen.

A team that proved to be so strong that BTK Viby secured promotion to the country’s top division — something the club had not achieved since its illustrious days in the early 1990s.

Match in the Women’s League. Photo: Private.

Vision 100+

With a team in the country’s top division, the board began to raise its ambitions.They looked at the membership numbers, which had remained roughly stable at around 50 for several years.

“We decided that now, having overtaken our rivals Sisu/MBK at the elite level, the next goal had to be reaching over 100 members and thereby following in their esteemed footsteps with a large base of active members” recalls Dan Refstrup Jakobsen.

Work in progress on the club’s name. Photo: Private.

Lack of space led to an extension

BTK Viby faced a space problem. With only seven tables — and just four with enough playing space — the club struggled to fit in training sessions and new members.

“We considered alternative venues, but moving was complicated. Instead, we began talks with Aarhus Municipality about expanding the facilities. Negotiations lasted a year” recalls Dan Refstrup Jakobsen. Several parents with expertise — architects, lawyers, and craftsmen — joined hearings and board meetings, giving the club strong negotiating power to secure municipal funding.

BTK Viby contributed a significant part of its own capital, and the renovation began. The upgrade created two new halls, one with four tables, the other with eight, both with red tournament flooring and full table tennis facilities.

An impressive table tennis facility. Photo: Private.

Growing membership

The construction dragged on, and the club had to spend an entire season at BTEX, using the tables the business could make available at their premises on Tomsagervej in Aabyhøj.

The season became a transitional one, with the main goal being to retain existing members. Surprisingly, the club actually gained new members despite the temporary facilities. Another project had also been launched, aimed at attracting more recreational players.

“We had seen that Sisu/MBK had success running training sessions for beginner senior players.So we assigned a permanent coach to a group of these seniors. We organized open-house events and leveraged our mutual networks to get as many people as possible to try the sport. It turned out to be hugely successful in retaining members, and the club grew by nearly 30 members just through these simple initiatives,” explains Dan Refstrup Jakobsen.

A modern wall decoration is complete. Photo: Private.

Passing the Baton

When the club finally moved into its new, impressive facilities a couple of years ago, it could seriously start growing its membership.A bat60 program was launched, and an even larger and more skilled training team was built for both youth and senior players.

“We increased the membership fees slightly, despite having a healthy economy — because it’s incredibly important that members experience the quality of what the club offers. Quality costs money, and as a club, you shouldn’t be afraid to raise fees if you can simultaneously implement initiatives and bring in individuals that enhance the members’ qualitative experience of playing table tennis,”explains Dan Refstrup Jakobsen.

As a result, the club grew from around 80 members to approximately 140 active players in 2021.The goal for the coming years is to surpass 200 players at BTK Viby.

A clubroom with space for socializing and a trophy cabinet. Photo: Private.

Over the past 10 years, the club has grown by 100 members and developed tremendously on an organizational level.Dan Refstrup Jakobsen, who has now passed the chairman role on to Simon Nykjær-Fisher, takes this experience with him in his work as a consultant for Table Tennis Denmark.

“I am convinced that once the COVID-19 pandemic is over, we can bring plenty of life back to the clubs,”says the positive, now former chairman of BTK Viby.

Dan Refstrup Jakobsen (pictured) has handed over the chairman role at BTK Viby to Simon Nykjær-Fisher.
Photo: Private.