Christopher Dahl

Not enough football

Vikersund boy Christoffer Dahl moved to Oslo at the age of 16 to follow his football dream at KFUM. After strong seasons at Ekebergklubben, he was rewarded at the age of 19 with a transfer to the senior team Lyn and a role on the Norwegian U21 national team.

Despite his sporting progress, he did not fare well in professional life.
– It wasn't enough football. There was too much tactical and other things that I found boring in training. What I like is playing ball.

After three and a half years at Lyn and a loan to first division team Manglerud, he decided to step down – at just 22 years old.

Back to the joy of sports
In the following years, Christoffer combined his teacher training with playing for the YMCA in the third and eventually second division. In the Kåffa jersey, he found his joy in sports again.
– It was like coming home again. Kåffa was my playpen – I had fun there.

At the same time, he also delivered on the court. For the KFUM futsal team, he helped win the elite series, was voted Norway's best player by the players themselves and represented Norway internationally.

His performances sparked interest, and Hønefoss offered him a return to the Tippeligaen.
– It was a final convulsion, but I found out again that it was no fun.

He did, however, have one highlight. On May 16 at Lerkendal, he scored the match-winning goal against Rosenborg – one of the most beautiful goals of his career. The rest of his stay, however, was no highlight, and after six months he returned to KFUM – this time both as a player and an employee in the club administration.

Once again, Christoffer played great in the Kåffa jersey, and after several seasons of "almost" he led the team to promotion to the OBOS league.
– No paid players, just friends I had played with since I moved to Oslo. It's my greatest sporting moment.

The encounter with the OBOS league was tough, and the KFUM comrades were immediately relegated. After the relegation, Christoffer hung up his boots for good. He worked for the club for a few more years, before his teacher training took him to primary school – and eventually to Oslo Folk High School Rønningen.

– It's the best career choice I've ever made.

Play in height and width
Today, Christoffer is a teacher at both the Multisport and Top Sports courses at Rønningen. As a Multisport teacher, he brings with him the joy of playing with a ball. He believes that it is important to learn the basics of a sport, but that the best learning occurs through the game itself.
– The most fun thing is playing ball, and I'm a little afraid of organizing sessions to death with too many exercises.

As a top sports teacher, Christoffer tends to divide the top sports life into four parts: training, diet, recovery and the mental.
– I didn't live like a top athlete. I trained well, but I ate kebabs, played FIFA and went to bed late.

He nevertheless believes that his experiences make him well equipped to guide the young athletes who come to Rønningen.
– I know what it takes, but also how easy it is to lose the joy. Many people feel pressure – either from themselves or from outside – and I try to help them lower their shoulders and find balance. You have to have fun to perform. I think that applies to everything in life.

The joy of the folk high school
For Christoffer, folk high school is about exactly that: having fun, learning through community, and growing as a person.
– I have always been driven by having fun, and when I have had fun, I have also learned a lot. That is one of the great things about folk high schools – here you get a year without all the crappy frameworks of society, where you immerse yourself in what you want and learn a lot about yourself and others.