Life is not a sport for spectators
I have always been involved and committed in sport – as an athlete, coach, volunteer, researcher, communicator and spectator. My educational background is a master degree in Political Science and Physical Education and I have five chapters of my work life with different perspectives of sport. I have extensive theoretical knowledge and many practical experiences about the value of sport. My knowledge and experiences are obtained from youth education, higher education and research institutions, and the daily life of Danish and international elite sport.
For more than three decades I have worked with top athletes, coaches, high performance managers and researchers. In addition, I have worked with many municipalities, clubs, federations and organizations as well as some of Denmark’s largest private companies. Finally, I have many experiences as chairman and member of boards, voluntary organizations, federations, associations and public institutions. Today I have a number of collaborators whom I appreciate and which I solve different types of tasks for and along with. Because – Life is not a sport for spectators!
Blogs
The boys of the Atlantic – about handball, identity and resilience
In the coming days, more than 6,000 Faroese will be in spectators stands in the Unity Arena in the Oslo suburb of Baerum, when the Faroe Islands play the three preliminary matches at the “Men’s EHF EURO 2026”. The opponents are Switzerland (16.1.), Montenegro (18.1.) and Slovenia (20.1.) – all opponents with greater results and … Read more
The 2025 Danish sports year with both success and failure
The 2025 IHF Women’s Handball World Championship final on Sunday ends the sport’s international championships in 2025. Denmark reached the quarterfinals, where France was clearly better than a Danish women’s national team that was hit by cancellations from several experienced players. It is extremely difficult to compare sporting results, both nationally and internationally. This is … Read more
How to develop a strong and sustainable talent environment
Talent is a complex and nuanced phenomenon. Genetics, skills, learning ability, commitment, persistence, social relationships and environment are just a few of the many characteristics of talent – regardless of whether the talent’s domain is language, mathematics, music, graffiti or sports. There is no one-size-fits-all approach to identifying and developing talent in sports, not even … Read more
Autocracies dominate (also) international sport
One of the most well-documented sources for understanding and explaining the development of international sport in recent decades is the book “Autocracy Inc. – The Dictators Who Want to Run the World”, which was published last summer. The book, written by internationally renowned historian and political commentator Anne Applebaum, describes two frightening trends: the increasing … Read more
That’s what my business partners say
“Michael Andersen is one of Denmark’s most experienced and competent CEO’s with a lot of knowledges and experiencies from the international world of sports. In the period as CEO of Team Denmark, Michael renewed the organization, which gave our top-athletes, teams and federations the opportunity to achieve outstanding results in international topsport”
Finn Lund Andersen | Director in AS3
“Throughout recent years, Danish School Sports has undergone an exciting development as an organization. In this connection, we have made use of Michael Andersen’s extensive professional competencies and knowledge within school sports, strategy and organization. His work has given us new perspectives, both on our self-understanding and future potentials. We have greatly appreciated our collaboration and, not least, the way he has shown respect to us. I have always appreciated Michael’s honesty and his direct behavior”.
Finn Kristensen | Dansk Skoleidræt
“Michael Andersen is an excellent manager. His human and professional skills enable him to quickly analyze the situation of human beings and teams, thus giving them the optimal coaching, which is the foundation of good performance. I have had the pleasure of the coaching both in the competitive situation and in a negotiating situation, and in both cases Michael’s analytical skills contributed to good results”.
Kasper Hvidt | Handball
”I know Michael Andersen from his time as CEO of Team Denmark. Michael was an incredibly skillfull manager who also had focus at the individual athlete. He took the time to going into the individual topics and challenges of the athlete and he was also very solution-oriented. Moreover, he is a down-to-earth person who is comfortable with being around ”.
Maja Alm | Orienteering
“Michael Andersen has some unique skills in coaching and to advicing the individual athlete, teams and the federation. He is always very passioned and incredibly well informed. With considerered decisions and clear communication, Michael is able to manage even the most complex negotiations and difficult situations ”.
Thomas Jacobsen | Sailing
“Michael Andersen is one of the best managers I have experienced and been lucky to work with. He was a very active person in relation to optimizing relationships for me and my teammates, so that we were able to win medals at international championships such as the Olympics, the World Championships and the European Championships. In addition, he was a crucial factor when resolving conflicts – and exceptionally good at finding good solutions for both parts in conflicts. As CEO of Team Denmark, Michael has always been aware of our demands, wishes and needs as world-class athletes.
Christinna Pedersen | Badminton