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SOKOLOVSKY Boris
Head Coach of Novosibirsk
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02 Apr 2010
"We don't have right to set for something else..." |
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How did it happen that you came to Women's Basketball? As we know, most part of your long career you worked with Men's teams...
Actually, Women's Basketball was at the start of my coaching career; it was in 1979 when having finished my career of a player, I found myself being the coach of the basketball team SKA-Chernovtsy of the Ukrainian Championship. I coached this team during two years, then for half a year I was the coach of the team of Vologda region, and after that in 1982 I started coaching in men's category. So, in some way women's basketball was predetermined in my coaching career and down the years I came back here as the Head Coach of Dynamo Moscow, in 2005 having worked two years as an assistant of Stanislav Eremin in Uniks Kazan.
With which teams I find it easier to work – men's or women's?
Of course, the specificity is completely different but the main thing is to feel like a person who is always seeking to progress, striving for perfection. I mean, I a person is working hard and forges ahead, if a person tries to progress, then there is no principal difference between the approaches to men's and women's basketball. But if a person settles down to be just a “user” of the skills and knowledge, then the situation is different: here the process of stagnation starts. While working with men's teams, I felt that I was growing professionally, developing together with the teams I worked with, always tried to wind myself up for the highest results, I was keen to master my professional skills; and the same I feel working in women's basketball.
This is your first season in the capacity of a coach of the team of Novosibirsk. Which goals does the team set?
The team of Novosibirsk sets very ambitious goals in this season taking into consideration that we can call Basketball in Novosibirsk “the Siberian Basketball” as it has great traditions dating back to the times of those coaches who worked for its glory, such as Genrikh Primatov, Leonid Yachmenev and those who helped them, such as Valery Tsybulevsky who is presently working in the team of Krasnoyarsk with the second Division. If we look back to the events of 20-25 years ago, the Siberian Basketball was at the top of the standings in the Championship of the Soviet Union. Naturally, all this lays a responsibility on us: we don't want to be just “whipping girls” in the Russian Championship but want to be worthy. And it's very pleasant that the girls who defend the the honor of our Club adhere to these traditions, understand them and try to be up to the mark.
You won the award “The Golden Basket” set up by the RFB as the best coach working with women's teams. Was this award unexpected for you or you counted on getting it?
What I can say is that this nomination was not a surprise for me because during last several years my name have constantly been appearing among the nominees for this great title. The fact that last year I became the laureate of this nomination brings mixed feeling to me. First, I am really thankful to the Federation of Basketball and all the fans who voted on the Internet for my name and happy that my records in the Russian Basketball were recognized. On the other hand, the second place in the Universiade is quite usual and the modest places in the regular championship are not a serious achievement to be awarded for. All this is not a significant background in comparison to what the Russian Basketball gained when the laureates became those people who really made exceptional achievements. I would like that the next laureate attains much more significant results, especially in international competitions.
This year you were appointed the Head Coach of U20 National Team at the European Championship. What are the main objectives that you set in front of the team? How do you estimate your chances to win?
The National Team of Russia and in its day, of the Soviet Union were always “shooting for the moon”, that is to say set the highest objectives and nowadays we are going to adhere to these principle. I wish that the girls of the Youth National Team of Russia, who are the nearest reserve for the Senior National Team, understand and enter into the spirit of these great traditions of the Russian and the Soviet Basketball and set only maximal objectives. We don't have right to set for something else and we hope that we'll manage to cheer up the girls so that they feel heroines in Basketball and in their country. As for the chances for victory, it is very difficult to estimate them as nowadays in the World and European Basketball all the teams have made great progress.
What kind of preparation are you planning? What training camp? In what regime?
We are planning the following schedule: we'll hold one training session in order to look through the candidates who were not involved in the roster of the Russian National Teams in former World and European Championships. Then we will reduce the number of the candidates up to 16 players and in the twentieths of May we'll start the first round of the basic training, basic session. More probably we'll hold it traditionally in Ramenskoye, where there is a special training camp with all the necessary conditions. After, from the 1st to the 16th of June we are planning to go to Lithuania where we will play two trial games. After that, from the 24th to the 28th of June we've got a tournament in Turkey ahead of us. There we will meet with the strongest European teams. And then, from the 1st to the 5th of July we are planning a tournament in Spain where we'll meet again with the best European teams. On the 9th - 12th of June we will gather in in Moscow to hold the final training session and design the final roster. And on the 12th of July we will set off to Latvia, to Liepaja to take part in the competition itself. In our group there are the teams of Ukraine, Latvia and Sweden, that is to say already in the first round we are going to face serious opponents. Of course, we are preoccupied with gathering information about the opponents and taking certain steps in order to qualify, to perform and to win.
Do you think there are enough players of this age category?
Numerically there are enough of them and it's good that this year we don't have such an overlap as it was last year which didn't allow the National Teams of Russia to perform more successfully. I will explain it: last year Olga Shuneykina acting as the Head Coach of the U19 Russian National Team took part in the World Championship and that is why, taking into consideration the importance of the competition, she was given all the best representatives born in 1991. That's why the Head Coach Elena Khudasheva didn't manage to present the best roster in the European Championship. This year the situation is different: 90-91st year of birth doesn't overlap and we are able to work at our best and to explore all the range of candidates.
Your daughter followed in your footsteps, she also plays Basketball in the second team. How do you help and support her?
Actually, I have two daughters: the elder daughter, Irina Sokolovskaya is a Merited Sports Master, she plays for the team of Vologda in the first team and she's now firmly established as a professional basketball player. Unfortunately, last year she was not involved in the National Team but this year she is performing again very successfully and her stats prove this. My younger daughter Olga is now playing in the junior team of the Club of Dynamo Novosibirsk. What I can say is that she has all the background to be selected to the Youth National Team. But at the same time, I can assure you that the selection to this Team will be made impartially and regardless of any family relations and nepotism. If Olga manages to show her worth as a good player, she will get into the roster. And her advantage is that she has already participated twice in the European championship in 2007 and 2009. This year we'll see... |
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