Age does not forgive and it is not the same to stay up all night at 20 than at 40. Jordi Sargatal (Girona, 40 years old) arrives on time for the appointment with a tired but happy face after celebrating the promotion of Bàsquet Girona to the ACB until late.
"Everything has gone very fast," he reflects.
He took charge of the team in November, when it was heading towards relegation (two wins in eight games), and a blessed gift was found: Marc Gasol, founder and president of the club, decided to enter the competition to also be a player.
Bàsquet Girona won 24 of the following 30 games, including an agonizing final against Estudiantes.
Question
.
What is it like to train your own president?
Answer
.
It is not something that I have much in mind, but it is a different experience.
When the president enters the court he does so with a defined role as a player, and if there is any question of dispatches, we talk about it outside.
He has gone well naturally
P.
_
But the situation has given in a winning inertia.
R.
_
It is true.
The president has first-hand information on the first team locker room, something that never happens.
It is atypical, but Marc has done the exercise of adapting.
Q.
What can a president discover in a locker room?
R.
_
The day to day of the team, internal management.
This can be seen spending hours with the group, experiencing moments of tension...
P.
_
Can Marc's presence in the dressing room generate insecurities?
R.
_
We all have insecurities at work, they are normal.
It may be that there are times when you rethink some decisions, although I have not found myself in situations like this.
If a player does not perform as he expected, Marc's presence is a double-edged sword: if he matches, he reinforces the technical message;
but if it doesn't match, it can be different.
In any case, his presence generates an extra positive tension.
P.
_
As a coach, what do you think he has contributed to the center?
R.
_
On a technical level, less than the adaptation to the competition and the team, without a doubt.
The intention was to match his knowledge and experience to the team level.
Q.
And what have you learned from your experience in the NBA?
R.
_
Many things, especially in communication.
In the United States, each word marks the message to achieve success, and Gasol offers that detail.
You realize that you can help the player and the team with more concrete messages.
He has also raised game situations that worked for him.
When you have someone like Marc you have to adapt your ideas to him.
It changes the mental dynamics of the team, it gives a calm on the track... It's like a second coach or a second baseman on the track.
He understands the game very well and passes the ball perfectly.
He is very effective in communication and for the companions he is very necessary.
Players are sometimes alone on the court and it is essential that teammates can guide each other.
P.
_
What needs to be tweaked for next year at ACB?
R.
_
This is up to the president (he jokes).
If he continues everything will be easier, but we have to take into account the physical factor and the ability to shoot from outside.
In ACB there is a very important jump.
The teams have one or two specialists to shoot from outside.
P.
_
In the LEB Final Four, an average of 28 three-pointers per team were launched in each game.
R.
_
The trend is that.
Teams are looking for you to throw from distance.
The area is collapsed and the players have more and more ability to score from outside.
If you can get in and make a tray fine;
but if not, you look directly for the three points.
P.
_
Is the game spoiling?
R.
_
It is not as elaborate and perhaps less showy.
Some experts propose expanding the track because the athletic and physical ability of the players has grown.
There are no spaces for inside balls.
Perhaps the contact should be regulated more and not be so permissive.
P.
_
Talk about athletic ability.
Has it changed so much?
R.
_
In my first years [I was a physical trainer] I took them to run outside the track.
It was the trend of the time.
Now the sports culture has changed.
There is no longer the feeling that players have two months of vacation.
If you are a professional athlete you have to train all year round.
This idea has been exported, like other trends: training is much more specific, and there has been a transformation.
P.
_
You were the assistant to the previous technician, Carles Marco.
Can the transition leave personal wounds?
R.
_
I think if.
It's complicated.
When you are 100% with your coach and a circumstance like this occurs, we don't know if he can hurt or not.
These are situations in which perhaps the [incoming] person puts professional and personal growth first, despite the fact that there may be a friendly relationship or good joint work.
When you experience it, you understand other cases, like that of Guardiola and Tito [they ended up angry when the last one happened to him in 2012 on the FC Barcelona bench].
You have to try to manage in the best possible way, but it is clear that the perception of those who leave can be negative.
In any case, the losses at the beginning of the season coincided with some important injuries and Gasol was not there.
P.
_
Is it easy to have friends forever in professional sports?
R.
_
I think so.
You spend so many hours competing and sharing the track that it can bring you together.
Many coaches take former players to their technical teams because of the relationship of trust with them.
P.
_
What is better to manage leadership, distance or proximity?
R.
_
To enter the player and understand what is best for him, you must be close, but you realize that this sometimes does not help you do your job well because it does not separate things.
P.
_
Can proximity condition professional decisions so as not to damage personal relationships?
R.
_
It is the dilemma that I have found in this experience.
You have to be able to separate things.
Great coaches do it well.
Pablo Laso, for example, is very professional and you notice the affection and closeness with the players.
This is the hardest part, putting it all together.
P.
_
What is a player grateful for?
R.
_
That you be sincere with what you ask for and adjust to their abilities.
It is essential to be transparent and direct.
P.
_
Which coaches do you admire?
R.
_
To Pep Guardiola;
and at the NBA level, Phil Jackson is a person who inspires me.
They are wise people.
I try to learn from them to provide leadership that is not very directive.
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