Bild: Ida Pudas
I våras anslöt Umeå BSKT nya huvudtränare Boris Balibrea till laget. Tränaren med meriter från bland annat Wetterbygden Stars och Senegals B-landslag ser nu optimistiskt på den kommande säsongen i de orangea ställen:
– We are gonna give our best in the games and work as a team. I would also like to create an identity for us. I want us to be a team that are like a family, but also hard working.
Balibrea började sin tränarkarriär redan som 16-åring när han assisterade ungdomslaget i sin hemstad. Sedan dess har Umeå BSKT nya huvudtränare haft flera coachuppdrag. Mest nyligen i Wetterbygden Stars som han coachat de tre senaste säsongerna i svenska högstaligan. Efter Balibreas coachuppdrag i Wetterbygden har han nu anslutit till Umeå basket där han ser stor potential i spelartruppen trots skadeläget på tongivande spelare:
– We are missing a few players of the team that have an impact on the game. But the players that are here now have really impressed me. Everyone adapts perfectly to my style of coaching and they are working really hard. I’m proud of all the players, especially the younger ones. They are doing a great job and helping us a lot. I hope they will continue growing during the season and show it during the games. So overall, I am really optimistic about the team.
Do you feel like you need to adapt your way of leading since you came to Umeå or is it just the same as previous?
– It is exactly the same, I think it is even easier here in Umeå. It really feels like everyone is looking forward to listen to me and the other coaches. The players wants to develop and give their best and I think it is amazing.
How does the arrangement look like until the start of the season? How are you gonna go forward?
– We are gonna keep practicing as much as we can, almost twice per day. We are also gonna work a lot with Marc, our strength and conditioning coach to prevent injuries. Beside this the players will get help to individually get ready for the season. Last but not least, we are also gonna have 4 friendly games that I hope is going to help us be ready for the first game of the season.
What is the goal of the season?
– The main goal is to develop the players to become better and of course to win some games. It is no excuse that we have among the lowest budgets of the league. We are gonna give our best in the games and work as a team. I would also like to create an identity for us. I want us to be a team that are like a family, but also hard working.
We have heard that you have been running a side project in Senegal that you are no longer active in, can you tell us more about that?
– A basketball player that I coached asked me if I wanted to help him organize a summer basketball camp in Senegal. So I builded an organization together with some friends to be able to start this project. We brought the players balls, clothes and shoes. From that point the project developed and more people got involved. It was no longer just about basketball. Teachers, doctors and nurses got involved. We rebuilded some schools and started cooperations with hospitals and medical staff. The projects got really big, but last summer I felt really tired. I had worked with it for about 5 years and I thought it was time to step to the side and let new people with new ideas take over. But I want to return, maybe in the future, it depends on the coronavirus.
Text: Erika Larsson och Daniel Arnkvist