Psychological preparation of players is a relatively new topic in basketball, but Lithuanian clubs are gradually allowing similar specialists into their teams.
Kaunas “Žalgiris” has a leadership expert, previously a psychologist also worked in the club, Vilnius “Rytas” once had a psychologist, while for the last month Utena also has a psychological development coach Nico Bourgade.
A Frenchman is not a random person in Lithuania. Almost a decade ago, he started a family with a Lithuanian woman, Dovile, and has two children.
“My connection with Lithuania will always be there, because our children are half French and half Lithuanian. While studying at the university, I played with the Lithuanian Marius, who became like a brother to me. I had visited Lithuania many times, when I came to his wedding, I met my future wife in Vilnius. We established a connection and these days we are celebrating our 9th anniversary,” he told his story related to Lithuania.
N.Bourgade started looking for opportunities to work in Lithuania and that’s how his path led him to Utena. The Frenchman does not hide that more clubs knew about him, but only Uniclub Casino – Juventus showed their desire to join their ranks.
“I explained that I’m not a sports psychologist, I’m not a doctor, my idea is to help players have better results by controlling emotions, learning how to behave on the field not only from the side of the game.
I don’t necessarily need to talk to everyone every day for half an hour, but I’m there in training to build a common bond, I want the players to feel that I’m not just a man from the office. I am with them during every training session, sometimes I can just listen, sometimes I can give advice here and there, depending on their emotions,” he said.
He joined the team about a month ago and often during the matches N. Bourgade can be seen next to the team boss Eimantas Skersis.
– Tell me how you ended up in the Utena club?
– We returned to live in Lithuania in December. I started making connections, I went to meet with representatives of the players’ association. My wife’s family comes from Molėtai, so there I met the sports director of “Ežerūnos”, Mindaugas Killdišius, who runs the Utena sports center, he introduced me to Gintas and Eimantas.
We met and I told them what the specifics of my job look like. I also talked with the coach and we realized that we have a similar basketball vision. We communicated for about a month and he decided to open the door for me and let me into the team.
– I saw that you also worked for the French Basketball Federation. Can you tell me more about your previous experience?
– I studied in the NCAA and played in my hometown, but I ended my career early and started working as a coach. I have trained people of all ages: from youth to adults. But while working as a coach, I realized how important it is to develop psychological skills. I remember the difficulties I faced when I was still playing, so I wanted to help others with it. I have decided to focus only on basketball, despite the fact that others choose a wider scope of sports. However, this is my field, I have played basketball myself and have the best understanding of the needs of players and coaches in this field, not just in theory.
– Psychological development coach is a new term in our basketball, although it may have similarities with a sports psychologist. How did the team and players react when you joined them?
– First of all, this is really new in basketball. The team needs to see what the hell you’re going to do here and what kind of guy you are. I explained that I am not a sports psychologist, I am not a doctor, my idea is to help players have better results by controlling emotions, learning how to behave on the field not only from the game side. I don’t necessarily need to talk to everyone every day for half an hour, but I’m there in training to build a common bond, I want the players to feel that I’m not just a man from the office. I am with them during every training session, sometimes I can just listen, sometimes I can give advice here and there, depending on their emotions.
At the beginning, the players really had questions about who I was, but day by day they realized that I myself am a former player and coach, I have an understanding of basketball and I can help them go in the right direction, in which the man leads them. trainer.
– A specialist like you is in a rare team. Why Utena in particular and did you not have a chance to work in a bigger club?
– Because it was the only team that showed me interest from LKL. I am very grateful for that. I also work with the academy of Zalgiris, but at the professional level, Uniclub Casino – Juventus is the only team that was interested in me, although others also had information about me. I understand that it’s new, that it requires trust, and that you have to be the right person in the organization you’re working for.
– Do you think that the attitude towards such specialists will change in the future?
– Really so. It reminds me a bit of the situation with individual skills and fitness coaches in the 2000s. Now people are working more with psychological training specialists and my task is to show how the team can benefit from this. Consistency is key. If you come to the team for a couple of hours a week and are in the office, it will not be as effective, but if you are there in training, you will have a connection, then the work will pay off.
I’ve been here for a month, not long, but I try to help the players with things like anxiety, free throw tension, etc. Now, players usually look for such specialists when they encounter problems – I think that in the future, work will become common not only when a problem occurs, but until then, consistently, trying to prevent problems. In comparison, you can start working with a physical trainer after an injury, or you can do it simply to get stronger and more durable to prevent injuries.
– How difficult is it to come to the team and find a connection with a group of grown men: including players, coaches and managers? It is obvious that among so many personalities there will be those who will be skeptical towards you.
– What is important to me, I never want to come just to come. If I had seen that the coach and the athletic director were not open to me, I would not have seen any purpose in joining the team. The most important thing for me is to have the confidence from the coaching staff and management to look in the same direction. Then we can work towards one goal. There is no magic here – it takes time for everything to stick together. Everyone accepted me openly and I did not come here to change something.
I joined more than a month before the end of the season, the team played very well all season, the most important thing for me was to inspire the team for the decisive sprint of the season. I wanted to help communicate, deal with emotions, provide another perspective on the same vision so we could move forward. It is normal that at the beginning some are more open to ideas, others less so. But day after day, when you show the players consistency and that you are there for them, they naturally open up to you more. Everyone welcomed me really warmly.
– Tell us what your normal working day routine looks like?
– Depends on the day. I work one-on-one with various players from five continents, so I spend a lot of time watching their matches and giving them my evaluations. It’s true, I can’t name names for privacy reasons.
I’m also watching the match of the Utena team, as we speak, today the team has a recovery training – I will go to Utena and participate there. Now my goal is to help the team prepare for the series with 7bet-Lietkabel. We know that the series will revolve heavily around character.
We can see the NBA, the Euroleague – in such matches it is not the most important thing to be ideal or a robot, the most important thing is to recover quickly after such episodes as a lost ball, a missed shot and not let it affect your game.
– In the last couple of months, Utena’s team also had pitfalls, which happened for various reasons. Although you are with the team recently, what are your tips in such situations?
– It may sound banal, but the most important thing is to look at everything simply and control what you can control. The only advice I can give is to focus on personal devotion rather than what is out of our hands. This will be very important in the series with the experienced Panevėžys team, which is used to responsible matches in the playoffs. It will be necessary to realize who we are as a team, what we have already done and how we are prepared to fight. The team that wants it more will win.
– Do you think that during the most important matches, the biggest trump card of the teams is experienced and older players who are able to cope with stress?
– I don’t think it depends on age, although experience helps. In the NBA, we see Anthony Edwards, who will turn 23 this year, but he’s kicking everyone else’s ass. It’s more about determination to make decisions. You don’t have to wait until your 30s to become a good player, sometimes at the age of 20-23 you can know what level of basketball player you are, how to maintain intensity in important moments and how to be focused. It is important to accept that it is impossible to be perfect.
I remind the players that even the best shooters shoot from distance around 40-45%. accuracy, which means they miss more than they hit. It is important to do your best so that you can go home, stand in front of the mirror and say: I did everything, I don’t regret anything. The problem is when you lose badly to a team you can fight against – then you’ll probably have something to regret when you get home.
– Even in the Euroleague, we see how experienced stars get stuck in decisive matches, the same Mike James in this quarterfinal was an example of that. Do you think these situations say something about the players as leaders and about their emotional state?
– It’s difficult to talk about specific players, because I don’t know anything about them, what’s going on in their heads or lives, what their physical condition is like. All this can affect their performance and emotional state. If you feel good, if your body is healthy, if the weather is good, and the family is healthy, most players can perform well. If there are problems off the field, they can have an impact. When we have teams of similar ability, a lot is determined by determination, desire, dedication and concentration, small details like fighting for the ball.
– Do you think that social networks have a significant influence on athletes in modern basketball?
– Yes, it’s something you have to learn to deal with, but I don’t think we have a problem with it in Utena’s team. In general, social media can give players the impression that they have to be positive all the time when life is so different. Someone may advise you to stay away from it altogether, but it is individual. Everyone deals with it differently. At a high level like the NBA, there are also situations where players start responding to comments on social networks, even though they shouldn’t be bothered by people’s opinions. There are a lot of people around us who may not know anything about basketball, why should you care about their opinion?
– What are your own career plans or goals? Are you planning to work in Lithuania for a longer time, or do you associate your future with higher-level basketball?
– Life will show. I have always had great respect for Lithuania, not only because of the basketball culture – in general. I love this country and its people. I’m still learning the language – I know it a bit, but not enough to speak it fluently.
As for the future, it’s hard to say. As a former player I will always have a fight in me. It would be wonderful to work in a top-level organization, in the NBA or the Euroleague, but next to that, I emphasize that you have to be surrounded by the right people. It is important to find the right conditions for work, to be useful, and not to chase fame or level.
Tags: Utena psychological development coach France show players hell
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