In basketball circles, there is talk that the situation with youth sports in Russia is in a deplorable state. Timofey Mozgov, the only Russian NBA player, also spoke about this in a recent interview. The lion’s share of funding goes to professional sports, as it brings income. So this distribution of funds is not surprising. With the help of coaches, we will try to understand how things are with professional basketball schools in Moscow.
How did you know that you wanted to train children?
– When I realized that the basketball player’s career does not await me, I decided that I want to realize myself not as a player, but as a coach. I graduated from the Russian State University of Physical Culture, Sports, Youth, Sports and Tourism (RGUFKSMIT) and started looking for a place in the sports school. I had a lot of ambitions, I wanted to get a team of children, to study with them, to gain experience. In the big sports schools of Moscow young coaches do not trust the team, they are engaged only in the recruitment of children. “Labour Reserves” is a small sports school, we don’t have any achievements yet. But after only six months of work, I was entrusted with the team of boys, with which I still work.
What are the main difficulties in work?
“Unfortunately, we live in a time when children stop walking in the yards. They are increasingly immersed in mobile phones and tablets. As a result, it is very difficult to find really sports children who will be suitable for a specialized school. Children are also overburdened in general education schools, as a result, they are unable to attend every training session, which has a negative impact on the sports training process.
It is very difficult to find really sports guys who will be suitable for a specialized school.
– What do you think needs to be improved in children’s sport?
– Of course, we need to increase the salaries of children’s coaches. Now we depend on the number of people in the group. How many children I have gained, so many get. As a result, the coach has to chase the number of children, which significantly reduces the effectiveness of training, because it is not always possible to give each child enough attention, there is no opportunity to work individually. In Moscow, the salaries of children’s basketball coaches are still relatively high. In the regions, everything is based on the enthusiasm of local specialists.
– How much interest in basketball does the younger generation have?
– It is quite high, but a lot depends on whether the coach will be interested in the child. Interest in football, of course, in our country more, but basketball has its advantages. This is the most dynamic game. And this is the smartest sport, in our sport come only thinking guys, not for nothing basketball called chess with a ball.
– Is there great interest in children’s basketball?
– It all depends on the environment, and first of all on parents and coaches. If the child is comfortable on the court, he feels support, then he will most likely be interested. It is important that basketball is interesting to the child, not to his parents, who brought him by the hand. You need to popularize basketball, advertise it on TV and social networks. We need to open more sports schools, build quality halls, create conditions for young coaches. And then the interest of children will grow several times.