In 2008 I would travel to Targu Jiu, Romania to become the first head coach of a new professional men’s basketball team competing in Romania’s top league. The team was named Energia Rovinari. In the town of Targu Jiu there wasn’t much basketball happening. When I arrived I only saw one kid with a basketball and he was kicking it around like it was a soccer ball! There were no outdoor basketball courts and no gyms for the average person or child to go play. The only gym was a gym that was used by the indoor professional sports teams (team handball and basketball) and a soccer stadium that was used by the professional soccer team CS Panduri.

One day after one of our team practices a group of 5 young girls were following me as I was walking home. I could hear giggling coming from behind me so finally I stopped and said “ok girls what do you want….???” The group of girls pushed a shy young girl from their group forward and she spoke to me in broken English. She asked “Coach, could you please teach us basketball?” “There is nowhere for us to learn or practice basketball.” I was shocked that these girls had built up enough confidence to follow home the head coach of their local pro team and ask him if he would teach them basketball. To their surprise I told them “Yes I will teach you, but it has to be on Sunday mornings because Sunday is my only day off.” I told the girls to meet on Sunday at 9am and I would open the gym and teach them how to play basketball.

When the first Sunday came around I arrived at the gym about 15 minutes before 9am. A few of the girls were already there waiting! I opened the gym and we went inside. I pulled out a few men’s balls because that was all we had and I started to teach them the basics. Most of the girls did not speak any English so one of the older girls would translate what I was saying from time to time. One of the younger girls was always smiling and playing sort of wild and crazy. This girl worked hard and gave her all. She would always say “Yes I understand!” I quickly realized she did not understand anything I said, so I made sure to demonstrate the drills slowly so she could easily see what I was doing.

The girls would come every Sunday and they would attend every home game our team played! They never got to play a real game, only scrimmage games as our group of girls grew with each week. They had no option to play on a team at all, but they loved practicing and scrimmaging.

Recently I received a message on our Protech Basketball Instagram. The message was from one of the girls that I used to train. The girl’s name is Carla Popescu. Carla was the wild girl that was always smiling saying “Yes I understand!” She told me that she left Targu Jiu not too long after I left and she went to Craiova a nearby town so she could play basketball. Craiova had a girls team that she would play for and eventually she became a Professional basketball player and the starting point guard for Romania’s National Team. Carla is currently playing professionally for a team in Bucharest, Romania and is still the starting point guard for Romania’s National Team!

This true story always reminds me that it is a long process for a child to become a basketball player. The process is full of ups and downs! Every kid wants to skip steps and get right to the awesome fancy plays they see on tv. Parents and players must always remember learning the basics and developing a strong base is what is most important! More important than winning elementary school games, more important than how many points you score! The goal is to be the best that YOU can be in the end, to compete against yourself, to be your best self!

Thanks to Carla Popescu I am once again reminded that HARD WORK PAYS OFF!!!

Location

Bucharest, Romania