VUKOICIC: “IT IS WISH OF MANY TO BE A PART OF THE SYSTEM OF MEGA”

Upon completion of the previous historic season for all selections of Mega Leks, the club has got a big reinforcement in Vlada Vukoicic, former coach of the first team who became the coordinator of the youth selections of Mega. In addition to the already rich career in senior basketball, where as head coach so far has won the Adriatic League, three domestic Cup, achieved a place in the semifinals of the ULEB Cup, followed by a return to the club that he coached from 2010 to 2012.

Youth teams of Mega Leks had a great season behind them. Cadets were the first in Serbia, juniors third with placement on the final tournament of juniors Euroleague while the pioneers in the first year of the selection were second in Serbia.

After a period of familiarization with the team and first practices and control games, we asked the Vlada Vukoicic about his first impressions:

“I’ve had a period dating back in June, when I started working. It was a kind of “recording” state of the primary selection and in addition, some players were also on trial. This now is the start of the season and the different energy and thinking. We have no problem with motivation or desire, we know what are the ambitions of all the guys and that is to fight for a place in the team. We also know ambitions of coaches who work with them as well as Mega Leks as club. We’re all on the same task with a good and high motivation”,

Vukoicic said.

Cadets and juniors of Mega Leks have joint practices of which Vukoicic said the following:

“I can not say that all players are at the same level of knowledge because the team is not homogeneous when it comes to the age of the selected players. We have players who have until recently played in the pioneer category, some of them played cadet league and there are those with experience of playing junior league, born from 1999 to 2001 . One of the priorities is that under the basic introduction into the training process, we do technical and tactical preparation of the team that can operate at a steady level, enough to be compatible. First impressions are satisfactory but we can certainly do more than this”.

The team is not complete from the start because of international duty of players:

“These are bittersweet for me. The team is not complete from the start, so we’ll have some things to fit during the proces but on the other hand, each club is pleased to have as many players in national team. In the cadet team we had probably the leading player in Europe in this age, Marko Pecarski. There is also Bogdan Nedeljkovic then Amar Mehic who plays for Bosnia and Herzegovina. Goga Bitadze played junior championship B division for Georgia. We would have the players at the U18 European Championship if it was not postponed because of security risks”,

said Vukoicic and then continued:

“Mega Leks is no longer just a team of local character and has already become a European, one can say also a global brand. The selection is not completed, there are permanent interests and contacts. If it were possible, I think 365 days a year we woould receive players on trial. I do not exclude that appears yet a player as there is a great desire of many to be part of the system ot Mega”.

You are the coordinator of the youth selections of Mega Leks. What this means, in addition to the position of coach?

“By coordinating the activities people often deal with technical issues. For example, whether the child goes regularly or going to school part-time, accommodation, food, travel and so. This is a full-time, which leaves no time for the profession. In a conversation with people from the club idea was coach, starting from the youngest to the oldest pioneer junior team has insight into the development of these players and represents the connection of the profession and the people who run the club. I have an obligation to during the week or month, to be as much as physically possible selection on training and matches. In this way one can do analysis to teamwork, and individual progress, with some suggestions and talks with coaches and management team”,

Vlada Vukoicic stopped shortly and then continued:

“All this is done for achieving the primary goal and that is get players who can play at a high level and in each system. It includes some supporting things like providing additional conditions for the players, because some need to work under a special program, for example, in the gym in order to get the muscle mass or in rehabilitation from injury. In addition to talks and cooperation with other coaches, we get a better and more complete picture”.

What will be your coaching duties?

“There is in the first place training cadet-junior selection as a junior and leading from the sidelines, on the one hand the domestic competitions and on the other, in qualifying for the junior Euroleague and I hope, in the final tournament as last season”.

Who will do all the coaching staff next to you?

“Staff has undergone some changes. Cadets will be off the bench led by Marko Andjelkovic who many years successfully worked with younger categories. Assistant coaches are Goran Ristic and Aleksandar Colic who have some experience in working with junior teams or coaching perspective that can thrive. It should be one of the goals of the entire project of Basketball Club Mega Leks, in addition to maturation of players, in some way educate and upgrade the coaching staff. For physical preparation and conditioning coach is in charge Aleksandar Borisavljevic, while the physiotherapist is Dusan Radojicic, both here from last year”.

Youth teams of Mega will have some training and reinforcement from the first team?

“What’s very good is cooperation with the first team fitness and condtioning coach Marko Cosic, who has a supervisory role and on specific training will assist with his advice and experience. In this way we get to a string and the mainland in the development of players, who will be able to gain a picture of what’s expected from them in the senior basketball”.

The plan is the inclusion of pioneering selection in the entire process:

“The pioneers who last season were second in Serbia leads Stefan Bulatovic with Assistant coach Filip Bencic. When the pioneers team is fully formed, then they will be involved in the process. There is even the idea that certain most talented pioneers attend practices of cadet-junior team, in order for easier transition later”,

said Vukoicic.

Last season was the most successful for Mega Leks, not only for the first team, but also for youth selections. Cadets were the champions of Serbia, Juniors were third junior in Serbia with the placement on the final tournament of juniors Euroleague while the pioneers in the first year of selection in the club were second in Serbia. About goals in the future, Vukoicic said the following:

“I know what are the objectives that can be measured in numbers, the first place is better than the other, and the second from the third and so on. There is no secret and everyone likes good result but I really think that this is not essential in working with young people and to the people running the club knows that very well. As much as these results are dear to me, it will not be the main thing. If any of these guys at the end of the season is a better player, we will be satisfied”,

said Vukoicic, bringing into the first plan the development of players:

“Of course it’s greatest wish us that they have better quality and that at this time next year we’re not talking about a number of national team players but a greater number of candidates, that a player is not good for his age but already excellent or superior. Entering the national teams or later the senior team, will be the best verification that the work was done well. The first, second, third places come and go and it is often a combination of circumstances, where an injury or a bad day can affect the result. What remains for the whole career is whether someone got a good basis and whether he developed in the right direction to become a good or a top player”,

Vlada Vukoicic said at the end.

Good luck in the future work of the Government and the creation of future national team players and NBA players.