Monday, November 25, 2024, 01:00
He was the heart of Iraurgi on the court and now he is in the offices. Ibon Guridi (Azpeitia, 1992) took over from José Luis Zubizarreta to be the club’s alma mater and now his modus vivendi is in the office. The day does not need to have more hours but rather “that when something is resolved, five more fronts do not appear.”
– How are things going for Urola at the beginning of the course?
– I start with the boys. With the Biele ISB it has been a bit of a mixed summer, with some arrivals that later turned into departures and with the unknown of what it means to start the course, if the new ones are going to adapt and things like that.
– Do you want to look up?
– That is the intention we have. Be as close to the playoff positions and compete. That is fundamental for us, in addition to giving opportunities to the kids at home. Compete every day and make us difficult to beat.
– Ierai Aizpitarte has just scored 22 points in the Cup and 29 last Sunday. He’s in MVP mode!
– Ierai is the team’s reference, due to experience and because he is that home player that we need. He is in a great moment, scoring and generating play. He is the important man we have always thought he could be. I hope it continues like this. I have played with him and had no doubt about his potential.
– Has the level of the league increased, like in Primera FEB?
– I think it’s something of a domino effect. We already see which teams Gipuzkoa Basket is playing against and all the signings from the ACB that have been made. Well, that results in the Second FEB, where Biele competes. Players that you thought were impossible to reach, you see on other teams, which means more money is being allocated.
– Are they happy?
– For now yes. There has been competition in all the games, and that makes us think that in the end the team has the capacity to fight against all rivals, because also at the beginning of the league we have played against Cáceres, Melilla and León, and we have competed against all three. We have beaten two of them, Melilla and León. I am one of those who believe that if a team is capable of competing every day, in the end games will fall in your favor.
Day by day
«I have to resolve administrative issues, train, referee or talk to a player»
– Let’s now talk about the Domusa Teknik players.
– We achieved a very difficult promotion last year. There were 28 teams and only two of us were promoted, which has a lot of merit. We know that there are high-level teams in the Challenge League like Leganés, Palma or Zamora, and we are trying to face them.
– It is a hallmark of Iraurgi, that if you get a promotion you have to materialize it, right?
– Exact. We are noticing that this year, things are complicated but we are going there. The reality is that you go up one category, but in reality there are two steps due to the level we find ourselves in this competition.
– What is the template like?
– We try to make it similar to that of Biele ISB in the context of giving importance to the home player and strengthening ourselves in positions where we have shortcomings. There have also been players who have not adapted and we have had to look for other options. But we are going to fight and I think that the team, due to the preparation we have, is going to go further. If we become strong at home, we will be there fighting to continue in Challenge. On Wednesday we had a difficult game against Al-Qázeres.
– How many people and teams does Iraurgi bring together?
– We have 28 teams from the junior category, which means more than 400 kids and between 50 and 70 coaches. 70% of the teams are female, there are more girls than boys in the club. There has been an increase in teams and in the school as well. We are happy, but at the edge of our capacity, although our philosophy is that anyone who wants to play basketball in the region can do so with us.
– How are you doing in this work?
– Well, you have to do everything. Be very versatile. From the phone to training, talking to a player, you have to referee a match or solve administrative problems. This is true in these positions and in clubs like Iraurgi.
–How do you see basketball in the territory?
– Participation has increased and if so, there will be more follow-up. I would like everyone who wants to play to do so, regardless of the level. At the professional level we have a good group of players and we hope that in five or six years there will be the same ones in the first categories of boys and girls.
