"I want my student to win a medal of the Games": Startsev on sailing, work in the national team and the St. Petersburg Academy

"Upon reaching the first results, the guys from the regions stop training"

- In January it was three years since you worked at the St. Petersburg Academy of Sailing, and your total experience is 35 years.

- I was invited after the coaches who worked with the Laser class went with the children to another yacht club.

I actually started from scratch, since the boats were dismantled, and half of them ended up abroad, they had to be returned.

The sails were all shabby.

And most importantly, the physical training was at a low level - all the guys are frail.

Therefore, I started from scratch: I equipped the hall, added barbells, the required minimum.

I also had to tinker with the theory.

Often, we have a lot of people, there is no single racing strategy, so the children had to be retrained, brought to the standard.

- It turns out that you acted not only as a trainer, but also as a marketer with an administrator?

- I would call myself a senior coach.

He made presentations on how to plan and take into account the work, down to what angles it is better to shoot races from so that only what is needed gets into the frame.

I already had such experience, so I quickly got used to it.

Now I rarely work with a video camera: I only use it for further analysis with athletes or for judges.

- How different are the current working conditions compared to the days when you took your first steps in sailing?

- Initially, the academy had an administration and a base was built, the work of trainers with youth was established.

I started in Taganrog in 1986.

I was only 21 years old, what experience to talk about?

He worked practically without help, without prompting.

But four years later, my student already won the Russian championship on the Optimist and took fourth place in the USSR championship.

Firstly, I myself raced and got the necessary practice of starts, preparation for them.

At the same time, he performed practically without a coach.

I built the program myself, drew diagrams.

This experience and began to immediately transfer to athletes.

Plus, I probably still have a pedagogical talent.

The children always listened to me, it was easy to manage them.

- Was it easier for the coach in this regard before?

- Differently.

I also worked in the capital, and I can say that children from Moscow and St. Petersburg are very different from the rest, although I like working with everyone.

After reaching the first results, the guys from the regions stop training.

Received a salary - and believe that they have achieved everything.

- But the same is observed in other sports.

Is it connected with the standard of living in the country?

- Yes.

In the regions, the same trainers earn very little.

The income of athletes is also modest.

So, in Moscow, children, when they start to show results, only from the school are paid 20 thousand rubles.

This was the case five years ago.

In the Rostov region - 4 thousand. This is just one example.

Therefore, when athletes begin to discuss salaries, I always say: “If you take a medal at the Russian Championship, you will receive not only the money owed from your region, but also 30 thousand from Moscow.

The total income will be 50 thousand. Try to earn this money in other ways.

But if you get into the top three at the European championship, the salary will be 125 thousand, in the world - 250 thousand. There is room to strive for ”. 

- But such results are achieved by a few, and sailing in Russia is not so well developed ...

- I would not say that the situation is changing for the better.

It is necessary to find a person who will remain in sports already in adulthood and will work.

He will be doubly lucky if a talented coach is nearby, and the management will support everything necessary.

So far, as an example of such a combination, I can only name Stefania Elfutina, who won the bronze medal of the Olympic Games in 2016.

This is a very talented and efficient girl.

Plus, she got to a competent specialist from Sochi - Viktor Ayvazyan, although she herself grew up in Yeisk.

As the head coach of the Russian national team, I helped them as best I could, because I saw that they were moving forward.

- Most people in the street do not understand anything about sailing.

Explain how to discern whether a person is capable of doing this or not?

- You understand this in relation to the case.

When I say that I work as a sailing coach, people often ask: "Where is the rowing?"

The answer is: "Yes."

People have never seen our competitions and believe that yachts are needed exclusively for recreation.

But I can say that even with my experience I will not immediately discern the necessary inclinations in a person.

This requires two months of hard work.

If we take very young children - a month.

It is more difficult with established athletes, since everyone has their own set of psychological qualities, old injuries.

Competitive conditions also play an important role.

It often happens that a person demonstrates speed at the level of world leaders, and at tournaments either starts badly or breaks the rules.

Either he was not taught, or he is psychologically incapable of performing the assigned tasks, because he cannot master them.

- Figure skater Maksim Stavisky said that working in a show with non-professionals - actors, singers and artists - is easier than with professional athletes, because they want to learn something.

Is it the same in your sport?

- Without a doubt.

Motivating athletes to work hard on a daily basis and adhere to a routine is difficult.

Everyone is walking around, and you have to study.

Usually such temptations appear at the age of 16-18, when they become masters of sports in our country.

Not everyone is able to cope with the challenges.

Fresh: in November we returned from the Russian Championship in Gelendzhik.

There, one guy who clearly could show a good result failed.

It turned out that he spent whole nights on the phone, although I warned everyone: “You have come to sailing.

Do you want to become champions or just learn to steer?

If the second is not for me.

If first, do what I say. "

For clarity, I always draw a mountain and explain that I know how to get to the top, since I have repeatedly done this path.

And the one who turns to the side will not return to the path.

Now I have a group of guys, mostly born in 2006.

They attend all trainings, fulfill the requirements.

But no one is safe from disruptions.

“You can't hold onto athletes.

If a person doesn't want to, he can leave "

- Do the nutrition and physical fitness of yachtsmen differ?

- Our main specificity is strength endurance.

Its peak falls on 20-22 years.

To achieve it, I developed a whole system of strength training: proper strengthening of muscles and joints, knees, ankles, work on flexibility, although the back should only bend forward.

Such a foundation should be laid in childhood.

My 14 year olds are already powerful and strong.

For example, recently one did a deadlift of 125 kg, the second - 110, the third - 100. They say that this way you can break your back.

But we run the risk of injury if we don't train her.

“But in many sports that also require strength training, children are not allowed to do dangerous exercise.

Is it wrong with you?

- First, we teach them to do it correctly: we start with a light weight, then we gradually make it heavier.

Of course, no one lifts 100 kg right away.

- Many children want to go in for sailing, as it is easy to interest them.

But how hard is it then to keep the guys?

- Over time, they lose interest.

There is another problem.

Training is practically free.

We begin to reach a certain level at city, regional competitions, and then we leave for Russian ones.

Let's say ten people are ready to go, and I can pay for the transportation of only seven yachts.

I have to choose who I am lucky: who will show the best result, who will not quit training.

Of course, others start to take offense.

It also hurts that other schools have the opportunity to send all wards.

For example, in the fall I did not take two 16-year-old girls to the competition.

He returned - and they don't come anymore.

- How many hours per season and what aspect of training is devoted to?

- Depends on the level.

Now my children have to work about 450 hours on the water per season.

Masters of sports who graduated from school - 600-650.

In reality, even in warm Taganrog and Sochi, with older children, they worked only 490 as much as possible. I look at other coaches and I understand that they have clear notes in their reports, because it is very difficult to work 100 hours a month.

Russia is a northern country, in this regard it is difficult.

- But the Swedes, Norwegians and Danes are not much different from us.

Or do they have similar problems?

- There are completely different conditions.

And I would like to take the guys to practice in Spain, but we will not be allowed to the European Union due to the coronavirus pandemic.

And representatives of Scandinavia move around the continent without any problems.

In general, we do not have enough funds.

For example, in 2014, 20 million rubles and $ 150 thousand were allocated for the Russian national team. Some of them went to the youth team, the national championship and other tournaments.

As a result, 10 million rubles and $ 125 thousand remained from the initial amount. I wrote down the preparation and realized that this, taking into account all flights and accommodation, would be enough only for the first quarter.

And then without trips to the stages of the World Cup in the USA and France, as well as training camps in Spain.

But you cannot but go to the leading competitions, because there you fight with the strongest.

For myself, I worked out this setting: you need to work well and correctly, and maybe the greatest yachtsman will come across, as happened with the famous coach Sergei Mashovets, who raised the three-time Olympic champion Valentin Mankin.

• © sailing-academy.ru

- How are children screened out at the academy?

After all, this, at first glance, is quite difficult.

You might not notice a less gifted, but hardworking athlete who will show results over time?

- I am able to look two years ahead, but not five, because everyone has different life circumstances.

We can pull a talented girl, and she wants to give birth and leave.

Some are returning, but I have not seen such in our sail yet.

Although Anna Basalkina chased, and then took her child around the world.

But these are isolated cases.

But abroad there are a lot of such women.

They give birth a year after the Olympic Games, and by the next they are already gaining shape.

Men leave for other reasons.

Igor Lisovenko a year before the Olympics moved to another coach along with the whole group.

And he was not even a coach, but an administrator, but he promised money.

I took him to various competitions, but then the results began to fall.

Later we talked, the guys apologized, but did not want to return and now compete in commercial races.

- In such situations, as a rather gentle person, are you looking for reasons in yourself?

- I have long understood that you cannot hold on to athletes.

I'm just doing my job.

If a person does not want to, it is better to shake hands with each other.

It's easier.

When Lisovenko and the guys announced their resignation in 2007, my heart sank.

My wife and I were driving in a car, and she told me: "Stop, sit a little."

Then I realized that gratitude from the charges should not be expected.

They then say that they learned everything themselves.

This is the standard pattern for sports.

- In 2018, you went to work with children because you no longer wanted to get involved with adult athletes?

- There was a choice: to start from scratch here or go with my sportswoman to school on Krestovsky Island.

But when she was growing up, she exhausted so many nerves that I refused.

I decided that it would be easier to educate the new generation.

Moreover, it may be the last in my career, because the years go by.

Children are much more grateful than adults.

And with my softness it is easier for me to work with teenagers.

"The

first in the country to acquire two sails for the Laser-4.7 class"

- Is there a lot of intrigue in sailing?

- Yes.

Based on the experience of working in the federation and other organizations, I think this view is rather dirty.

There is a lot of undercover struggle, they can write rudely on social networks.

It is clear that somewhere you can walk over your heads, but this is not my story.

- Did you have an idea to negotiate with your colleagues so that they would intercept your charges at a certain age?

- The most important thing here is the administrative resource.

So that they believe in you and the athlete, do not play undercover games.

After all, it was the administrator who took Lisovenko away from me in Taganrog.

And they stayed there, and I was forced to leave ... Then I worked with a group in Moscow for four years, and the school director began to change the entire training plan I had prescribed.

Left again.

He started working in the federation.

There, the president supported the year, and then intrigues began.

They whispered to him that I was doing everything wrong, although the results were.

Then the president included in the coaching council two people whom I did not want to see on it.

I had to say goodbye.

He said that I was leaving for health reasons.

Fighting windmills is useless.

- What is lacking in sailing in Russia?

- It all depends on the class.

Let's take mine.

There are 6 thousand Lasers participating in the English Championship.

In Russia, it is good if in the men's class "Laser-Standard" we recruit 30 people. In the women's "Laser-Radial" there are a little more participants.

In the children's "Laser-4.7" he already performs for a hundred people.

At the same time, I was the first in the country to acquire two sails for this class in 2005.

Lisovenko chased it.

At that time, such a class simply did not exist in Russia.

I remember how my four boys performed at the "Laser-Radial" in the Russian championship.

No one else.

But recently, not only the number of participants has been growing, but also the level of knowledge of the coaches.

Unfortunately, the coronavirus has ruined a lot.

I wrote a program for 2020, but the pandemic ruined all plans.

And children grow up, miss an important period and international competitions.

If the next two years turn out to be just as difficult, these guys can be written off.

- What does sailing give people in human terms, besides love for yachts and respect for water?

- Those people who grow to a serious level are able to achieve goals.

They are psychologically stable, able to build their own schedule, know how to eat right.

What's more, all good yachtsmen drive great because they are used to anticipating different situations.

All this then helps in life.

Many people quit studying, graduate from college, and then get better jobs than those people who have never had anything to do with sports.

• © sailing-academy.ru

- Is it easier to drive a car than a yacht?

- It's over.

Let me give you an example.

Regular girls often have parking problems.

And yachtsmen park at the level of men.

They only need once to figure out what to do.

- How has sailing changed over the years of your work in it?

Has your attitude to business become more professional?

- Yachts are constantly being updated, improved, speed increased, but, unfortunately, they are becoming more expensive.

In fact, sailing is now Formula 1 on the water.

Often we in Russia do not keep pace with this progress.

For example, for the Laser-Radial class, a new carbon fiber lower part was released instead of the aluminum one, which cost € 220.

For a carbon fiber one will have to pay already under € 1000.

And most importantly, it is not easy to acquire it due to closed borders.

In Russia, these are not produced.

There are special factories that are engaged in rocketry, but it is cheaper to buy a part abroad than to try to reach an agreement so that they can be produced there.

- How much does the most expensive Laser class yacht cost by professionals?

- "Laser" is generally the cheapest class.

But only four shipyards in the world build such yachts: in England, USA, Australia and Japan.

Russia is not allowed to do them, no matter how much we ask.

Yachts of class 420 - please build.

Federation and built so that after two years they fell into disrepair.

As a result of the struggle against the monopoly, five more industries appeared.

In general, a fully equipped yacht will cost € 10 thousand. It used to cost € 7.5 thousand. But we cannot just take a yacht and sail on it.

In theory, you need to pay for customs clearance, put it on record.

- Do the children race on those yachts that you bring to Russia, or do they have their own production?

- All our yachts are foreign of the highest class.

No other way.

We tried to make an analogue of "Laser" - "Ray".

But you cannot even compete in domestic tournaments on your yacht.

Moreover, they would try to keep us out of the World Cup because we produce unlicensed copies and arrange a championship for them.

How many have tried to make sure that the equipment is at least not subject to customs tax ... It just doesn't work to break through this wall.

"The Russian national team in its current state is not able to arrange the work correctly"

- After moving to the academy, you were given the task of raising not only children, but at least one coach.

Has such a person already appeared?

- Yes.

Every six months I prepare a general lecture for trainers: how to plan training, how to work.

Also, on my recommendation, my pupil Natalia Ganzhenko from Sochi was invited to the academy.

She now works with children and has to go about five years to coaching adulthood.

She traveled a lot with me abroad, knows English.

Will be able to work at a normal level.

- What are your goals for the near future?

- We have already got three people in the youth team of Russia in the classes "Laser".

I think that within two years we will fill the entire youth team at this level.

If everything continues in the same way, two girls and three or four boys have every chance in the future to successfully race in the adult national team.

But then again, not everyone behaves correctly when they find themselves in second or third roles.

Some just turn around and walk away.

Commercial races are always interested in these young guys.

The management and I will also have to solve this problem.

But I want one of my students to win an Olympic medal at least once.

I think we will succeed, because the academy has a very high-level administrative block.

- You continue to watch athletes when they move to the senior team.

How much do you agree with what is happening there?

- The Russian national team in its current state is not able to properly organize the work.

And I don't want to give up athletes to be broken there.

If there were funds, they themselves would lead the guys further.

And now in the country, both the senior reserve specialist and the team mentor have never been coached.

After finishing their sports career, they immediately moved on to this work, began to make the most important decisions, although they had never been involved in planning, setting goals.

Well then, call yourself managers.

- Do you tell the athletes about this or do you prefer to observe the coaching ethics, according to which the club or personal mentor does not interfere in the affairs of the national team?

- All this I say to the athletes directly, so that they understand where they are going, what they have to do there and whether they need it.

Are colleagues offended?

I warn them right away.

Very often they put pressure on psychologically, take their athletes into the national team, and substitute ours as sparring.

That is, the training process is built not for the strongest, but for our own.

And there are a lot of such cases.

Therefore, I understand that by giving the ward to the national team, I can lose him as an athlete.

• Andrey Startsev

• © sailing-academy.ru

- Do you feel an inner desire to prove something to someone?

- I'm not going to prove anything to them.

I would like to do something big and great in sports.

Of course, there are a lot of people around whose interests intersect.

In the national team they can say: "Give this athlete here."

Of course, I myself would try to bring the process to mind if the leadership found the necessary funds.

Take the same Eteri Tutberidze.

She brings up high-class skaters, and then they start to pull them apart.

She is accused of harsh methods and fraud, and athletes are taken away.

I immediately realized that it would be so.

There were people like Evgeni Plushenko who organized it is not clear what.

Apparently, they have more money, so the skaters go to them.

- Do you have a dream not related to sports?

- I'm fine, the children have grown up - my wife and I have a sin to complain.

Everything is going on a knurled track, we are waiting for the pandemic to end.