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...The same sixth feeling What is our coach like? The teacher, the educator, the second father/mother, the best friend, the comrade, brother-in-arms? What’s his character like: persistent, irreconcilable, despotic? Or, maybe, he is kind and even tender? How big is his part in the success of the sportsmen, in his records? Do we value the trainer enough according to his merits? What can hurt him?
These questions are eternal like the sport, like the world. We’ll seek for the answers by talking to the people of this unique profession.
As for me, I want to take off my head to Valentina Ivannitskaya, rhythmic gymnastics’ coach. Because of the kind sight even if you’re not acquainted. Because of her girls who won only gold at the Olympics. Three times in a row!
Because of the occasionally found fact that she learned to drive a car only after Beijing. Her first training takes start at 8 AM; second – at 4 PM. Nine hours in the gymnasium. Day by day, year by year…
Valentina Alekseevna, is it possible to live in big sport another way?
No. In every kind of sport, not only ours. The team would have the result only by working hard. If they are not working you have no right to put the blame on any conditions. I think that Russian rhythmic gymnastics combined team lives and works in good conditions. The girls there are well cared, fed and looked for… All gymnasts who acted in Beijing and became Champions left the sport. Now the new team is growing. I think it would be worthy. Because the girls are workable, obedient and, as I said before, training very hard.
Are you feeling sorry for them?
Yes, I am. But I have to push them working hard anyway. Most of all I don’t like dull girls. Unfortunately we have such ones. That’s why I like those who are sharp. May be it’s my drawback, I don’t know. But this “drawback” gives me a chance to demand quickest delivery from them. When something goes wrong I can even shout on them. Sometimes I have to do this because we need the result. Our team is the best in the world, and it urges us forward.
How did your career take start?
In post-war years I studied in the technical school of physical culture. There was a teacher who “burned” the interest to this subject in us. I have always been an active girl, learned artistic gymnastics and loved music. Rhythmic gymnastics only appeared at that time, girls in the school learned some interesting movements. I found out that it was beautiful combination movements and music. I started to study and, at last, became master of sport. In Rostov- na-Dony, where I lived and studied at that time, started to coach. Then I got married and moved to Moscow. There I began to visit schools near the metro station “Sokol”, searching for the girls for my group. Soon they became champions of Moscow.
Valentina Alekseevna, what is the reason of our team still undefeated?
At first, from the beginning we learn our kids for responsible attitude for the training…
Maybe you know something that nobody else knows?
I don’t think so. I know that I have to compete every day; that someone doesn’t sleep, preparing something. That’s why I have to do it better. Chinese, Italians, Byelorussians, Bulgarians … - all of them want to win. You are always thinking what else can I do?
How does your heart stand with all of this?
Success is success. It helps to overcome. I guess it would be much harder without it. Because every coach that makes its best, suffers defeats hardly. You don’t know what to do and where to go.
But, anyway, three times Olympic Champions’ coach must have some special traits, character? The result won’t come in itself…
At first, you must have knowledge. Second… For example, I have that sixth feeling intuition, which helps to decide so many things. Everyone looks at the girl: nothing special, but I feel that she could blossom. Then… There is such an idea as self-education. You must have an interest to the ballet, music.
 And self-discipline?
With no doubts. And one more a wish, or, it would be better to say ability - to do what you must do in spite of anything. You must act like a soldier: stand up and fight. And nothing must stop you. If something happens, I can give myself three-day rest from the gymnasium. Not more because later I start seeking for the job and being afraid of every day, that is lost.
When everything is already won, the fear of the possible loss stops pushing you?
It always exists. That’s why I want to gather every new group with one main aim it must fight. Every girl in the team must be a person. And all together they have to be fighters. That’s what I learn them to be. To move only forward! Not to protect but to risk, to attack. I understand that sometimes I act like an adventurer, but the result is worth it.
Valentina Alekseevna, today everyone everywhere is complaining. Some doesn’t have good conditions for the training, some salary, the third something else. Against this background our rhythmic gymnastics national team seems to be an island of unlimited happiness. Is it really so?
We have some work problems. The health of our sportsmen, training efficiency, patience… We get everything we have need in. Irina Aleksandrovna Viner does much for us. As a coach I live only for interests of my work without looking aside for other problems. This is a big plus.
Did you ever have to chose work or family?
I had such a problem in the youth, but didn’t sacrifice my work. When I remember how I left the daughter for the time of training camps, I feel pain and sorrow. But, thanks Lord, we are still in good relationships. She is a cardiologist, lives in Germany with her father.
If we look at the sport in common, what is the most actual problem for Russian coaches?
I want coaches to be more taken into consideration. Nobody knows what children we take into work, how it is hard to make them champions. Only sportsmen are heroes in our country. We had a visit to the Kremlin after the Olympics the sportsmen were met and seated, only coaches dwelled restless. We politely asked the master of ceremonies where we could have a seat. And what did we hear in reply? “You are always displeased, have not enough places to seat!”.
There is one more problem I am sure that it worries almost all of us. It’s the health of our students. Regular injuries in the sport are our common trouble. Sadly, big sport can’t exist without injuries. But we always want to be aware from them. Every talent in our country is worth gold. And, if he hurts, you always have to start from the beginning…
Oksana TONKACHEEVA
photo Andrey Golovanov, Sergey Kivrin
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