By George Adamopoulos / info@eurohoops.net
Every “right here, right now” for him was demanding. The first image of his father, confined to a wheelchair, looked like a… clock. An alarm clock, actually.
A reminder that what matters is the present. After all, Marcin Balcherowski, a current player on Panathinaikos‘ wheelchair basketball team, was constantly telling his youngster that “what matters is now.” Olek Balcherowski‘s moves, however, also peeked into the future.
The 22-year-old Polish Panathinaikos center was asked at the age of 13 to leave his homeland and his parents for the youtth team of Gran Canaria. He was a teenager who came of age prematurely. Nine years later, his new challenge is titled “Panathinaikos” and captioned: “Athens, Euroleague, Ergin Ataman”.
He pointed out to Eurohoops that “I don’t expect to be easy, it’s a hard challenge for me but I you don’t have challenges for yourself, you stay in the same spot”. Balcherowski also makes it clear that expectations are not a burden, refers to his father’s lessons, explains why he is always optimistic and, looking ahead, is confident that the “Greens” will succeed.
“Never give up!” and the “different life opportunities”
– Your dad told you once, after forced to sit in a wheelchair, to look at him in the eyes and not in the legs. What do you say to yourself, looking in your mirror?
“Never give up! I think this is the most important thing for me and this is what I learn from my father. Never give up and don’t look at the obstacles in front of you”.
– Any other lesson your father taught you?
“The most important one is that if you have one goal and you don’t achieve it, sometimes you need to go other ways. Life doesn’t everything on the plate. He wanted to be a professional basketball player and he was, in a different way. At the end, beside the accident, he achieved his goal. Sometimes life gives you different opportunities and you take anything from that and make most of it”.
– Is he, as a player-coach in wheelchair basketball, the guy that criticizes you the most?
“Yeah, for sure”!
– Is he strict?
“Not strict, but he watches all the games, in Gran Canaria, here in Panathinaikos and for the Polish national team. He is the one that I am calling first after a game. Sometimes I am angry, sometimes he is angry. This is our special relationship and at the end we always come to a conclusion for what I need to better at, what I did well”.
– How does it feel to be members of the same club?
“It’s really nice. I didn’t expect this to happen when I was coming here but he is still a good player and if he wouldn’t they wouldn’t give him the chance to play. I am happy for him and he is happy for me that we are at the same club”.
“I you don’t have challenges for yourself, you stay in the same spot”
– Only at 22, but living in Spain since you were 13. Is that experience a big element of your character?
“You know, when you go to a different country, different language, everything is different. In the beginning its’s hard. It makes your persona for the future, for that kind of things that happen in your life. It made me… how can I say it? I grew up faster because of that. I was alone at the age of 13, to do everything by my own. I had more things to take care of than guys at my age, who only go to school. I needed to grow up quicker, learn things from the guys in the club, like how to use the washing machine but this taught a lot for life”.
– What do you expect from the new challenge of Panathinaikos?
“It’s a big step in my career. I don’t expect to be easy, it’s a hard challenge for me but I you don’t have challenges for yourself, you stay in the same spot. It’s a good opportunity for me and I will try to make most of it”.
– Did you ask any tips from Mateousz Ponitka?
“I ask a lot of things but this is private and it’s going to stay between us”.
– Have you asked for information about the so-called “crazy” OAKA crowd?
“I spoke to him about everything, the fans, the club”.
– How was that first experience in OAKA?
“It was crazy! I think it is only the beginning, there are going to be more fans and I never experienced something like this, like fans rooting like this for me and my team. That’s crazy and something that gives you more energy and the proud to represent this club”.
“Ataman is going to make this team work, at the end”
– Panathinaikos had some bad seasons. Do you feel the pressure and the expectations from all the big transfers?
“We have big goals for this season. And with big goals comes big pressure. Our squad is built for it. We are one of the best teams in Euroleague, so we need to put ourselves together, to be close and we are for sure going to achieve it”.
– I guess time is required for teams with a lot of newcomers. How much will you need and what is the goal of the season?
“We need to be ready. Each day we are still learning each other and we are learning quickly. We are going to understand each other more and more, step by step”.
– Who’s the most helpful guy in the locker room?
“For me I think is Juancho, Kyle Guy and Dimitris… No, wait… It’s also Marius Grigonis”.
– And the one who’s being the most vocal?
“I would say Kyle Guy”.
– Coach Ataman shared some special words for you and your contribution. How is working with him?
“I mean it’s good. This is my first year in Euroleague, this is big platform and I feel very proud that he wanted me in this team, to be in his roster and I will try to help him the most, help the team, working with him really hard. He is a great coach and he is going to make this team work at the end”.
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