Dedication to the basketball

To learn more about the life of Alexander Kharchenkov I contacted with one of his players. Nikolai Serov played in the Alexander’s team almost 15 years ago. Now he is tall dark-haired man in his middle 40’s. However, every time he mention his former mentor, he talk like he is 20, full of respect and admiration to Alexander. Nikolai better than others can tell the life story of the great coach and athlete because even today they are close friends with Kharchenkov. We met at the Arsenals training base. He could not wait to tell as much as possible.

That extremely important match was held in Leningrad[А1]  in 1974. The new team of the USSR consisting of young players met with the most formidable contender in the world of basketball- USA. Americans visited Russia in the framework of friendly matches but the management of the USSR team gave great importance to this event. The fate of the team depended on the outcome of this day.

Alexander went to the court with a sense of great excitement but nobody could notice it. It took him only a couple of minutes to calm down and concentrate. He closed his eyes, clenched his fists and made a deep breath. A feeling of anxiety was replaced by enthusiasm from the awareness of the moment. Hum of the crowd returned Alexander back to reality. He exchanged glances with his teammate, inspiring nodded and the first half of the match began.

Since childhood, sport was great Alexander’s great passion. To tell the truth his favorite game was football. He changed many sports sections, but his growth was welcomed only in basketball. His first mentor was Edward M. Milner. He instilled in Alexander the love to the orange ball. At the age of 15, he became the player of CSKA- one of the elite teams in the country. It was very hard to combine active training with studies at secondary school. The difficult financial situation of the family also added to the pressure.

The national team of the USSR won the world championship in Puerto Rico. Nevertheless, the team still had great financial difficulties. “We played basketball for our country, not to achieve material wealth. We were in love with the game itself, rather than what it can bring to us.” Alexander said in his interview for the “Orangeball.com”.

Many players left the team with a deep sense of disappointment. Sports career is not forever. New people are coming and experienced players often lose strength and love for the sport. Most of Alexander’s teammates left the professional basketball in search for material benefits for themselves and their families.

Years passed but Alexander’s enthusiasm only grew . He began to analyze the game of his teammates, developed schemes and combinations. Later he was assigned to conduct training at a youth team. It was completely different level of game understanding. Some friends of Alexander called it an obsession.

In the late 80’s the European basketball community spotted Alexander’s talent of leadership. For several years, he was an active player and coach in many German clubs. A big stress for Alexander was the bankruptcy of his main team. Financial problems constantly harassed him. Chagrined but not broken he returned to Saint Petersburg.

During his absence, management of «Spartak» was completely replaced. The new boss cut the budget to minimum. Alexander’s aim was to lead the team to the victory despite the ridiculous working conditions. Players were not paid for half a year. Mass strike began in the club. It was the darkest time in Alexander’s career. He could no longer play, because of his age. Even in such a difficult time, he never lost his composure and calmness.

He moved to Volgograd where he was offered a coach place in «Akvarius», a stable but very poor team. It was like a «new life» for Alexander. He understood that there would not be big fees, but after all the bustle that he saw in big teams that work was like a «salvation».

Alexander loved coaching but deep in his heart, he longed to enter basketball court as a player at least one more time. He was given that chance in 2001.  One of his players was seriously injured during a friendly match with Estonia. It was too dangerous to release an unexperienced player. He went by himself to the court at the age of 49. Spectators and opposing team openly mocked him. “I remember the coach one of the teams shouted his players from the bench: "Don’t keep him, he will do nothing!". “To everyone's[А2]  surprise Alexander showed the result of a young athlete. He played the full match in multiple positions and brought his team more than 70 points. It was one of the happiest moments in his life. By his example, he strongly motivated young players and this match became a legend of the «Akvarius» club.

 The main secret of his success, is a sincere love of basketball. As Alexander says himself  he never chased after richness and glory. When his friends fell into depression because of lost dreams, he continued to work, just enjoying the process. Influenced by his fellows, he doubted too. But every time when it happened he remembered his childhood. The boy from a poor family became a player of CSKA at the age of 15. He believed that was a sign. The sign that he was made for this sport.

At a training camp Alexander met his future wife. His son was born in Germany. He became a professional player in one of the dominating clubs. In all his speeches, he remembers his father and says how much he is proud of him. So, figuratively speaking, basketball gave Alexander a wonderful family.

The main principle of his life, Alexander fit in his famous phrase:” Sport is a state of mind, not just the body. If you are ready to become an athlete, even not for victories, only for yourself. It means that you're ready to live but not to exist.”

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