Dikoudis: “The “Dual Career” program prepares children for life after basketball”

The manager of the EEC national teams, Dimos Dikoudis, spoke about the innovative “Dual career” program that prepares young athletes for life after basketball, while he also referred to the great successes, starting from 1987 that yesterday (14/6 ) had a 36 year anniversary.

For the “Dual Career” program: “A main concern of the administration since last year is to modernize the national teams both in training staff and medical staff, training conditions, travel and so on. This year we’re going a step further and we’ve instituted this program, where we’re going to give presentations to the kids on the national teams first about the dual career part, the studies, how important it is to prepare for when you stop playing basketball. Especially for these children, no one can guarantee in how many years they will become professionals, if they will and what they will do when their career ends. Therefore, such a program where presentations are made, gives directions, supplies, answers questions and “shakes” some children about what is to come. They will expect things that are difficult and it is good to give them some direction. We started with the Youth National Team and we have other things for the summer that we will be going through. Andreas Glyniadakis and Mr. Dimitris Gargalianos, the professor who created the presentations, contribute to this program and all this is with the help of OPAP and is meant under the auspices of the EEC”.

On whether there are thoughts to extend the program to other children outside national teams: “There is a thought to expand this program and this update. The “trap” with the children of the national teams is that when you reach the national team you have the impression that you will have a career, that you are elite, that you will be in the next 15 years in a top club and you don’t need to deal with anything else. That’s why we start there. As for the girls, I think they’re probably a bit more aware of it. The structure of women’s professional basketball is different from that of men. From what I have understood, they aim more at studies, to go to America, and they know what their future is, even if they become professionals.”

On whether it has any similarity with the FIBA ​​program: “The FIBA ​​program is aimed at veteran basketball players, which provides them with an education in staying on pieces of basketball. We have a much larger range and our reasoning in this presentation does not encourage an athlete to necessarily stay in basketball. We “push” him to “open” his horizons and look for something else, because at some point he may need to do something else.”

For the EEC event (14/06) with the slogan “Basketball is in our blood”: “The day was also of great importance for the part of volunteering. We met with people we grew up with, we cheered them on in 1987, they were the ones who brought basketball to the hearts of the Greeks. You also saw it in the people who were here today how much they are happy to see athletes who have worn the jersey of the National team, who have contributed. I think it was an event full of joy, which made us all especially happy.”

For the “hot” summer ahead for the national teams: “The foundations that have been put in place are very correct, the process was exactly what should have been done. The national teams got together much earlier this year, went to tournaments, did two-three days. For us, a medal is not an end in itself, but the right process, the meritocracy and passing the right principles to these children who are the future of Greek basketball. We are looking forward to an interesting summer to see what our teams will do and we have a long future ahead of us.”

On whether there is talent in the following children: “I think there are kids with a lot of future. There are talents, cases that if they take care of themselves and take care of themselves, they will also be in the Men’s National Team in a few years and will have, God first, a great career. Indeed, there is material and interest. Summers like last year, which had a lot of interest in basketball all over Greece, “draw” children to basketball, some of them become more active and it leaves us all very optimistic”.