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Road to Swiss Cup Final 4
We met with the Olympian, Polish, German, and Swiss champion, and the head coach of SC Horgen men’s team Lukasz Kieloch as part of our special for the Swiss Cup Final 4 Tournament that will be held in Horgen on 26 and 27th May.
with Cannstatt, we managed to win the German Championship in 2006 in a best-of-five series against Spandau Berlin
wball.ch: Dear Lukasz, thank you for taking the time and being the first interviewee ever on wball.ch. Let’s start with the first question. How did you start water polo and what was the journey that brought you to the Swiss League?
Lukasz Kieloch: I was introduced to water polo by my father in our home club in Ostrowiec Swiętokrzyski (Poland). Water Polo has a special status there and it’s the most popular sport in the city. So in grammar school, we already used to practice 3-4 times per week and with time we got to practice more and more with the ball which I liked. Eventually, a very good coach came into town and we started to be regularly country champions in all categories.
In 1999 I moved to Germany where I played in the second-best league for two years. After this period I moved to SV Cannstatt and that is where my water polo career took off. With Cannstatt I had the chance to train as a professional athlete and as a team we played for the German title. At the end of my period with Cannstatt, we managed to win the German Championship in 2006 in a best-of-five series against Spandau Berlin. 20 years ago this was an unbelievable achievement as Spandau was dominating for decades and we were the only team that was able to break this series.
wball.ch: how was your career with the national team?
Lukasz Kieloch: I had the chance to start playing for the Polish national team when I was 16 years old. We were not successful and regularly missed qualifying for big events like the Olympic Games or European Championships. Although we managed to win the B-European Championships once and at this level, we were among the best teams.
In 2002 I received the call from Hagen Stamm, who was the head coach of the German National Team and after talking to my coaches and teammates in the Polish national team I decided to change my sport nationality. This started a four years cycle in which I had the opportunity to take part in the best competitions like the European and World Championships and the Olympic Games 2004 in Athens.
to keep playing at the highest level I had to add 4 training sessions per week
wball.ch: so your international career ended with your move to SC Horgen in 2006 after the EC in Belgrade?
Lukasz Kieloch: not really, in March 2007 I participated in the World Aquatics Championships 2007 in Melbourne as a player from SC Horgen.
I was extremely motivated to keep playing at the highest level and to achieve this I had to add 4 training sessions per week (to my regular training with the team), which I had to perform independently. Looking back I’m really proud of this achievement.
wball.ch: you took over the men’s team of Horgen in 2014 and immediately won the title against a very strong Lugano. At this point, you did not have a very long experience as a coach. How did it go?
Lukasz Kieloch: yes, you are right. It was my first coaching experience with a men’s team. I took over a very prepared and purposeful team that has already played many finals. Some players even won the Swiss title already in 2007 with me as a player. I set some targets on how the team should feel to win and I achieved those goals. With my freshness and enthusiasm, I added the last element for success.
I create a framework of playing options, in which the players are free to be creative and play their game. Defense is hard work, offense is creativity.
wball.ch: can you compare the winning team of 2015 with your current team?
Lukasz Kieloch: my current team is fresh and dynamic. My players are hungry for titles, but they are just at the start of their water polo careers. The team in 2015 was also hungry but in a different way. Those players wanted to reclaim their titles or finish their careers on the top note.
wball.ch: You had some important transfers in the summer like the arrival of top scorer Domonkos Szer from SV Basel and Swiss National Team goalkeeper Pietro Gazzini from Carouge. Especially the arrival of Gazzini freed up a slot for a second foreign player in the field and subsequently the arrival of US player Greg Enloe. How strong is this team and are you happy about the season so far?
Lukasz Kieloch: I’m very happy with the development, results, and atmosphere in the team so far. You need to realize that we are just playing water polo with all members for two months when Greg Enloe joined us. 6 weeks ago we were finally able to start practicing in our outdoor pool which enable us to practice in good conditions. We have lost against Carouge (unexpectedly) and in the away game in Kreuzlingen, probably due to home advantage and form on the day. But Kreuzligen played better and we are already working to improve what went wrong. You need to live with your losses and it’s very hard to have a perfect season.
wball.ch: You are known for your calm coaching style. How are you as a coach and how do you try to impact your team?
Lukasz Kieloch: my goal is to promote self-reliance among the players. I create a framework of playing options, in which the players are free to be creative and play their game. Defense is hard work, offense is creativity.
wball.ch: Your son Oskar is a regular starter in Horgen and is especially known as a very fast swimmer with a good shooting ability. Tell us more about having your son on your team.
Lukasz Kieloch: at the beginning, it was like watching two games. I used to follow Oskar’s moves as his father, but also follow what the team was doing. I had to discipline myself as in part it was unfair to the rest of the team.
When you are a coach and you go to practice or games, you have to leave your family behind. I particularly enjoy having a part of my family with me and spending time with Oskar during practice or the training camp.
If we manage to motivate 20 Swiss players to perform such an effort with a clear program, we can surpass 10 other teams in 2 years.
wball.ch: You are in Switzerland for a while. What can be done to improve the results of the Swiss national teams?
Lukasz Kieloch: it’s very simple and I can compare it with what we did in Poland. When I joined the national team we did not even qualify to the B-European Championships. Suddenly 20 players committed to training with 7 to 8 water sessions per week. After 2-3 years we became third at the B-EC. The first improvement from the last 10 teams to the best 15 teams in Europe can be achieved by practicing more. To achieve this you don’t need more clubs, swimming pools, or international experience, but fitness, swimming capabilities, and strength. If we manage to motivate 20 Swiss players to perform such an effort with a clear program, we can surpass 10 other teams in 2 years.
Instead of getting goals from attacks against the best teams like we see today, Switzerland would set the tone in such games. You need to bring the base to the table, to compete with the best teams in Europe.
wball.ch: many thanks Lukasz for the inspirational interview and good luck for the Cup finals.
Lukasz Kieloch: thanks for having me and good luck with the new site!
