There are habits that endure. On Saturday, after Alliance Sport Alsace’s victory against WOSB (76-58), Stéphane Eberlin and Daniel Pereira discussed the match together. A quick little debrief as they did after the matches at BC Souffelweyersheim.
However, after thirteen years of fruitful collaboration, the two men no longer officiate side by side on the bench. Daniel Pereira having chosen to focus on his extra-sporting career, Stéphane Eberlin set out to find a new assistant. And on the occasion of the first match of the Gries-Souffel Agreement, at the same time as they got to know the recruits of the new Alsatian Pro B team, the spectators present at the Sept Arpents gymnasium discovered Old Ahmadou Lo .
“We get to know each other, even in training”
“It was my agent who introduced him to me and I have great confidence in him,” says the ASA coach. Then I spoke with two coaches Old worked with and they gave me great feedback. What I like is that at the base, he is a physical trainer, so he is well versed in his field and in individual work. The players are asking for it. What also interests me is that at 30, he wants to climb the ladder. He is like the players of the team, ambitious. “
It is therefore natural that the Alsatian technician chose the Senegalese who, despite his young age, can already boast of successful experiences in Bordeaux (with teams of young people), in Toulouse (N2 with accession N1 and Coupe de France Trophy in 2018 against Kaysersberg) and Boulazac (Elite), last season, as physical trainer and then as second assistant throughout the season.
“The physical preparation allowed me to integrate the high level and the Elite, estimates Old Lo, holder of a Federal Coaching Diploma in Basketball (DEFB) and a master’s degree in sports performance optimization. But don’t forget that I started training before I became a physical trainer. Versatility is something of interest on divisions like the Pro B, which has to answer economic questions. Sometimes teams are looking for someone who can be an assistant and physical trainer. And I, today, am able to integrate these two functions. It’s a great compromise. “
Since the resumption, Old Lo has made Jason Bach and his teammates sweat, is working to re-muscle the bodies, to develop their motor skills. Indoors or outdoors. Stéphane Eberlin takes care of the technical aspect. “We get to know each other, even in training,” says the head coach. We will have to refine my expectations and his. It’s like the team, it will go crescendo. “” I received a great welcome from everyone. Now it’s up to me to adapt, and it’s going well. The feeling is there, appreciates Old Lo. We let confidence settle little by little, it must last. I expect Stéphane to be himself, to share his experience with me. My role as assistant is to reach out to him, to bring what I am capable of. “
Saturday against WOSB, the two men found themselves for the first time in a situation, a baptism of fire which ended in a victory. Tuesday evening, facing a catchy team from Holtzheim, Stéphane Eberlin was forced to raise his voice to re-mobilize somewhat scattered troops.
“An analysis that will take me out of my comfort zone”
“For the moment, I ask him to relay to me whatever he considers relevant. Me, I take the info or not. I want there to be real communication between us. And that he acts as a buffer between the players and me. When I take a player out because he has done something wrong, let him go and motivate him. The exchange after the game will be important too. He will have to give me his analysis and I will tell him what I think about it so that we can build what we will work on during the week together. A role perfectly endorsed by Old Lo, during the first two meetings.
Nevertheless, it will still take time and outings for the two men to find their automatisms and create new habits. A bad for a good according to Stéphane Eberlin: “With Daniel, we were perhaps installed in a comfort. We knew each other, we no longer had the same requirements. Old brings back new exercises. Daniel was with me from the start, he was formatted to my profile. There, Old will bring me an analysis that may not go in the same direction as mine and that will take me out of my comfort zone. “
