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Saturday August 7th , 2010 DESTINATION DECIN! Over the last ten years in Europe, I have been fortunate enough to visit several cities in the Czech Republic. I was excited to see Kladno, Cheb, Karlovy Vary, Pardubice, Plzen, Prostejov and Brno. Training camp in Liberec was fun and the city was very nice, but the nature and castles were beautiful in Czech Paradise. It was interesting to visit Pavel and family in Chomutov and of course Prague is something special. As you can see, over the last decade, I have spent Czech crowns in several Czech towns. But as much as I have enjoyed these places, there was no place I was more excited to see than Decin.
Out front of our team hotel in Decin Early Friday morning August 6th, Vladimir Hojka rolled up to the Art Hotel in Prague --- Ladja was our ride. Loading up his small car with too many bags, we were on time with departure for 10am giving ourselves extra time to be in Decin by 1. Ladja needed to pick up some equipment at his sports club office so we drove through the city of Prague taking back streets to avoid traffic. Arriving at the largest sports club in the beautiful city, I was immediately impressed at Ladja's home --- a giant sports complex with soccer fields, a track stadium, a natatorium, an ice hockey rink, a basketball gym and giant soccer stadium. Once Ladja picked up what he needed, we hopped back into the car and made one pit stop at a gas station on the way out of the city. Ladja explained interesting facts about Prague and we passed the potential Olympic Villiage if Prague receives a bid to host the Olympic games in the future. Once we hit the perimeter of Prague, the horizon quickly turned from urban to rural. The roads were good and we were moving at a high speed north. Although Ladja was moving fast, the highways in the Czech Republic are not on the level of the autobahn in Germany. We enjoyed the ride and made good time. Ladja pointed out some mountains and hills and told us fables about Father Czech starting the country on a uniquely formed hill just to the right of the road. We meandered along through small towns as the same road mirrored a river. Little did we know how that little river would change later in the day. We hit Usti nad Labem and we saw big factories that made the air smell. It was a familiar odor just like power plants in Niagara Falls, New York or Johnsonburg, Pennsylvania. Ladja checked his watch for time and estimated our arrival at 12:45pm. There were no concerns about getting lost because Ladja was born in Decin and grew up there before going to school in Prague. Our teams time in Decin would be a perfect opportunity for Ladja to return home to see his family.
Cez Sportcentrum the home of BK Decin and Czech National team Before we knew it, green mountains revealed a valley presenting Decin. The highway split the town in two as a beautiful bridge crossed over the Elbe. On the left was a big white castle. Catching my eye immediately, I asked Ladja if it was a Castle. He said it was and drew my attention to a small white castle across the river, high up on the top of the hill --- it was fantastic, a fairy tale castle high atop the mountain overlooking the town. Seeing the green hills and river and bridges of Decin, the entire scene made me happy thinking of western Pennsylvania --- it could have been Clarion along the river or any number of towns along the Allegheny. After hearing so much about the town from Pavel, I was happy to see Decin for the first time.
Advertisement on the gym door for our Games against Estonia! The trip through the town went fast. Decin is small. After crossing the bridge, Ladja followed the road up the hill. Just before the outskirts of town, he pulled into a small driveway where we saw familiar faces unloading cars and walking into a small yellow hotel. Quickly we saw that everything was brand new. In fact, the hotel was so new, our team were the first guests. Pavel definitely had the hook-ups in his hometown and his many friends in Decin stepped up to help our squad. The hotel staff was friendly. They were hurrying to complete a weight room for the team --- the open area had some free weights, a couple bikes and some karate pads. Heading upstairs, the room was nice and new with a balcony out back that brought me back to western Pennsylvania again. The beautiful nature was peaceful and the edge of town almost isolated our team. It would be a perfect location for our basketball business. Unfortunately, the hotel was so new that the phones and internet connections were not perfect. Keeping things in perspective, I roughed it. But Pavel and the Czech staff worked tirelessly for a solution. Pavel had the federation get me a new phone and later that night the staff hooked me up with a portable modem to get online. Very thankful, Pavel and the staff showed me that they were doing everything possible for me to enjoy my stay in the Czech Republic.
At the basketball offices for Pavel's team BK Decin! As we returned from lunch, we realized it was raining. Settling into the room and setting up shop for the next six days, I met with Pavel to help plan practice. He took me down to the gym early to show me around. I had seen pictures of Pavel's basketball home and we had talked about Decin and the facilities many times so I was happy to see everything for real. Pavel took me into the gym and gave me the grand tour. We looked at the floor. We walked up the stairs to the offices and Pavel proudly introduced me to the Decin staff. We checked out the VIP room, then went downstairs to the lockerrooms, weight room and training room. It was a gym with character and it was a facility that had everything a basketball team needs. The gym even had an aparment for team use and a restaurant. After the tour, Pavel and I went into his office to relax for a minute. I was happy to see a big Duke Blue Devil poster and a picture from his time there at basketball camp back in 2002. Pavel also displayed pictures from Decin basketball. But I liked his photo of Coach K and the dream team with all the gold medals around Coach K's neck. It was great to sit in Pavel's office with him and talk basketball.
BK Decin's home floor in a gym with character and tradition. Practice went well. Pavel kept it uptempo focusing on skillwork while reviewing our sets and systems. The players pushed their way through the discomfort of getting back to work after two days off. With fresh legs and fresh heads, the team was positive. Building on our strong performances in Bulgaria and Lithuania, we were preparing to host two games against Estonia on Sunday and Monday night. The games would be our last two preparation games before tipping off for real August 14th in Slovakia. I think everyone was happy to have a place in the Czech Republic to call home. And Decin was not only a home for Pavel. Forward Pavel Houska plays for Pavel Budinsky and is currently a main man for BK Decin and forward Lubos Barton is a former BK Decin player spending two seasons in the gym before advancing his career to the highest levels of Europe. For the next six days, Decin would be a basketball home for everyone on our Czech national team.
Working the baseline during practice. Practice ended. Several players stayed for extra shooting while others went to see physio Petr Toncar for treatment. A few disappeared into the lockerroom --- we never know what they are doing back there. Pavel went back upstairs to his office and I followed him after rebounding for some players and shooting some halfcourt shots. We settled into Decin well. It felt good. But it was the calm before the storm.
Swatting shots with the shot-swatter in the 'Block Party Drill' Walking out of the gym, it was still raining. We did not realize it had been raining all day. Back at the hotel during dinner, we heard reports of heavy raining and floods. We had expected assistant coach Honza Slowiak to join us for practice and dinner, but word leaked that his house in Liberec was in danger of flooding. Rivers and streams all over northern Czech Republic raged with power and the news talked of 'Thousand years rain'. Liberec was hit hard with high water and the surrounding area of Decin was soaked. Honza was forced to vacate his home taking his family to Pardubice where he coaches during the season. Seeing the news footage was unbelievable. Ladja had taken us along one of the rivers earlier in the day. Hours later, roads were closed and rivers swelled. It kept raining.
The fantastic white castle high atop the hill in Decin! Over night it did not let up. Like many families in the Czech Republic, Honza was forced to deal with the emergency. A day later, Honza would learn his house was not damaged by the water. Unfortunately, many more people were not so lucky. At breakfast Saturday morning, the newspapers showed amazing pictures of the flooding in the Czech Republic. Pavel turned on a television in the restaurant to watch the news reports. At the breakfast table our staff discussion was all about the flood. Although the town of Decin was not flooded this weekend, the town had a history of high water as the Elbe overflowed back in 2002. Team physio Petr Toncar told us all an amazing story of his experiences helping to provide flood relief. I loved his story about blowing up boats that had undocked up the river and other wild details. During the flood of 2002, the Elbe overflowed next to the Prague zoo raising the waters over the edge of the animal areas. Elephants and other animals were caught in the current or swept free. The zoo's sea lion, Gaston, swam to freedom and made his way up the river with the powerful current. Petr was called in to help catch Gaston and return him to safety at the zoo. The authorities flew Gaton's trainer in by helicopter and brought buckets of fish to feed the hungry Sea Lion. Petr's amazing tale continued. He told us of docking the rescue boat on the highway bridge and coming close enough to Gaston to see his bloodshot eyes because of the dirty flood water. Although the rescue attempts came close, Gaston was too elusive. Petr described their best attempt to corner him when the boat influenced him into a garden surrounded by a fence. Unfortunately, as the homeowners opened the door to see what was going on, their dog raced at Gaston scaring the sea lion back into the water where he quickly swam away. Eventually, Gaston swam so far, he crossed over the German boarder toward Dresden. But this amazing tale had a sad ending as an exhausted Gaston expired. In honor of Gaston, BK Decin's mascot is a Sea Lion.
With a light rain continuing to fall on the small Czech town of Decin, I thought back to the many places in the Republic that I have seen. Hearing so much about Pavel's basketball home in Decin, my anticipation was as high as the waters in the rivers. And with two games against Estonia ahead the only thing I was flooded with was excitement. Follow all the fast breaking ratiopharm Ulm and international baketball action all season long on Taylorhoops.com! GO ULM! MIKE T
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