“Basketball is an extraordinary laboratory to prepare us for life. I owe to it the most important things I have in my life... my friends, my wife, who is also a basketball player, whom I met training together... It is a pleasure to be able to give back to basketball at least a little bit of how much it has given me... and it all started when at the age of 11, a hepatitis had me in bed for 3 months... a summer in which I grew 15 centimeters... a summer in which I left as a medium height kid, and I came back as the second pick... a summer in which I left as an average height kid, and I came back as the second pick. a summer in which I grew 15 centimeters... a summer in which I left being a kid of average height, and I came back being the second tallest center in Madrid... that's how it all started... and I haven't grown an inch more since I was 11 years old, which has allowed me to go through all the positions on the court and to know a little bit more different facets of our beloved basketball. 

Thank you very much, dear Basketball (as Kobe Bryant would say) for everything you have given me... a thousand thanks FIBA, for having set your eyes on this humble neighbourhood coach for such an incredible nomination. I feel very honoured and grateful. Thank you very much indeed” 

Javier’s Story

Back in 2006, two friends decided to move with our families to a new area of Madrid, the Ensanche of Vallecas. There at that time there was nothing but cranes and piles of bricks, and we decided to set up something so that our daughters would have a place where they could develop their passion, make friends and build a neighborhood... so we set up a Basketball Club.

To this end, we decided that we would build it on a series of “big stones” that would be the pillars of our Project... the people, our young athletes and our coaches have undoubtedly been some of these biggest and most important stones, and our Club, the reason to unite them all. In a world where what prevails is change, exigency and the “im-mediate”, we have wanted to dedicate our time to create “mediations”, what makes me get from point A to point B, the process that makes me learn, that makes me different, that makes me be a little bit better every day... it is a complicated process, with difficulties, with hard moments... in which many times we will not know where to go, but where we have a clear premise: “I am here, for you”.  

And this is how we have always understood our Club... we, the coaches, have to be clear that we are here for them, to share their path for a while and accompany them giving them the best we have, sowing with the greatest generosity, knowing that what we have sown will surely be picked up by others, that what we can contribute to the young people we have the privilege of accompanying, at some point, when we least expect it... will flourish.  

Our young people need references, they need people to accompany them on this path, knowing that young people are the center and the real protagonists of everything we do. The fact that it is not an easy path will make every achievement we make even more valuable, and surely along the way we will make many mistakes that will also help us to grow, and to enjoy this path in which together we will learn and share experiences that will change us, that will make us different, and that in the long run, will give us a base of experiences that will allow us to improve our decision making, in sport... and in life. 

And we will enjoy the road with a positive attitude, thinking positive, not looking for guilt when we encounter difficulties, but looking for solutions, growing every day a little more all together, creating every day something bigger than ourselves, looking to be happy making others happy, with a basketball in our hands: Growing with you. 

Before we were talking about the “big stones”, and these can be many, each one of us can have our own... but we wanted to leave here ten “stones” that are very important for us, as “Ensanche philosophies”... that legacy that we work to pass from generation to generation of players, that which is the very essence of what we are and what we do. 

1) “Passing the mop”: Humility. A task that all of us in the Club have done at some time is to accompany our teams as locals in the task of field delegate ... and when the track gets wet, the delegate has to go out to dry the track with the mop. This work is done by the President, the Sports Director or any coach. And sometimes they tell us... “no man... you don't do it”... we all have to do all the tasks, and none of them is less important than any other. Here there are no first, nor last, from the utmost humility, we all have to help in everything, to make the common Project a little better. If the “first ones” do these less grateful tasks, when the young people see this example they will say... “how can I not do it?  

In the warm-up before a game, when as the home team we have to leave balls to the rival... we leave the rivals the best balls to warm up. 

2) The importance of the PATH, the hero's journey: This is a classic in storytelling. We have seen in the cinema great sagas in which the characters moved towards a common goal... And in all of them, the goal could be achieved or not, what was really important was the journey, the transformation of each of the characters throughout the story, their learning, their growth... this is what happens to us, every day is important as a unique opportunity to make us a little better... what really matters is the path, not whether we have won this or that title. ... and we also believe that our model is a model of success, and we are sure that many more titles will come.

3) The Mentor, the management and accompaniment of the groups and families: This is the work of our coaches... we have to be aware that everything we do and what we do not do, is the image of the Club and an example for all the people who accompany us. We are the referents of our young people, the models in which they look every day, the leaders of each project, of very special projects, with a very marked Club philosophy, in which we look for the best for the group and for each and every one of its participants. We have to worry about EVERYONE, about the development and growth of EVERYONE. Above all we must take exquisite care of the PEOPLE who make up the club, those who work for the Club and all those related to it, from supporters, to rivals, through referees, suppliers, etc ... We work with people from their potential from their talents and their skills, especially reinforcing what they do well and building on what they can improve, we live with the error as a key part in the teaching / learning process. Discovering those talents of each athlete will be one of the coach's tasks. 

We want to be a FAMILY where each one forgets a little of the “I” to generously think of “the other”. Having the prior certainty that this forgotten “I” will be in the long run the great beneficiary of such behavior.  If we are referents for our young people, we must ask ourselves beforehand what kind of referent and model I want to be... to understand that we are the first ones who have to improve, learn and take care of ourselves every day to offer our young people the best version of ourselves. 

4) Build Projects: By linking teams, getting athletes from different groups to get to know each other and generate a bond, we get the teams stronger, as they have the backing and support of the Project. It is clear that there will be “team” things that we will also take care of, but through this idea of openness and collaboration we get everyone to go even more hand in hand. Here we do not have “my girls” or “my boys”... we are part of something bigger and I am lucky enough to accompany a group of athletes in their development, knowing that I am “sowing” for others to harvest, that each person has their own rhythm and that the work we do at some point, when we least expect it, will flourish. 

5) The legacy, “leave the shirt a little better than I found it”: This is a project for everyone, where selfishness has no place. The difference is in doing what I think is best for me, or in understanding that what is best for me is to put the interests of the group ahead of my own interests, that “selfless dedication” that transforms the “I” into the “we”. The human groups that achieve this, undoubtedly have a greater probability of success. If I make an effort to CONTRIBUTE, the mechanics of solidarity will be set in motion so that my companions contribute to me. I don't block well, but I want them to be done well for me, I don't make good passes, but I want them to be good for me... the process of DISINTERESTROUS DELIVERY MUST START IN EACH ONE OF US, by RESPECTING THE SHIRT I WEAR. 

6) The welcome, this is your place, we all fit here: Whether you have been playing for more or less time, without any kind of conditioning, we have a place for you. One of our objectives is to generate enough groups by category so that everyone finds their place, their space to develop. And of course, the economic aspect for us is crucial, NO ONE in the neighborhood will be left without practicing basketball for economic reasons, our scholarship program is committed to ensure that this is not the case. If you like BASKETBALL, this is your place. We are a neighborhood club, closely linked to its environment, in which we seek that everyone who wants to have access to the practice of our sport, can do it. We do not test... you test us.  Here we all fit, if you want to join us, we have a place prepared for you. 

7) We take you from “zero”, as far as you want to go: One of our greatest pride is to see how players who have started with us with 6 years old, continue playing in our Senior teams and are already coaches of the Club. We provide the structure so that you can put it at your disposal to launch yourself, if you want, to the place where your imagination and your desire to improve allow you to get, making these capabilities, also have an impact on the improvement of the collective. Our debt to basketball is that the best of our life has come to us through this wonderful sport... in this way, each and every one of us will have the opportunity to give back to basketball a little bit of what it has given us... we have two options when we grow... we can shine... or even more... we can enlighten others so that they can discover the great things that we are experiencing. DEVELOP PLAYERS, DEVELOP PEOPLE. 

That is why we have created the “Ensanche Backpack” every time we learn something new we put it in our backpack as another tool that will allow us to use it when we need it. Training will allow us to be ready when the opportunity arises. 

8) Knowledge + Intensity + Discipline: We base our Project on three main axes: KNOWLEDGE + INTENSITY + DISCIPLINE. 
KNOWLEDGE: We must know what we want to do, how to do it, what the coaches, players... from the Club we encourage the completion of courses to obtain qualifications for our coaches. 
INTENSITY: Work with dedication, concentrated every minute, coaches and players. Intensity is not wasting a single minute of the time we spend with our players, trying to give a little of ourselves at every moment. Every ball is important, every free throw, every rebound, every loose ball, every steal, every triple, every inside basket, every counterattack... are vital to achieve our goals. 
DISCIPLINE: Not everything goes. It is essential that we set some rules, that these are clear, and that we coaches are the first to comply with them. 

9) Values: We have already talked about them, but we mention them again: 

Concentration, Fun, Decision Making,   

10) Building a Neighborhood: For us it is a capital issue and one of our reasons for being. We are a Club closely linked to its environment, to its neighborhood. We were born and raised in the neighborhood, and we want to make our humble contribution to make it a “little better” place. That is why we collaborate with all the institutions of the neighborhood that want to work with us, always open to any proposal with the only interest of adding and helping. For those of you who need us, here we are. 

Our vocation is to be a clear reference and representative image of ENSANCHE DE VALLECAS, a role model that the nearly 100,000 future neighbors can feel proud of at all times; and to be a “Positive Model” transmitting the values of the Club to young people and children where the club is present. We will seek to identify people with a movement with its own identity based on the values of Integration, Equality, Solidarity, Creativity, environmental conservation and Peace.