In judo, a feeling of family is never far away and there are coaches around the world who fill a gap left by absent parents, those who have passed or perhaps moved on. These coaches offer more than just technical judo instruction, building close relationships with their students and ensuring their mental and emotional wellbeing is also taken care of.
One such coach is Quino Ruiz (ESP), the coach of world champions Nikoloz Sherazadishvili and Fran Garrigos and also of new world bronze medallist Laura Martinez Abelenda. Her bronze medal at -48 kg, on day 1 in Budapest, was emotional for both Laura and Quino. When asked about his methods and his fatherly way, Quino described it clearly, “It’s my way of working, to be really close with the athletes and have an emotional connection with them. This formula brings us great success."
"I base everything around love for the athlete, around their needs. The athletes are free to speak with me about their lives and stories in ways they cannot share even with their families sometimes. We have a kind of confidence together. I need to feel and to know all that is happening with my athletes as finally, this has an influence on the tatami. When they have some problem, they don’t train in the same way as when it is all clear for them.”
The communication between Quino and his athletes often appears to be minimal but it is there, the right words and expressions at just the right moments. On 13th June, in the Hungarian capital, this fully engaged connection was under the spotlight as Laura Martinez Abelenda won her first world medal. Quino knew she was ready, without having to say it in advance, “From the Olympic Training Camp in Benidorm, I was sure she would take a medal; I didn’t know which colour but I knew there was a medal for her. I could see she was more mature than in the last period and her way of doing judo is changing.”
What does it mean for Quino to share these most intense moments with his young athletes?
“For me it’s full emotion and difficult to explain. It’s all here in front of the whole world, the sacrifice, and in the case of Laura, we have a really close relationship, I feel like a father. This medal and other big results have been pending for a really long time. I suggested it to myself some time ago and knew she could do it. And she did!”
All of Quino’s athletes speak about him with great affection, many talking about him as a substitute father. There can be no higher accolade than to be trusted and loved like family; it is both joy and responsibility.
Happy Father’s Day to all the fathers and substitute fathers out there.