Dieppe-basket wants to continue to grow on the national scene

Dieppe Information: The first question is simple and just concerns the results of the past season?

Michel Gomez: It is necessarily positive because our first objective which was to join the National 1 was achieved. However, personally, with the girls, we had a second objective which was to win the title of champion of France and we know, it was not achieved. The season was long and fruitful since we only lost two matches out of 26 before the final four.

“Team spirit and playing spirit”

During the season, were there one or more matches more unifying than others?

Yes, undoubtedly the one won against Bihorel at Kindarena. It turned out to be decisive for the ranking, but it was also a match which built the team, which strengthened its values ​​and which gave it strength for the end of the season. This match was extremely well prepared and it went as I expected.

The team was built for the climb…

Yes, it was stronger than last season. Maybe not stronger technically, but more homogeneous. And there is the team spirit and the spirit of the game. Two essential things to succeed. I also remember the youth of the squad which was a choice especially with the recruits. An example with Nohéa (Stoelzaed) who grew up as a point guard which is perhaps the most difficult position in a basketball team. She hit hard and progressed in the ball rushes.

Did the older ones also meet your expectations?

Yes, seriously, if we talk about Julie (Barber) as captain and a role that suits her very well. I hope that Ramata (Daou) will be able to take over from her next season. Ramata had a very good season, but unfortunately, probably because of fatigue and a lack of rotation, she missed out on her final four. Next year, we know it will be harder for her, but I will manage her differently.

Did the championship seem easier or harder to you than the previous one?

Our National 2 group was the strongest of the four and it showed with the results. We have two teams from our pool in the final four. During the regular phase, the girls quickly raised their heads after the defeat in Trégueux and I felt that we were quickly looking towards the play-offs. Well prepared play-offs thanks to the good work done by the staff. Eric (Catel) and Olivier (Renouf) are very useful to me, each in their own field. I will count on them again next season and I hope that Julie (Barber) will join the staff.

How did you think about recruiting?

There were clearly identified needs. Strengthening the racket, the playmaker position and of course replacing Jasmine (Rachal) were my three priorities.

In which order ?

We were informed quite early in the season that Jasmine wanted to return to the United States because she missed her family. She did not have the same profile as Alexandria (Kerr) who was more of a warrior on the field. She was not a playmaker either even if she did it from time to time, but we respected her decision. She always gave her all for the team, was exemplary and she is a great person. Afterwards we decided, with the president, not to recruit another American. To replace her, we chose to find a young French playmaker with great potential and that is how we found Dorcas (N’ganfina) who should surprise more than one while developing a spectacular game. She has already played in the European Cup at 16 and will bring us a lot of rhythm.

And to strengthen the domestic sector?

It wasn’t easy to find a large French interior. In fact, it was thanks to Ramata that we found Fatoumata Traoré who is Malian and with the same origins. This will be his first basketball experience in France, but I have no worries about his integration. On a sporting level, she runs a lot and if she is more mobile than Ramata, I think they will form a nice pair of interiors without forgetting Yaye (Sylla) who made enormous progress and gained volume last season.

A word about the other recruits…

Priority to youth for all arrivals. They have all played at least in Nationale 2 or higher and they have physical, tactical and mental qualities which correspond to what I was looking for. This is the case of Alex-Anne Deschamps who had a hard time at Ramata with Dover, but also of Kerryne Bright Aman who was effective during the three days of testing in Dieppe. There is also Kaïna Norbert and Cynthia Jourdan who will have well-defined roles. In Nationale 1, it is no longer possible to do training with six or seven. Including Léane (Lemaire) and Lovely (Claire) there is a group of at least 12 for training with all positions doubled or even tripled.

“It will take discipline in the game and rigor”

What are the keys to success in National 1?

The squad will be very young, certainly one of the youngest at this level. This will be essential to practice total basketball with alternation between indoor and outdoor play. Is it necessary to remember that basketball is a team sport and without a team, we will not succeed. As proof, I want the only 5 assists in the final of the French championship. Next season, there will need to be discipline in the game and rigor. Also, I plan 8 training sessions per week with possible adaptations depending on the season and possible injuries.

Do you also have other innovative ideas?

The Maison des sports must be dedicated to basketball and the girls must feel at home when they enter the room. A locker room is not used and I would like to make it a massage room or to do quick care before or during a match. We are lucky at Dieppe-basket to have a good medical staff, but the facilities must follow on site. This is very important in the operation of a club and I have seen this in Limoges or Pau. Recovery and being in a good mental state are two essential notions. You have to know what you want. Similarly, it would be good to set up a place for post-match conferences to avoid continuing to do this on a bench in front of the public.

How do you see the future?

In the six years that I have been at the club, my message has never changed. We must always aim higher. So even if I know that next season, the first objective will be to leave two teams behind us, personally, I want to continue to grow the club. The president works hard, there are many volunteers and loyal partners, but I think it would be good to unite them around a partner club. Similarly, a club like Dieppe must rely on training. This is just an idea, but it would be good to see the City of Dieppe hire a qualified coach who would be able to supervise all the volunteer coaches of the club. Finally, and this is an idea that has been close to my heart for a long time, I will try to relaunch the basketball academy that I have been talking about since I arrived at the club. For this, we would need bridges to colleges in order to target the U15s and U18s who would have adapted schooling and therefore more training and the opportunity to progress more quickly.

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