Alexander Gomelsky - Soviet basketball coach: biography, family

Gomelsky Alexander Yakovlevich was born in the city of Kronstadt in the beginning of the winter of 1928. Since the school, little Sasha began to get involved in sports. Even his favorite teacher was the teacher of physical education. It was he who taught Alexander skating and instilled a love for active sports. In school days, Alexander Gomelsky became a regional winner in speed skating, and later seriously took a great interest in professional basketball.

The beginning of the way

At the age of seventeen, Alexander became the head of the national basketball team "Spartak". It is noteworthy that in the team there were only women. Since that time, his career began to flourish, as an outstanding athlete and leader. After a few more years Gomelsky will become an outstanding coach of the Soviet basketball team. It is thanks to his sports methodology that Alexander Gomelsky brought the national team to the world level:

• 1988 - the leaders of the Olympic competitions.
• 1967 and 1982 are world winners, twice.
• 1961, 1963, 1965, 1967, 1969, 1979, 1981 - seven-time winners of European competitions.

In addition, Gomelsky was a member of the hall of FIBA (International Basketball Federation), as well as the Basketball Hall of Fame.

Family of Alexander Gomelsky

In the family of Alexander Gomelsky, there were also Eugene and Sister Lida among the children. Sasha was the eldest child in the family. When Alexander was two years old, his father had to go to Leningrad on duty, where little Sasha spent all his childhood and adolescence. According to Gomelsky's memoirs, their favorite with his brother was playing games with his friends in the yard. Often there were fights, and even then Alexander knew how to stand up for himself and his brother.

There, Alexander Gomelsky went to school, where he met his favorite teacher, Yakov Ivanovich, who put him on skates and attached him to sports training.

The war in the life of Gomel

The family of Alexander Gomelsky faced the war in Leningrad. Right from there my father was sent to the front in Bryansk, during the fighting the elder Gomelsky was wounded twice. In addition, he was awarded the medal "For personal courage". Evacuation of the Gomel family took place several times: the first time they were in Borovichi, the second one in the town of Ples, Ivanovo region, the third - the village of Stepnoe in Chelyabinsk.

At the end of the war, or rather in 1944, the family chose to return to their native Leningrad. Here Gomelsky again went to school, he also started sports and training under the direction of Novozhilov Alexander Ivanovich, it was he who sent Gomelsky to basketball. In addition, Novozhilov helped him enter the school of coaches at the Lesgaft Institute.

Sports career

At the time of majority Alexander first took up acting as a coach, leading the women's basketball team "Spartak". Simultaneously with teaching Gomelsky himself continued to play in the famous Leningrad team. Three times he became an honorary holder of the title of the best European coach. 1988 was well remembered for a basketball player, who became world famous - he became Olympic Champion. Twice Alexander Gomelsky's team won the championship of the world competitions - 1967 and 1982. In 1959, 1961, 1963, 1965, 1967, 1969, 1979, 1981 Gomelsky and his team became European champions.

The professor, master of sports, candidate of pedagogical sciences, honored trainer, international judge, best coach of the country - all this is only a small part of the titles Alexander Gomelsky was awarded. "The Bible of basketball" is one of his books, which is considered to be table-top not only among Russian, but also foreign basketball players and coaches.

The personal life of Alexander Gomelsky

The personal life of Alexander Gomelsky was as rich as the basketball career. It's no surprise that Olga Pavlovna Zhuravleva, a basketball player, a well-deserved Soviet master of sports, became his first sweetheart and then his wife. Alexander Yakovlevich in his first marriage spent about twenty years. From this marriage two sons appeared - the elder Vladimir and the younger Alexander. Olga was a reliable companion, a good friend and excellent adviser. Gomelsky himself speaks about his companions: "I'm lucky with my wives".

His second love - Lily, Gomelsky Alexander Yakovlevich met in 1968. She worked as a flight attendant, and between Lily and Alexander, feelings broke out. Gomelsky did not intend to leave the family, but Lily really wanted a child and eventually gave birth to Cyril's son. Then in Gomelsky's life came a difficult moment - leaving the family for a new wife. With Lily the well-known coach also lived about twenty years, but in the family there was a tragedy - she died of cancer of the lymph glands. It was very difficult for Gomelsky to experience this loss. He was even visited by thoughts about suicide, but basketball helped him to get in shape ... and a new love broke out.

At the age of 64 Alexander Gomelsky married a young 25-year-old girl Tatiana, who was his fan. At the age of 70 Gomelsky was born the fourth son, who was named Vitaliy. Probably, no sportsman basketball player experienced such happiness in his personal life as Alexander Gomelsky, whose wives were as fit as they were - smart and beautiful.

Winged expressions of Gomel

Winged phrases of Alexander Gomelsky appeared in the heyday of his sports and coaching career in basketball. "Well, play, well, like basketball" - the coach was fond of encouraging his wards. I did not feel deserved trainer and hatred for my rivals. Here's how he said about them: "You do not just have to be treated with respect with rivals - you have to put candles in the church for them." Many other winged expressions of the coach are still known in sports circles.

The death of Alexander Gomelsky

The death was overtaken by Alexander Gomelsky at the end of the summer of 2005. The cause was his illness - leukemia. The funeral took place at the Vagankovskoye cemetery. The memory of this great basketball legend is still venerated by both adults and young sports figures.