The cooperation between the coach of the Serbian water polo national team, Uroš Stevanović, and the strength and conditioning coach from Croatia, Dajana Zoretić, has become one of the strongest sporting messages of recent years: at the top level, it is not the passport and flag that decide, but knowledge, trust, and a common goal.
Dajana Zoretić (40), born in Rijeka, was one of the key members of the professional staff that led the Serbian national team to its third consecutive Olympic gold, won at the Games in Paris, and now to the European gold.
Her role was clear and extremely demanding: the conditioning preparation of the team, with a focus on endurance and explosiveness, along with programs adapted to the individual needs of each water polo player.
From the beginning, Stevanović was aware that the greatest results are not made only in the pool, but in every segment of work around the team. In search of an expert who could raise physical fitness to the highest level, he turned specifically to Zoretić, who had been building a reputation for years at Jug in Dubrovnik, working under the leadership of Vjekoslav Kobešćak.
The coach believed that her expertise would further improve the team’s physical readiness and increase resistance to the efforts of the biggest competitions — and in the end, it turned out to be a completely justified assessment.
However, her engagement did not pass without reactions.
In certain media, malicious comments appeared, in which Zoretić was even called a “Trojan horse” in the Serbian team.
In a conversation for Mozzart Sport, Zoretić once spoke openly about the pressure she faced and how she chose to react.
“Before I say anything else, I first want to thank head coach Uroš Stevanović, who from our first conversation believed that I am the one who will surely bring the whole team into top form at the moment when it is most important. What I always emphasize in conversation with others is his empathy and gratitude, which caused an indescribable emotion in me. The man, literally five minutes after winning the gold, remembered to call me and check where I was in the stands, and then came to get me so we could celebrate the success together. Also, I want to thank all the players who carried a heavy burden, as well as the entire professional staff, because we were a support to each other in good and bad moments,” Dajana began the story at the time.
She explained how it all went.
“We had three constructive conversations that I would somehow divide into three phases: ideas, practical application – the goal, and the reason why he wants me specifically. The very fact that the conversations lasted in three phases testifies to my deliberation, since it would be my first engagement with the A national team. It is a totally different periodization of training compared to the club level, where the focus is exclusively on one goal, which leaves very little room for mistakes. Also, the new environment and way of working represent a challenge that is, truly, attractive. I will honestly say what led me to accept this opportunity: I believe that if we give someone hope, they can achieve success, and if we give them faith, they can conquer the world. What Uroš specifically pointed out to me during those conversations was faith in my knowledge, and that gives me the conviction that together we will achieve the one and only goal, which of course is influenced by many factors.”
There were many skeptics regarding her engagement in the Serbian national team…
“The media play a key role in shaping perception, and sometimes that perception can be distorted or driven by sensationalism instead of objectivity. Although I do not live from media headlines, but from knowledge, effort, and love for my work, I am aware of the heavy pressures that media narratives can create. My personal choice is — always enough, not absolutely, personally to ‘burn’ for ideals in the roles in which I choose to contribute to the communities I build, both in the family and in the neighborhood. Where that is not possible in moments of an individual’s immaturity, or due to the grouping of bad intentions, I always patiently look for a path, a way, a means to return reason, empathy, love, spirit where it was lacking. With victories, we should build the best versions of ourselves, and with defeats, receive reminders of yet undiscovered and ‘untrained’ dimensions of ourselves with which you win again in the future — in competitions, both sporting and life ones. Such negative reactions often reflect more about the people who voice them than about those they refer to. In a sports career, facing criticism is almost inevitable, but it is important to know that they do not define our value, nor our success. We must focus on what we can control — our work, our passion, and our commitment to goals, instead of allowing external influences to discourage us. In that sense, knowledge and love for the job are stronger than any comments or prejudices that may appear. Honestly, in my company, an event hasn’t passed yet without me receiving something in the sign of a horse, regardless of the fact that my favorite animals are monkeys and seals. My most intimate maxim are the numerous ‘gold medals that are not visible to the eyes, but to the heart,’ and those are the gold medals won at the ‘Olympics of life,'” concluded Dajana Zoretić.
Now Dajana was again an important cog in the “Dolphins” machinery and deservedly rejoiced with the water polo players after the end of the match against Hungary.
MORE TOPICS:
Source: Nova.rs; Photo: Printscreen YouTube