Cirkovic determined to help Australia become water polo powerhouse

Neven Cirkovic has commenced his role as Head Coach of the NSWIS women’s water polo program. Cirkovic , who gained extensive coaching experience in Europe before moving to Australia, provides in this Q&A an insight into his philosophies as well as his firm belief that the players emerging through Australia’s junior ranks have the talent to one day make the nation a world powerhouse. He also reveals the impact his stint as the assistant coach of Poland’s national team had on him.

NSWIS: Can you provide an insight into your philosophy towards coaching?

Neven Cirkovic  [NC]: I enjoy contributing to other peoples’ progress. Every time I’m on the pool deck working with the team or individuals, my goal is to contribute towards them becoming better. To make athletes better is a case of fitting in all the pieces of the puzzle.  So, my philosophy is to contribute to their development and help them better themselves in all aspects of their life.

NSWIS: The Institute’s purpose is to provide support that will help our athletes become world’s best. How will you contribute to helping the athletes be the best they can be?

[NC]: That’s a broad question. It comes down to a holistic approach. Being able to be the best version of yourself requires many different pieces. You can’t perform well if you’re not strong enough, fast enough but also, if you’re not mentally present. You also need to be able to deal with everything sport brings. If you don’t – or can’t – you won’t perform. It’s making sure we work towards delivering all of those aspects for the athletes and ensuring they’re being assisted to perform at the highest level.

NSWIS: The NSWIS squad has amazing players, including Zoe Arancini, Tilly Kearns, Bronte Halligan, Genevieve Longman, Sienna Hearn, Sienna Green, Danijela Jackovich and Keesja Gofers who were all members of the Australian squad which won silver at the Paris Olympics. But what do you see in our younger, emerging members?

[NC]: I see potential. I see players with a future, and I see the capacity for them to grow and ensure Australia becomes a world powerhouse of water polo. That said, there’s a lot of work that needs to be done to reach that level. However, they definitely have the potential to get there.  It’s up to us to help them achieve that.

NSWIS: Who has had the biggest influence on your outlook as a coach?

[NC]: I started coaching when I was very young – 19 – so there’s been many people. One of my first mentors was Djordje Makuljevic from my native Serbia. He wrote an amazing book about water polo called My Coaching Experience. The book is known around the world, and coaches use it to learn from. He definitely someone who influenced my approach to coaching and shaping my philosophies. Over the years I’ve worked with many great people, and my concern is if I try to name them all I’ll leave someone out. In Australia working with [former NSWIS head coach/current national women’s team’s head coach] Bec Rippon was great, I learnt so much. Working with Tim Hamill [head coach of the Australian men’s team] was amazing. I’ve been so lucky, people like the [former] head coaches of the Australian Sharks and Stingers, Elvis Fatovic and Predrag Mihailovic were open in sharing their knowledge.  

NSWIS: Athletes will often look to their coach for answers, do you always have one?

[NC]: Absolutely not. But I’ll tell athletes to come to me with anything that’s on their mind and if I don’t know the answer, I’ll find one. That is why we have a team of people working together [towards delivering athletes the support to perform at their best]. So, if I don’t know the answer I won’t pretend to know it, I’ll find someone who does.

NSWIS: You have tremendous support staff around you, Jackie Northam, your assistant coach is awesome. How are you finding the group?

[NC]: Amazing, just amazing. There’s Jacki, our strength and conditioning coach Billy Macklin, Bernadette Petzel is there for physiotherapy, and Matt Sweeney helped while she was in Greece with the Stingers. We also have Holly Edstein from nutrition, Josh Dipple for performance analysis, and Cara Dobinson from Athlete Wellbeing & Engagement. Anna Longman is my line manager, while sports coordinator Jocelyn Burnett is vital in helping the mechanics of our team run smoothly. I’m very fortunate because everyone is very supportive, and the environment here is an enjoyable one to work in because we have a team of people who are dedicated to the same goal – delivering to the athletes. Any potential challenges are easy to either overcome or to find a solution for because we people who are experts in their area and they’re able to answer the questions when I can’t.

NSWIS:  What sports did you play while growing up in Serbia?

[NC]: Serbia is different to Australia because we specialise early in certain sports. I can say I’m a specialised water polo player because I’ve played it since I was six-and-a-half. I was fortunate at school because I have the opportunity to play different sports – gymnastics, basketball, soccer, volleyball, archery – but when I’m asked: ‘what was your sport?’ the answer is water polo!

NSWIS: And you’re a physiotherapist. Does your former profession give you an advantage as a coach?

[NC]: That experience allows me to organise the program and training to effectively manage loads and help the athletes with different aspects of their training process. However, at NSWIS I’m privileged because I don’t need to put the physiotherapy hat on because I have experts who look after that area. It means I can focus solely on coaching, while receiving input from Bernadette.

NSWIS: How did you end up being the Poland national men’s team assistant coach and what was the experience like?

[NC]: It was interesting and came about because a good friend of mine was coaching in Poland at junior national team level. The Polish system was in its grass roots stage when I came in to help, and it was vastly different to my experiences in Serbia. Serbia was highly professional, but Poland was developing. But that made them hungry for whatever bits ‘n pieces we could deliver. It was amazing to sense the excitement they had, and it was very special to see athletes with big, wide eyes as they took in everything we had to say. It taught me the value of what we might consider ‘tiny things.’ The hunger by the Polish players for knowledge, and their enthusiasm, made a big impact on me.  It was an invaluable experience.

NSWIS: Since you arrived in Australia you’ve been at the Cronulla Sharks Water Polo club. How did that relationship start?

[NC]: My journey to Australia was through my brother Vedran, who was then the assistant coach to the Cronulla Sharks [now current head coach of Cronulla’s senior team and Australian Sharks assistant coach] and he suggested I apply for a role. I did, and when the committee went through my CV, they said ‘come along’. I arrived in Sydney on August 24, 2017, and started work the next day. It was a fast introduction to water polo here, and I’ve enjoyed every moment. I’ve worked only for Team Cronulla at club level, but I’ve worked at different organisations including Water Polo NSW and NSWIS when I assisted Bec Rippon in a casual capacity. At Scots College I’ve had the chance to work with Yvette Higgins who won the gold medal for Australia at the Sydney 2000 Olympics. She scored the golden goal for Australia in the final second against Team USA. We call her ‘golden arm.’   

Daniel Lane, NSWIS