Look at me – I am Kristiana Gencheva, devoted to sport by heritage – my father was a sport coach, my mother was training some of the world-famous gymnastics’ champions of Bulgaria.

So, I grew up in the sport halls, next to the piano, playing for the ensemble or individual performances. I started training gymnastics, and it came naturally, as I didn’t have anything to do while my mom was leading trainings. I spent a lot of my childhood years in the sports hall. Now I spent again my adult years in the sport hall, and I am so grateful for the love and dedication of my children in this hall. They often come to me with flowers, handmade drawings, and this makes my heart melting.

­­­

Now I am the President of the sports club in rhythmic gymnastics Grazia since 2008, former competitor and now coach. I like teaching physical education and sports. I have 15 years of experience as a physical education teacher and 5 years administrative experience as a civil servant at the Sports Department in the Municipality of Varna.

I have a priceless experience as a coach not only in Bulgaria, but also in Latin America – in 2006-2008 I was head coach of the national team in Salvador, where rhythmic gymnastics (then) was not so popular, but very intriguing – for sport communities, parents, and small girls. I was proud to be invited and to transfer the knowledge and know how I had from the Bulgarian experience.

I think, that in order to succeed in sport as coaches we need to obey to 3 principles: PATIENCE, DISCIPLINE, GRATITUDE!

We live in remarkable and tough times where hard work, respect, responsibility has to be implemented in every aspect of our life – not only related to sport, but also related to communication with public authorities, politicians, and colleagues.

I have the tough task now to be the head of a newly established NATIONAL SPORTS CLUSTER. I have to combine my duties as a trainer and the administrative tasks I have in my sports club with uniting and balancing the interests and needs of all 19 organisations that started the cluster. There is no such a structure in the sport ecosystem in Bulgaria and I am proud that the initiative came from Varna, where I live. I am glad that the sports clubs, companies, and universities who develop the cluster see the need of being united in order to create the best policies for healthy lifestyle, sport funding and education for sport staff in Bulgaria. It is not an easy task, but I am committed to it and I am convinced that with the support of all my colleagues I will succeed. 

If you want to succeed you have to work hard, you have to respect the coach's work and effort, you are solely responsible for ACTION and CHOICE (I learned this while growing up as an athlete).

Education for sport staff in good communication skills, problem solving, and strategic thinking is a must!  I believe it is necessary because while sharing experiences, we can learn from the LIFE MANUAL of other coaches and colleagues. Now we are doing it when working with many Ukrainian coaches, who have settled in Varna because of the ugly war in Ukraine.

I admire many of them because even confronted with such a disaster they keep on dreaming and living for the sport and the practising children.

But I admit that there are many of them who struggle with us, insist on their teaching methods and confront with us on different topics. I think that no matter in what a position you are, you have to be listening to your opponent, especially if he/she has more successful experience.

The biggest discrimination in our sport is the subjectivism and lobbying in judging!!!! I don't know if that's the right definition... that's how I see it. This fact leads to conflicts and scandals for higher sport staff in our sport and for dramatic situation for the gymnasts, who have put so many efforts in preparing. Our sport is a subjective sport. Sport should be enjoyable and make athletes happy.

But for me - Sport is war in peacetime... diplomacy is labour – my opinion is that there is only one winner – in sport! I don’t think in politics should be one winner only – we have to find the right decision who makes all of us happy. All parties should be satisfied, different directions and dimensions of success should be given.

I consider the greatest challenge in front of me know is the developing of the National Sports Cluster. I believe and it is my strong wish through diplomacy, communication and negotiation to showcase the point of view of the sport sector to the politicians, who not always understand how important sport to all of us is!