Sideline Story

French sportsmen in China: basketball trainer helps youths realize dreams

In this episode of our "French sportsmen in China" series, we speak to French basketball trainer Patrick Regulier with the Zhejiang Lions’ youth team. Regulier has been in China for 16 years and has turned his career from a player to a trainer. He has become a crucial part in the young players’ pursuit for a professional route ahead.

Duration:: 26m
Broadcast on:: 09 Aug 2024
Audio Format:: mp3

You know actually like me I give myself one year and then it is two years and then three, four, five you know you always find something to keep you going you know. Patrick Haggulier is a French basketball trainer with Chinese side Georgian Lions under 17 team, one of the best teams in the country's youth league. Haggulier used to play in Europe and later in Hong Kong China having dreams of joining a CBA club one day. Even though Haggulier had a rather quiet career as a player his dream came true in a different way. After retirement he took a different role as a trainer with a couple of CBA teams. Now with the Georgian Lions youth team Haggulier is in charge of training the basics of the youth players and teaching them how to use the tricks and combos in real games. When I was younger I was always on the court. The problem is I didn't know how to train so I was planning three, four, five, six hours in the court. I thought I was getting better but I wasn't getting better. So it is why I'm trying to teach those players here it's like you know don't mind if you come here or work with me for one hour 30 minutes 10 minutes you know you come here to get better not just to shoot around. We spoke to Haggulier about his work and his life in China as well as his role in contributing to Chinese youth basketball development. You played in Europe before what does it feel like? To play in Europe compared to for China you know Europe is much I mean I was playing in the UK so I didn't play in those big countries like Spain. I played France but I wasn't in the youth. My first pro-contact was in the UK so in the UK it was developing. It was growing right now. You had some UK teams like London who were in Europe. It's amazing. Back then it was you know they tried to build some kind of identity. So it was okay for me you know it was my first job you know I just wanted to get paid. You know we might like if it was five euros or one hundred one thousand so for me I was just happy at the time. I went there I was like 19 and 19 until 21 and I had a good three years it was good so you know it was pretty good. And now you experience Chinese basketball what's the difference between Europe and China? Because the fans we say the fans in terms of the intersias you know towards the game the passion towards the game and yeah yeah I will say here that's a biggest difference. After you know basketball rules you know there's feedback rules here same here obviously it's much more physical you know than it is and I mean it's difficult. Yeah I don't know if it's more like you have to try harder to get fouls and to you know to get colds you know so that's that's the main difference and of course I'm not going to go into the referees. Yeah that I have to say that surprised me a little because European basketball is known for physical games. You're right it's physical but it's fair physical because if it's been like if you get foul you get a foul. Here is over physical you know like you need to really work hard to get a foul here. So here because I heard the theory was that they want to make the NBA tougher harder so when the local players play national games, national teams sorry they go overseas they are more tough. That's the theory I heard so here is stuff. How did you choose to move to China move your career to China? It's a long story man but so I was in UK I was dating a lady she was from Hong Kong and after I had the injury at my end of my time in UK so I was back in Europe in Paris for nine months and I was really tired of Europe at that time. I couldn't play for nine months so I had time to think and one time I went on YouTube and I saw a highlight of Angelion you know very like it was before it goes to you go to NBA it was like a damage I lied in I saw the CB for the first time I said wow the fans cool the floor is colorful everything is cool and and then I got I thought you have some interest to go to oh maybe I should try Asia you know and so my ex was from Hong Kong so she helped me to get into a summer league a summer basketball league in Hong Kong and I did tell you Angelion this you know I made him if he wants a physical I told him that easier is why I came to China because so I liked him he was very he was very surprised yeah what did he said he was surprised he was surprised that you know like a foreigner so he highlighted he decided to come to China so he was he was very happy and surprised right what was it like when you made the decision I mean you've never been to China before must be a bold decision no but yes it is bold but you know me I'm somebody who I don't have to have regrets I don't mind if things fail that come from basketball you know I was quite like a basketball because the basketball tissues a mindset for life not just on the phone on the court and I always wanted to if I had something in mind I don't want to leave you great in five years I want if I went to China what if I went this is why I was 19 I hadn't applied it to the UK I went to UK I didn't really know I didn't I wasn't like you know oh you know I don't know nobody I tried you know so even even even further back when I was 16 before Europeans to go to NBA they had to go through university before back in the day you couldn't go through it was very rare to go from Europe to NBA so when I was 15 years old I want to go to ASS so much you know you're playing a high school playing university and I remember I was 15 or 16 years old as a mom to pay me two camps two camps and I want to you to USA I won't speak English you know but you know I see I don't have I'm afraid I prefer to try and then if you fail I know I try so I wasn't afraid to come to China for me was just another adventure of mine you know and yeah it was it was bold but you know looks like I I was right now 16 years did you think at that time we can stay in China 16 years no you know actually well I came here I gave myself one year and then it was two years and then three four five you know you always find something to keep you going you know and so yeah and then when we're back you here 16 years it's gonna be 16 years next month maybe another 16 years who knows who knows who knows now you are with the Guangzhou youth team what do you make of this team how do you like this team it's a good team you know how we have Guangzhou we invest a lot of of resource in the developing the youth this is why we have one of the best youth team in the CBA we are always in the top in most categories and I like I like I like developing the young players and to you know help them actually you know they dream you know to go to the to the CBA team to the first team so I really enjoy you know because I remember me on myself when I was younger you know I I was a a jim rat which is like you know I was I was always on the court always on the court the problem is I didn't know how to train so I was planning three four five six hours on the court I thought I was getting better but she knew I wasn't getting better so here's why I'm trying to teach those players here it's like you know don't mind if you come here work with me for one hour 30 minutes 10 minutes you know we have to you know you come here to get better not just to shoot around what's your training method towards these young players well you know at this age you know they have to repeat a lot of fundamentals you know those things they might be uh look boring you know as you know as you saw earlier you know he's not anything fancy he just you know so I just have to make sure they can drive past right footwork you know right balance they can stop on a on a dime they can just make decisions I keep basic I keep basic and I want them to have a strong fundamentals so when I go to the next level then they can learn all the fancy stuff but they have to be able to do the basic what is more efficient in the game just like I like to say they have to become like walking so when you walk if I ask you when you walk you don't think about like I go right there because you just walk you know because you've been doing it since you're you know one or two years old but I'm pretty sure when you were one two years old you are to you know go like this at the beginning and fall down because it wasn't and now you just walk run and see how I see it fundamentals you know at the beginning yeah you know you're thinking about what to do but the more you repeat and then after you become second entry and then you can on top of that you can build up and go into the most fancy stuff you know so what you do is let them play without any thinking they just know what happens next no first as scripted first we script we script the details script the reads and then you make it live like you know like I was doing it earlier you know first you know okay you drive you pass now you drive you have to look does he have the ball if not if he has the ball you know you make a live you're on the ball you pass it quickly you know you have to you have to be able to read but if first you script it and then you make it you know challenging but you know having them making a decision you said that there are two skills training sessions what are they oh yes so you have small groups so when you have one player two players he players then you spend more time on I don't want to say we have a large group you don't play on these tales but you know you it's more like personal and you don't have you know it's just uh that is as explained it's more like um individuals it's more individuals now when you have a group training when you have like like I had earlier eight guards twelve guards now they they we do a good training it's called like a game skills where they have to find all the fundamentals like ball handling chain direction passing in a game situation so yes you can pass maybe to the wall a school or with a with your your partner now can you pass in a game situation after the game read you know now yeah you can retreat the ball not like they always teach you know people retreat retreat retreat the ball okay that's cool now okay now do you know when to use it after a ball screen when you have to retreat for the ball and then we attack so so when you have group you have make sure the snagie the movement is smooth you don't want to have any players waiting too long so this is why you use more game skills when you have a large group and when you have a small group you know it's still games skills but a bit more slow pace and more focus on one people it really simulates what happens in the official games right absolutely just you know that's the that's the level you know that's the level of player also of coaching you know if you look at all those social platform you know nowadays and all this trainer all these coaches most people teach what drill because jibois is something I learned a long time ago when I began to coach it's the easiest thing to learn you don't need to to know the game you know and we're doing the streets right yeah yeah yeah exactly in the street wherever you know but now the next level is when to use this drill okay crossover when you know okay when why you know and he because you are what you do you know that's the next level and at this age the fundamental I'm talking about is not stationary and this the fundamental thing about is in the game do you know how to use the skip because anybody here is all our players from the u 15 to u 21 they all skills they all have a left hand they all can do left hand layup they all can dribble now can they use this in a game situation and this is why we here me and the coaches to treat them this how have the players improved with your training are there any specific examples you can remember well you know we're the top team we're the top team you know you know we we try to to always stay in the top of the use team in all CBA so there's there's no like one player in particular who went from this this everybody I mean we are lucky everybody is improving you know everybody at their own pace but everybody is improving toughness speed some players last year couldn't dunk and I don't know if he's so earlier in the game he has several dunks of players who last year couldn't even do it you know so everybody is improving at their own pace and here like I tell everybody he's it's not so much about how good is the u 17 the u 19 the u 15 he just to go to the first team is how good you are as an individual do you think you are straight coach yes I think I'm a detail coach and strict yes yes yes I try to it's a fair strict you know fair it's not like I hate the players or right that is it's more about you know it's not a personal no it's just I just know what it takes to to play this game or the high level you know and if you if you just messing around like earlier some people messing around then you know for me it's not like a care he's just forming my job is to get you better so by you messing around you know happening yourself me and my career is done I mean I retired already you know it's it's all of them you know so you must let them know this is a serious job oh yeah then they know it's a serious job I mean they know the thing is like here is everybody I mean it's a it's a long process you know in the youth team you know they come here some players since they're 13 years old they they will stay here until the 19 you know even 20 so it's a lot of years of and also in the youth youth team you're not like in the CBA you don't have seasons so it's an all-year practice you only have a break for Chinese New Year and then back to the game for one year or so it's all the same you know it's all the same to practice per day you know five days and half a week you know yours and yours and yours and yours and yours and yours and yours I understand some time you know they actually get lower but hey it is for me I like to say it's who can survive who can survive until the end you know because some would quit some would say it's too hard or some will not improve you know often you know this is the part of the game it's also a competition inside the team it is well I want to know yes you know one shy you 17 we we are top three top one yes it's cool that's a team it's this great but how about you how about you though do you have what it takes to take it to the next level you know they have to see you know most players went to the CBA team at some point in their youth career they went to national team like we had two players just come back national team in the 2017 so you know I'm not saying those two players will for sure go to CBA I don't know but they have a high chance you know because if you look at how you know highest working Kobe said very interesting thing is like which would be great to study the full step all the people before you so if he's someone want to CBA what I have to do is to see his youth career you know and you will see most of them at one point was national team so now in the youth team if I notice in these informations I will try to work hard to get international team you know that's how you mean it's the most studying you know studying the the grades do you think you have built a deep bounce with the players you have now yes because I speak Chinese that's that's that's the biggest the proof right yeah that's that the thing you know between me all the trainers it's like I can speak some Chinese not all but I can speak some Chinese enough to get to the players this is why I guess some you know collection with some players and yeah you know it's just yeah it's very important you know now we have as coaches we have the informations but the players need to trust us enough to want to know and to absorb these informations it's not about you know so you have to build with players it's very important you know what's the difference between being a player now and a coach which gives you more sense of you know being proud of yourself coach coach because I got a body here I have no shame to say it I have a better coach and I was a player I mean I wasn't a great player I can't say I was you know I was fortunate to be able to make a living of it but I wasn't a freak out nature and a crazy player so now as a coach you know I I I'm much better coach I think there are many examples in the NBA like the early Clippers coach he was not a great player he's definitely one of the best coaches right now yeah of course yeah yeah it's very I can't compare myself to NBA player because you know even to make the NBA you need to be good me I just play UK friends I'm going to turn out I wasn't like you know a crazy you know your friend player but you know as a player yeah I can relate you know because you know when you coach you you have to be able to to teach what you know and that's in the skill you know this is why not all great players can become good coach because you have to yeah it's a skill to study you know I have to study hard to teach before when I retire I claim and teach how people hard to do but I have to study and learn how to to break it down so a newbie can understand right did you call what you have done in China I success so far yes yes because one thing I don't tell you is the one I came to China I want to play in CVA remember what I told you I wasn't good enough they at a time you know the at a time when I came to China to come to play in CVA as a as a foreigner if you needed to to go through a foreign draft you go to Hawaii and you play a draft and then the Chinese team selects you you were like now so I was hoping to get that draft but it was difficult because you have to be invited and you know it was tough you know and I call it the success because you know I came here to try to play in CVA but since yesterday I am in CVA but as a coach in a different role yeah as a coach so yes this is why you know I was very emotional you know I even cried at my first CVA contract because of it was like me like a full circle full circle when I came here to play or to play I was like sneaking into games you know to watch games you know you know man twelve years later I made it and I was among where I want to be as a player so yeah of course let's talk about more about China what was your first impression of this country where you came here especially this country where I came here was like it's big it's big yeah big the road are big actually everything was so big the streets the roads you know that my first two weeks actually I stay my hotel room because I was coming out I was afraid that we don't be able to come back because everything is so huge you know so yeah that was my first impression you know yeah things big you know at times normally she was taking views like you so this is why I had to learn Chinese quick because you know you have to be able to do things you don't have all this app like today to translate to all the food you know but then you need to learn the skills to all the food from anywhere restaurant you know so yeah I'm going to adapt to a new life right yeah absolutely you know and yeah people are friendly I'm not afraid of pressure and now now it has changed a lot he did change a lot but you know when when I'm glad I've been here of course on and off but I've been here a total of 16 years so when you're leaving things for me things that are normal might not be normal back in Europe so I see the change obviously the speed train and I think the subways and and you know the people you know but it's only when I go back home I realize you know how advanced our life are here you know for example I remember like I used to it was way before the Apple watch but there was like a watch like 16 years ago you used to call the phone watch it was a phone watch with not Android with something else with a phone watch and that people in China used to use 16 years ago in back in Europe yeah I know this you know I mean stuff like this you know so yeah no so we are so familiar with the life now we in China then when you go back to France there may be some reverse cultural shots of certain rivers course just like I told you earlier about the basketball you know for the mental the habits you know when you do something for all the times you'd be habit so you'd be surprised how many times I have a home in France and Paris and I want to go out to eat some of my friends and I just leave and then Alfred oh I forgot my wallet because in France you know it's not like you don't pay for your phone the standard here I'm so used to pay everything my phone so I never take my wallet so you know stuff like that you know I'm not thank you there you know yeah so Europe you have to use a credit card your wallet the cash so yeah stuff like that you know Chinese player Tuyongxi the MBA family do you think now Chinese players are ready to play I mean some of them are ready to play MBA basketball of course it's about someone in the want to go or some of them the club the wanting to go but there's many players who who I'm not gonna say in there because I don't want to start in the pollemic you know but yeah there's some players who go out there you know you don't go there that's very cool you could go there right now and it's up up to you know themselves up to the team that played they wanted to go to do that and yeah of course I believe that so many players can go there you may even Europe I don't know why people some players don't go to Europe they prefer MBA I don't know if it's a money thing I don't know but you know Europe as well is a good option for them but there are voices or concerns that Chinese players are not up to that level well you know when you want to to improve in life you have to be around people that change you that's the only way you can get better you know so that's that's the reason why I should go there to get better to be to get big every day by the Europeans by MBA players and then when you come back here if they miss more easier just that I recommend them to go there and lose and this year your home city Paris is hosting the Olympics right what do you look for what's the most about these games yeah I focus on basketball so you know the basketball completion obviously you know I hope France do well but you know it's great for the city you know it's always great for a city when you have any kind of event or in peak work up your league wherever it is you know it's always good for for job or development you know when I was back in France I mean in France we are very slow not like in China but I remember like back in 2019 they started to extend several lines they tell finish when I came when I was there for your letter I don't know if it's called about Covid or not but it's a great it's great for a city I remember when I came to to to go back to China a bit but where I came to China in '08 in 2011 was the universal game and when I came to Shenzhen there was only one line by the time a university came there was like five lines so it's great for us it's always great for cities when we have such big events coming. That was Patrick Hagulian the basketball trainer with Chinese side Georgian Lions under 17 team. With that we end this episode of Sideline Story thank you so much for listening for more information you can also check our website radio.cgtn.com until next time see you