Of all the coaches who will be fretting and fuming on the sideline at the Rabobank Hockey World Cup, none is likely to be feeling the heat more than Carlos Retegui. The former international player, who appeared in three Olympics from 1996, is now head coach to both the reigning women's World Cup champions and the men's team, who are currently ranked 11th in the world. This is a coaching first, and a huge challenge.
Certainly some of his fellow coaches from other nations feel that the flamboyant Argentine coach has bitten off more than he can chew, with one suggesting that by remaining as head coach for both teams, Carlos is in danger of diluting both his teams' potential.
But watching Carlos on the side of the pitch during the recent men's Four Nations in Glasgow, and you can't help but be impressed by the passion and energy that the coach pours into every game. Whether he is bellowing from the sideline or sitting with his head clasped in his hands, you know that Carlos is definitely not diluting his involvement in the game.
The challenges that Carlos is facing at the forthcoming World Cup are two-fold. On the one hand he is coach to the defending World Cup champions and he has the task of both managing expectations and recreating the brilliance of the 2010 campaign. Then, with the men, he is nurturing a team that has been rebuilding and improving over a four year period. Carlos feels his men's team have grown both physically and mentally in the past two years.
Carlos says that his motivation to coach comes from the players. "It is always said that it is the coaching staff who should be motivating, but I think it has to be mutual, they motivate us to keep working."
Ominously for the opposition, Carlos believes the Argentine women's team is approaching the level it showed in 2010. "In London we did not do so well, some of the players were not well, Charo Luchetti, Noel Barrionuevo, Carla Rebecchi and Bethlehem Succi were all below par and they are all crucial to any team. The rest of the team now have two more year's experience. That is invaluable."
So how is Carlos gong to manage running two teams?
"We are a fully structured organisation. We know what we will be doing every day and every hour with both teams. It is essential that the coaching staff is a team and, luckily, it feels like it is. You have to know how to delegate duties and rely on your assistants. That is what happens to me and it gives me peace of mind. I know it will be a big challenge, but I do not think it is impossible. My key is to live to the fullest everyday.
