Before he started playing volleyball, he practiced skiing for many years. BKS Visła Bydgoszcz quarterback Max Elgert began his volleyball adventure outside of Canada in Bydgoszcz.
We speak after your winning match against Września. It was your seventeenth victory this season. How do you rate your season so far?
Max Elger: –JIt’s good. We’ve had some ups and downs and a lot of tie-breaks, but I think the team has been playing really well lately and I appreciate that a lot. I really like that.
You mentioned tie-breaks and I want to ask you: when you came here, did you expect to play so many tie-breaks?
– Not really. The league is strong and all the teams are very good, so we have to keep playing well to win every game.
Why did you decide to play in Poland? Bydgoszcz is your first professional club. Canada is so far away and I find it incredible that you decided to go to Europe to play volleyball.
– In Canada, when you finish university, there are no professional volleyball leagues to play in, so you have to go to Europe. They happened to be looking for a quarterback here. I was also motivated to come here by the fact that Michal Masny became the coach, so for me, as a quarterback, it seemed like a very good idea. To establish this contact, I have a manager who speaks to the clubs, so he found it for me.
How would you describe your cooperation with the trainer?
– Alright. I learned a lot from him. I like the way the team trains.
I want to ask questions about the team, about the atmosphere there. Who do you get along best with?
– It’s good. Everyone is very cool. When traveling, I spend a lot of time with Chudy, because we are roommates. I also spend a lot of time with Antek, we go out to eat or just hang out.
How did your adventure with volleyball begin?
“It all started when there was a volleyball team at my school. My parents played in college, so they kind of pushed me in that direction, but they never forced me to play. Volleyball became my first sport when I was maybe sixteen. Before, I was more focused on skiing. I played a bit as a receiver, but only for a few seasons. I’ve been playing for about seven or eight years, so I’ve mostly played quarterback.
What do you like the most in the game?
“I think it’s a position that requires a lot of reasoning. You have to think a lot and it’s a bit like a puzzle. Analyze how to find your opponent’s weak points and help your team score as many points as possible. So yeah, I love that part of the puzzle, problem solving.
The author of the interview is Julia Rogowska
