Ludwik Miętta-Mikołajewicz (English)

Z Historia Wisły

Ludwik Miętta-Mikołajewicz, wywiad 25.02.2010

History of Wisła: How did your adventure with basketball begin?

Ludwik Miętta-Mikołajewicz: Like any young boy getting into sports, I started with soccer. In 1946, I joined the junior team of Wisła. However, after a short period, I gave up soccer and focused heavily on basketball. My physical education teacher at the now-defunct IV High School named after Sienkiewicz, Professor Edward Szostak, a basketball player and Olympian from Berlin in 1936, convinced me and a group of my peers of the merits of playing basketball. I also played handball (which was then called "szczypiorniak," played in eleven-player teams on soccer fields), but basketball was my main focus. Although I wasn’t a top player, I played for several years with Wisła’s first team, winning the Spartakiad and earning the title of vice-champion of Poland.

History of Wisła: Soon after, you became a coach at Wisła.

Ludwik Miętta-Mikołajewicz: I was very drawn to a coaching career. The conditions provided to me at the then Sports Club Zryw led me to take over the women’s basketball team of that club, and I coached them for two years. Zryw was a club associated with the Regional Directorate of Vocational Education. But when the girls finished school, we moved the entire team to Wisła. I was encouraged to do this by Professor Jan Janowski, later the rector of the AGH University of Science and Technology and a vice-premier in the government of Tadeusz Mazowiecki. At that time, Wisła was managed by Mr. Jerzy Groyecki, who was also the coach of both the men’s and women’s basketball teams. At a certain point, the women’s team at Wisła had a significant turnover. We filled the team with players from Zryw and took over coaching the women’s team from Groyecki. This was in 1956, and from then on, I coached Wisła’s women’s basketball team for twenty-seven years, winning a total of fourteen Polish championships and four Polish vice-championships. Simultaneously, from 1963-68 and 1979-88, I served as the coach of the national women’s basketball team – in short, the Polish national team – with which I won the European Championship twice, in 1980 and 1981. I also won a bronze medal in 1968, during that first term. Additionally, I led the European team twice: once for the 40th anniversary of FIBA in 1974, against France in Clermont-Ferrand, and in 1981 in Caserta, Italy, against the Soviet Union. We won against France, but the Soviet Union, with its towering Siemionowa at 218 centimeters, was nearly unbeatable, and we lost that match. After finishing with the women’s team, I spent two years coaching the men’s team at the request of Wisła’s management, winning the Polish vice-championship in 1984. That practically ended my coaching career at Wisła. I briefly took on the role of head of the club’s training, and in 1989, after the political changes, I was elected president by the General Assembly of Wisła Delegates, a position I hold to this day. That’s a bit about me. However, I believe more needs to be said about basketball.

History of Wisła: So, how did basketball evolve at Wisła?

Ludwik Miętta-Mikołajewicz: Basketball started at Wisła in 1928 as a section of sports games, as it was then called. It didn’t last long, as financial problems led to the section being dissolved after a few years. However, in 1936, the Kraków YMCA dissolved its men’s basketball section. This team, along with Professor Szostak and Dr. Stok, a highly distinguished basketball player and top scorer of the European Championships in 1946 in Geneva, transferred entirely to Wisła. This is how basketball was revived at Wisła. The occupation years naturally interrupted the section's activity, but it was restored immediately after the Germans left Kraków in 1945. A tournament was held at the Kraków YMCA on Krowoderska Street, which the Wisła basketball team participated in. In 1946, a women’s team was also formed at Wisła, consisting mainly of track and field athletes. Dr. Halina Łaptaś-Oszast, Maria Kowalówka-Kalczyńska, and Janina Legutko were athletes who, apart from their track and field achievements, also played basketball and volleyball. That’s how things were organized at that time. As basketball players, they won the Polish vice-championship in 1952. The men’s team also won the vice-championship in 1947. However, a strong men’s team was essentially formed in 1954 when Wisła first won the Polish championship. From then on, the Wawel Dragons, as the Wisła basketball team was known, began a streak of successes. They won the Polish championship several times. The most precious were the years when both the men’s and women’s teams won championships simultaneously: 1964, 1968, and 1976. Those were the years when basketball conquered Kraków, and Kraków could be called the capital of Polish basketball.

Unfortunately, changes that occurred after 1989 severely hindered the continued activity of the section, especially the men’s basketball team. We tried to rebuild the men’s team together with Unia Tarnów, but it wasn’t very successful. Today, the Wisła men’s basketball team is unfortunately at the bottom of the second league table and does not uphold the great traditions of the Wawel Dragons for several reasons. The first reason is, as was said in Napoleon's time: there are no cannons, so you can’t fire. In our case, there is also no “cash,” no money to maintain the men’s basketball team. Additionally, there is no hall. The hall where the basketball players could play would need to have at least five thousand seats for spectators. The situation is similar with the women’s team, where for EuroLeague games, there is a full house, and the hall is nearly bursting at the seams. There is also the problem of changes in game regulations, which require increasing the playing field, which does not fit in our hall, and we now face the problem of what to do next. We will have to deal with this. Fortunately, we are close to realizing the idea of building a new hall, and I think we will start construction this year.

The history of basketball at Wisła is very rich. The titles of Polish champions in basketball for both men and women, and Polish championships for juniors and juniors, have made basketball definitely the second most important discipline at Wisła after soccer. The great traditions of the Wawel Dragons and the women’s team from the years when we won the Polish championship almost every year are now maintained by the women’s team. Thanks to securing a significant sponsor, Can-Pack, they remain at the top of the table, winning the Polish championship three times in a row. It didn’t work out last year, but now the girls are fighting for a good position in the EuroLeague [Interview conducted between the first and second quarterfinal matches of the EuroLeague – ed. History of Wisła].

History of Wisła: Where did matches and training take place before the hall was built?

Ludwik Miętta-Mikołajewicz: The hall was built in 1953. Before its construction, all Kraków teams, including Wisła, Cracovia, and AZS, played their games at the Sokół Hall. In 1948, Sokół was dissolved by the authorities, and the hall was then managed by the Provincial Committee for Physical Culture. All basketball games, both league and lower-level matches, as well as training sessions, took place there. Naturally, the training times back then were different from today, but sometimes we trained until 11 PM because the hall was in constant use.

History of Wisła: I’d also like to ask about the reorganization of Polish sports at the end of the 1940s and Wisła’s inclusion in the Gwardia sector. Did the club have any influence on this decision?

Ludwik Miętta-Mikołajewicz: I was just a young boy at that time, so I naturally had no influence on it. It was a decision made by the then officials. There were two options: one was to merge with the Railway Sports Club Olsza, and the other was to join the Sports Association "Gwardia". The officials at the time chose the latter path, and it lasted until 1989. Did Wisła benefit from this? Definitely. Although it lost its name, as it was called Gwardia, this was not unique to Wisła; all clubs were in similar Sports Associations. Cracovia – Ogniwo, Garbarnia – Związkowiec, Korona – Włókniarz, that was how it was named. The years 1949-56 were extremely difficult for the club because it was unable to maintain its traditions, name, and colors, which were greatly appreciated by fans. This lasted until the thaw, which was in 1956, when we managed to return to the old names and restore the name TS Wisła, just in time for the 50th Jubilee. It was a significant event that we celebrated very solemnly. During my presidency, significant events included the 90th and especially the 100th anniversary, which we were able to mark very ceremoniously.

History of Wisła: The events of 1952 are intriguing. It was an Olympic year, and the Polish team was preparing for the Games. Is it true that players from the national team were, in a sense, removed from league competitions?

Ludwik Miętta-Mikołajewicz: Yes, that was the situation in 1952. At that time, there was no Polish Basketball Association because the associations had been dissolved. There were sections of individual sports disciplines under the Main Committee for Physical Culture. A decision was made to withdraw the national team players from league competitions as they were preparing for the Olympics in Helsinki. Unfortunately, I can’t say why, but the Polish Olympic Committee and the Main Committee for Physical Culture decided not to send the men’s basketball team to the Helsinki Olympics. Instead, the Polish men’s and women’s basketball teams went on a long tour of China. History of Wisła: What was the impact on Wisła of the national team players being removed from league competitions?

Ludwik Miętta-Mikołajewicz: At that time, we definitely had a chance at the Polish Championship. Pacuła, Wójcik, Dąbrowski, and Wężyk were moved to the national team, and we played without our key players. We ended up as the vice-champions of Poland, losing the championship to Spójnia Łódź.

History of Wisła: Instead, Wisła won the Polish Cup. I would like to ask about the semifinal match, which is sometimes cited in sources as an example of political pressure on sports results. What were the circumstances of that match?

Ludwik Miętta-Mikołajewicz: I’m reluctant to revisit this because it was an unprecedented event. The Wisła – Cracovia match was played on an open field, roughly where the entrance to the soccer stadium is now. Cracovia actually won that match, but irregularities were found in the measurement of game time, and the then representative of the Main Committee for Physical Culture – Kowalewski – decided to replay the match. Cracovia did not participate in the replay. It ended with a very unpleasant dissonance, which I’d prefer to forget, as it brought no glory to anyone – neither to Wisła, Cracovia, nor the then authorities.

History of Wisła: Could you describe Coach Jerzy Groyecki in a few words? What kind of person and coach was he?

Ludwik Miętta-Mikołajewicz: He was a man who was deeply passionate about basketball. He started playing at AZS Kraków but was later engaged as a coach at Wisła. He was a role model for all of us. He approached basketball with great passion, treating it as his almost life creed, and this passion was contagious. I consider myself a protégé of Groyecki; I believe I am one. Apart from Professor Szostak at high school, whom I mentioned, Groyecki was the one who infected us not only with basketball but with that passion for basketball, and his approach to players. I say “us” because his protégés included Jerzy Bętkowski, who coached the men’s team for many years, and Jan Mikułowski, who, along with me, went through the entire journey from Professor Szostak through Wisła. We were all infected, naturally in the best sense of the word, by Jerzy Groyecki. He was a colorful character, played the piano, and was very interested in literature – one could call him a Renaissance man. History of Wisła: What about Professor Jan Janowski? What kind of person was he, and what was his role in Wisła?

Ludwik Miętta-Mikołajewicz: Professor Jan Janowski was first the team manager, then the section manager, and a driving force behind the basketball section for both women and men for many years. The growth and development of basketball at Wisła can be attributed largely to his organizational talent and the coaching skills of Jerzy Groyecki.

History of Wisła: Could you also briefly describe some of your teammates, like Jacek Arlet and Tadeusz Pacuła?

Ludwik Miętta-Mikołajewicz: We were very close-knit. Jacek Arlet was from a slightly older generation; by the time we joined the team, he was already a great authority for us. He was a very friendly and open person, creating good opportunities for us young players to develop. My generation included Tadeusz Pacuła, Stefan Wójcik, Zdzisław Dąbrowski, Maciej Wężyk, and Jerzy Bętkowski. Most of them, unfortunately, passed away too soon, except for Jerzy Bętkowski, but they were wonderful teammates and players.

History of Wisła: As a coach, you led the women's team for 27 years, winning the Polish Championship 14 times. What was the secret behind such a long period of dominance? It wasn’t just one exceptional generation of players, considering the duration.

Ludwik Miętta-Mikołajewicz: It’s hard to pinpoint a single reason. It was likely due to a combination of factors: good team selection, excellent training, and the dedication of the players. The team remained at the top of Polish basketball for three generations of players because the women were motivated to work hard. Additionally, there was strong competition from ŁKS, which also had a strong team at the time. This rivalry and the commitment of the players were key to our success. History of Wisła: Could you talk about some of the most important players from those years?

Ludwik Miętta-Mikołajewicz: There were many important players. During our first Polish Championship titles in the years 1963-67, the core of the team included Alina Szostak-Grabowska, Krystyna Likszo, Janina Wojtal, and Irena Górka. Later, Barbara Nowak-Rogowska-Wiśniewska joined them. In the 1970s, Wojtal and Wiśniewska continued to play, but we also added Halina Iwaniec and Halina Kaluta, players I discovered in lower divisions. Halina Iwaniec was from Stalowa Wola, and Halina Kaluta from Bolesławiec; they came to Kraków for their studies. Lucyna Januszkiewicz, Teresa Starowieyska, and Elżbieta Biesiekierska also became key players. By the late 1970s, Wojtal and Kaluta had retired, and new players like Grażyna Jaworska-Seweryn, Marta Starowicz, and Anna Jaskurzyńska emerged. Jaskurzyńska, despite being relatively short for a center at 182 cm, was an excellent player and even became the top scorer at the European Championship in Cádiz in 1987.

History of Wisła: We mentioned Jan Janowski earlier. One of the basketball section's officials was also Jadwiga Kirschanek. Could you tell us a little about her?

Ludwik Miętta-Mikołajewicz: Yes, Jadwiga Kirschanek was a player in the basketball section, which was established in 1946. She had started playing basketball in Łódź before the war. After the war, she moved to Kraków and began playing for Wisła. She played for several years, and when I took over the women’s team in 1956, I asked Jadwiga Kirschanek to become the team manager. She held that position for several years before being succeeded by Dr. Halina Oszastowa.

History of Wisła: Winning the Polish Championship was a ticket to European cups.

Ludwik Miętta-Mikołajewicz: Yes, the Polish Championship provided access to European cups. We played in them for several seasons, reaching the European Cup semifinals three times. The most valuable achievement was in 1970. After eliminating the strong team Sparta Prague in a two-leg tie, we unfortunately faced TTT Riga in the final. As I mentioned, Riga was unbeatable at that time, and we lost both matches, in Kraków and Riga. In 1966, before the dominance of Siemionowa, we won a game against Riga in Kraków. This was a valuable victory. Overall, these European matches were significant because they were our gateway to the world. We traveled to Italy (where we played against Sesto San Giovanni three times), France, Spain, the Netherlands, not to mention the Eastern Bloc countries. It was a great experience in those austere times.

History of Wisła: But sometimes these European cups were played in Africa, like in Morocco.

Ludwik Miętta-Mikołajewicz: Yes, that was our first entry into the European Cup after winning our first Polish Championship in 1963. At that time, Mediterranean countries were part of the European FIBA zone. Morocco was part of this zone at the time, just after France left its colony there. During the European Championships in Wrocław in 1963, we were drawn to play against ASPTT. ASPTT was a French and Moroccan postal enterprise, just after France left Morocco. We agreed with their management to play both games in Morocco, which FIBA approved. We played one match in Casablanca and another in Rabat, winning both convincingly. We spent ten days there, hosted by Moroccans. At the end, we played a friendly match at an American military base. The presence of our team in shorts, without headscarves, was a sensation. Our tall players, especially, caused quite a stir at the market. A Moroccan newspaper even featured an article about Barbara Szydłowska, who was 181 cm tall and an engineer, which was a headline event for them. It was an interesting trip from a tourist perspective, though less so from a sporting one.

History of Wisła: You mentioned earlier about transitioning from coaching the women’s team to the men’s team. It was, as you said, at the request of the club’s board. Why such a request?

Ludwik Miętta-Mikołajewicz: The request came from the team; the players asked the board to have me take over the men’s team. I stopped coaching the women’s team but remained involved as a sort of “super coach,” helping Piotr Langosz transition into the role of women’s team coach. This is how the change came about.

History of Wisła: Please elaborate on working with the Polish national team. You worked with both Wisła and the national team simultaneously. How did you manage these two roles?

Ludwik Miętta-Mikołajewicz: It was very challenging. We had to schedule carefully to avoid conflicts between the two roles. It was somewhat easier because a significant portion of the Polish national team consisted of Wisła players, as we were the strongest team and Polish champions. The most difficult period was when I was simultaneously coaching the men’s team. It was not easy, but it was incredibly engaging and enjoyable because I like challenges. For example, I had a training camp with the women’s national team in Zakopane before the Olympic qualifiers for Los Angeles while also coaching the men’s league team in Kraków. I would train the national team from 4 to 6 PM in Zakopane, then drive to Kraków to lead the men’s team training at 8 PM, and then drive back to Zakopane the next morning.

By the way, I worked with Jan Blecharz at that time, who is now a professor at the Academy of Physical Education. He started his career with me and wrote his doctoral thesis on the women’s national team. Later, he became Małysz’s mentor for many years, along with Professor Żołądź.

History of Wisła: Next, you transitioned from the role of coach to that of an official and president of the club. This was at the turn of the 1980s and 1990s.

Ludwik Miętta-Mikołajewicz: Even as a coach, I was involved in other matters beyond just training and coaching. I worked very closely with Jan Janowski; you could say I was his right hand when it came to handling organizational issues. Among other things, this made it easier for me to take on the role of an official later. I went through a good training period serving as the head of the club's training department for three years. Then I became president, which was somewhat easier because I knew the club inside out: all its problems, all its intricacies. This has allowed me to continue in this role to this day. It’s slowly coming to an end, but I’ve managed to navigate these 20 years without major mishaps.

History of Wisła: What do you consider the biggest success of your presidency?

Ludwik Miętta-Mikołajewicz: You know, successes are generally not counted; mishaps are what matter more. Fortunately, there haven’t been any major mishaps… I inherited the club in a very difficult situation. The year 1989 was a turning point when the principles of sports funding changed. During the so-called communist era, clubs were supported by workplaces, the military, or the then militia. In 1989, these funding principles were withdrawn, and the club had to manage on its own. It was necessary to patch things up somehow; it wasn’t easy, and it’s still not easy. I definitely regret that in many cases, we had to limit the club’s activities, including suspending the athletics section when there was no chance of funding it. Later, we temporarily suspended the swimming section, but we recently reestablished it in the Masters category. The main successes were twofold: first, managing to keep the club at the level it is now despite the difficult situation. Currently, apart from clubs associated with physical education academies, which have many sections due to the specialization in various sports disciplines, we are probably the only club that has and runs 11 sections and has over 1000 members. The second success was securing significant sponsors. It was important to persuade the owners of Telefonika to take over the football team. This meant that the team, which was struggling with enormous problems, found a way to finance itself through the creation of a company. Although it is a separate economic and administrative entity, it still bears the colors of Wisła, and everyone knows that it is Wisła, that it is the Biała Gwiazda, which is over a hundred years old. Without the decision in 1997 to bring in Telefonika first as a sponsor and then as the owner of Wisła, it is likely that Wisła’s football team would not be at this level. Another success was acquiring Can-Pack as a sponsor for the women’s basketball team. This is a different situation because the basketball section continues to operate within the Society's structure, not as a joint-stock company, and Can-Pack is not an owner but a typical sponsor. I consider these things my greatest successes because without them, there would not have been results such as several Polish Championship titles for both the football and basketball teams.

History of Wisła: A major issue is the facilities. The stadium as it is, we all see; fortunately, it is currently being completed, and I hope it will be put into use this year. Besides the stadium, the sports hall is also important—these are two facilities without which the club cannot function properly. When I became president, I found the stadium in a catastrophic state, with the stands on the western side demolished, the stands on the eastern side devastated, and no stands behind the goals, i.e., on the northern and southern sides. We managed to rebuild stands A and B on the western side with funds from the city and the Ministry of Physical Culture. I now hope that this stadium will soon acquire a look worthy of Europe. History of Wisła: Since we’re on the topic of the stadium renovation, can you tell us when the old stadium’s stand and part of the colonnade on the side of Aleja 3-go Maja were demolished?

Ludwik Miętta-Mikołajewicz: To start with, the first pitch of Wisła (let’s not call it a stadium) was built in 1914 on the site of what is now Oleandry. From there, the First Cadre left for Kielce. Then that pitch was destroyed, it was burned down. Naturally, the expansion of Kraków meant that these areas were no longer allocated for sports. In 1921, the city’s administration decided to transfer the so-called racing grounds to the Wisła Sports Society, i.e., the area located just behind Jordan Park. Wisła received this land, which was leveled by the then officials and players, and they built a pitch with stands. These were also destroyed but later rebuilt. The stand you’re asking about remained until 1954 when the stadium, which is now being demolished and rebuilt, was completed. The colonnade on the southern side was partially demolished in the year when Wisła’s stadium was designated to host the final stage of the Peace Race. It was necessary to create an entrance to the stadium, so the central part of these stands was demolished, leaving only the two side pylons, which have survived to the present day. This stadium was designed by architect Jeleński but was largely a reflection of the Dynamo Tbilisi stadium. I was at this stadium; we played a basketball game with the Polish national team there in 1964. When I entered the stadium, I felt as if I were at the Wisła stadium.