“I’m a woman, so I won’t be able to live off basketball all my life”

GironaIrati Etxarri is not a player like the others. Last season’s MVP is only 24 years old, but her speech sounds mature and thoughtful. He has no sparrows in his head and says things by name. Spar Girona signed her from Cadí La Seu and, although the impact has not been immediate, no one doubts that this is a long-term commitment. “The first months have had a lot of things and a great phase of adaptation. Now I’m starting to feel settled, as if it were my home, but there have been many changes, both sportingly and personally. Living alone, getting to know a different city from Seu d’Urgell… This adaptation has caused many changes and some turbulence,” he admits with sincerity. It doesn’t sell smoke, it exudes authenticity.

One of the few things that hasn’t changed is the coach, Bernat Canut, who also left Cadí La Seu to sign for Spar Girona. “Having Bernat has helped me a lot. Although everything has changed, my reference on the court is the same. We play the same style of basketball with which I have felt very comfortable and that has made it easier for me things. I’ve experienced a change in role, but I had already more than assumed that before coming to Girona. I’m adapting, I think it’s another challenge that I have to overcome. A good player must know how to be in any team. Maybe it’s my turn to be less prominent, but I’m enjoying it a lot,” confesses this Navarrese who communicates perfectly in Catalan.

Etxarri was chosen the best player of the last Endesa Women’s League. Its performance has no single explanation. “Last season I felt very adapted to the environment. Everyone made me see that I had to be an important player in the team and this can be seen in the confidence, which is the key to many things. The human group it was wonderful and when you manage to build a team, the results just follow,” says the pivot winger.

“I try to enjoy myself. I knew that the boom last season’s media coverage would be ephemeral, so I tried to put things into perspective, both the good and the bad. I am surrounded by many people who help me to keep my feet on the ground. Things are one way, but they can change very quickly. You have to be ready to live with the change. Being the protagonist didn’t worry me too much, I lived it normally. I took the lead, but for that people have to trust you. I focused on setting an example,” he argues with a maturity that shocks.

Veterinary assistant

“Personal evolution is linked to the experiences I have lived. Daily work must exist and is fundamental, but growth must be global. I started working with a psychologist three years ago. The key is to discover what you have to do to achieve the goals you set for yourself. I’ve always questioned many things and demanded a lot from myself,” says Etxarri. Navarrese, who dreamed of singing in Triumph operation, has a parallel life outside of basketball. “I trained for two years to be a veterinary assistant. Having another job is key. I want to keep training because it helps me find the balance I need. I’m a woman, so I won’t be able to live from basketball all the time life,” he admits crudely.

In Girona, they have been strongly betting on women’s sport for years, which is now gaining momentum in other cities. “The growth of the visibility of women’s basketball is a reality. We notice it at the level of information or interviews, for example. They don’t call you to fill a hole but because there is a real interest and prior knowledge. The people who come to see us, repeat and this is the perfect example that the product is interesting”, he opines.

Future challenges “My goal is to be happy with basketball, both here and with the Spanish national team. I want to enjoy both the League and the Euroleague and feel important. I don’t know how long it will last or how far I will go, but I want the “experience is worth it”, he summarizes.