Ekon's Idols (Part 7)

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Ganbaataryn Saran
“Coach Sar” – Born in Darkhan, Mongolia
My assistant coach while playing with the Victoria Falls Eagles

With a hearty laugh and a dry sense of humor, coach Sar is an entertaining guy, a real one-of-a-kind character.  I really enjoyed my year in Victoria Falls in large part because coach Sar was part of the Eagles coaching staff that helped orient me to my new career.  He kept the sport fun, but he also took the training seriously, and he is living proof that professional football doesn’t always need to follow the typical script.

Coach Sar is actually a metallurgist by training, so coaching football was never in his career plans.  Darkhan, where he lived most of his life, is a city shaped and sustained by heavy industry, so Sar didn’t see working outside of manufacturing as a real option for him.  He only took up coaching because his kids started playing football, and there weren’t any other parents willing to commit to leading the team.  He ended up filling in quite naturally, and he realized in this role that he enjoyed helping the kids find their athletic talent through practice and training (even though athletic talent at that age just looks like keeping themselves on their feet!).  As his kids grew older, coach Sar gradually worked his way up the ranks from youth leagues to regional teams, never expecting to go higher but simply following his heart toward what felt right.  Eventually, he was hired by the SSL as an Academy team coach, and he would stay in that role through three organizations: first with Istanbul F.K. in Türkiye, then with PS Jakarta in Indonesia, and finally with Victoria Falls in southern Africa.  He loves this job not only for the opportunity to travel and live in other places but also for the chance to prepare some of the world’s most promising football prospects for professional success.

Wherever coach Sar goes, players rave about his authentic approach to coaching.  He doesn’t get too caught up in how things are supposed to go, and instead he tailors his instruction to the needs of each player.  When I entered the Academy, I was preoccupied with maintaining a strong defensive archetype out on the pitch, but coach Sar showed me how important it was to keep an open mind and evolve as new talents emerge.  I would only be constraining myself by fixating on becoming a defensive specialist.  Under Sar’s guidance in Victoria Falls, I learned how to play more aggressively and productively on the offensive half, which helped me adopt greater versatility at fullback.  This was a lesson to value adaptability over rigidity.  It’s likely this mindset finds its origins in coach Sar’s metallurgy background, where metals become stronger after they are worked delicately into different shapes.  I’m thankful he brought his understanding of transformation and malleability to the pitch.  Too little pressure, and I wouldn’t have developed into the player I am today.

No matter what happened on the pitch, he never yelled, and I really admired his composure in stressful situations.  I always wanted to impress him, working hard to prove myself (it was Academy after all), but I learned later that he was never testing me, just supporting my progress.  I think sometimes other players took advantage of him and his calm approach to coaching, but that was only at the expense of their own growth.

I think coach Sar commanded so much respect from his players because he showed such deep loyalty to his family, which extended to his football team too.  It definitely wasn’t his football accomplishments; I actually only ever saw him strike a ball once, and while it was a scorching shot that bent into goal from deep, we never spoke of it, and I’ll never know whether it was luck or a secret talent.  He made it look far too ordinary, just whistling back to the sideline like he always did at practice, so my bet is on the latter.  Thinking back now, it’s awesome how casual he could be about his talents.  He also has a very strong sense of direction and a strange gift for always knowing the weather forecast.  Coach Sar really is a rare gem.