Interview Cercle Sabadellès 1856, the keys to maintaining a Sports Club
Germán, this month you celebrate 25 years working at Cercle Sabadellès 1856… Tell us your story!
Well, yes, we could say that I have spent more than half my life at the Club… I have grown up in it and seen it grow. The Cercle is my second home. My father taught me the values of this profession, and my desire and willingness to continue learning have brought me to where I am today. It has been an intense journey, where you learn something new every day. My experience, continuing to train, acquiring all the necessary knowledge… has also been fundamental to be able to carry out all the necessary functions as head of maintenance of a sports club like Cercle Sabadellès 1856.
And in this adventure, Greencourt is also part of the story. In summary, I thank Josep Folguera’s brother, Santi (Folguera Sport), who was a great promoter in the world of tennis in Spain. Every month he came to visit us with inventions, discoveries… things that did not exist at the time but would end up being very useful, such as line sweepers or motorized milling machines.
What is your role as head of maintenance of a sports club?
Being responsible for the maintenance of a club goes far beyond… It does not only mean maintaining the facility, but for a Club of this size to function correctly, maximum involvement is necessary, having very clear priorities and trying to save as much as possible. The maintenance of any sports facility is one of the most important budget items, so it is essential to make responsible use of it but, above all, to manage said budget correctly.
What is the most important thing to keep in mind in maintenance?
It is essential to know the facilities. But not only that. A predictive, preventive and corrective protocol must be carried out. If you apply this to all the facilities, whether they are courts, air conditioning, swimming pools… you have a 90% chance of balancing the annual budget and being able to allocate a part of said budget to renovating your facilities annually. And above all, that any repair of any facility can be prioritized to the maximum so that the member enjoys them. In the end, the objective is one: that the member feels at home and finds everything in perfect condition.
The goal is for the member to feel at home.
In your experience, what is the most difficult part of this job?
The most complicated but at the same time most satisfying thing is to create a good work team. It is necessary to ensure that each and every one of the workers feels that they are part of a team. Also, being able to transmit to the members the importance of certain maintenance decisions that may affect, for example, the fact that certain facilities cannot be used for a period of time. This type of decisions must always be made under the appropriate criteria and, therefore, it is essential to have the correct training and know at all times what the specific needs of each facility are.
After 25 years… you must have some anecdotes, right?
Well, the truth is that I could tell you many, since I have experienced them in all colors during these years. I especially remember one about the year 1999 or 2000, where a little-known kid came to play at our facilities… a certain Rafa Nadal. At that time, I worked during the day at the Cercle and at night I studied to continue training. Today, after all this time, I am proud to have come this far and even be able to be part of the development project of the Rafa Nadal Academy in Mallorca. The truth is that now, looking back, I realize that with work and perseverance, one is able to achieve their goals.
What is your greatest satisfaction as head of maintenance?
Well, it goes quite in line with what was mentioned above. Above all my professional career. I started from scratch, I trained, I studied, I continued training… until today where I continue learning and training every day. To give you an example, 15 years ago we built 3 new clay courts in the Club in what was previously a forest… We changed a 700 kw boiler in a single night so that the member could have hot water the next day. Today, I give training to other maintenance managers and teams that seek to acquire and complement their knowledge in this area, and I even advise managers and other sports clubs.
With Greencourt we have optimized the maintenance of the courts.
How do you see the evolution of tennis clubs in these 25 years?
I sincerely think they are living one of their best times. It is clear that Covid-19 has affected us a lot, not only tennis clubs but any sports facility (that would be for another entire interview…), but it may have given us the push we needed. About 14 years ago, paddle tennis began to take center stage over tennis courts due to its boom. Now, tennis is regaining strength and rebounding. In addition, most of the Clubs have realized the need to bet on the member, to take care of them… for this reason they are also promoting sports schools. And this is where the importance of taking care of the courts, of maintaining the facilities in perfect condition… and of carrying out correct preventive, predictive and corrective maintenance comes in. If not, the result is very high investments that are difficult for the Club to assume.
To finish Germán, any advice for other maintenance managers or managers of sports facilities?
Yes! I think it is important that Clubs bet or continue betting on technology and the use of mechanized tools. Really some jobs such as the maintenance of a clay tennis court are very hard and I am very grateful to Greencourt for this. In recent years, thanks to its services and tools, we have managed to mechanize many of the jobs in the Club that until now were done manually, which has allowed us to optimize our resources. It is also important to bet on reducing energy consumption with photovoltaic energy as well as state-of-the-art LED lighting on the courts. Likewise, with respect to swimming pools, I recommend chlorination equipment and filters in perfect condition. Also install flow regulators in the changing room showers. At the gas level, carry out maintenance of the burners and replace the boilers with state-of-the-art condensing boilers. And, finally, install photovoltaic pergolas with chargers for electric vehicles.
Thank you very much Germán for these tips! We are convinced that they will be very useful for other clubs and sports facilities.
