Volleyball has once again welcomed back one of the most recognized specialists in sports preparation and recovery in our country. After years of not officially being part of a national volleyball team's staff, Simeon Milanov returns to the sport where his professional journey began. He will be part of the coaching staff of Bulgaria's national girls' U17 team as a conditioning coach for the upcoming Balkan Championship in Albania (July 20-25), and the team's preparation begins this Wednesday.
Interestingly, his return began with a phone call. Milanov contacted Anton Vasiliev after the Managing Board of the Bulgarian Volleyball Federation approved Vasiliev's candidacy as selector for the national girls' U17 team, to wish him success. The two know each other very well from back when Vasiliev was a player and Milanov worked with him as a physiotherapist. It was then that Vasiliev asked him if he would like to become part of the team's staff.
"I haven't stopped working with volleyball, at least not officially. Throughout all these years, there were male and female athletes who sought my help, both for improving their physical condition and for their recovery. My start with the national team happened a bit by chance, but that's how the best things turn out," Milanov shared withVolleyWeek.bg.
The team's preparation begins in a few days, but the specialist is already impressed by the attitude of the young national players.
"We created a team group, and even before the first training session, we started communicating about their physical condition. Everyone is motivated and hungry for success and achievements. This is the first thing that made an impression on me."
Although he has successfully developed his career in basketball in recent years, Milanov admits that his choice to accept the offer was not difficult.
"Everything started with volleyball for me. In ten years of working with national teams, I can say that I experienced unforgettable moments. Perhaps it will remain my passion for my whole life."
In parallel with his new commitment in volleyball, he will continue to work with the women's national basketball team.
"My work there continues. In the last two years, we have achieved a lot, and we still have steps to take. Fortunately, the calendars of the two sports are different. My goal is to be useful wherever I am wanted. I love to constantly prove myself and see a team grow. There's no better feeling than that."
For nearly two decades, Milanov has worked with elite athletes. His professional path began as a physiotherapist, and subsequently, learning from some of the best specialists in the field of conditioning, including foreign experts, he gradually expanded his competencies in this area. Today, he successfully combines the roles of physiotherapist and conditioning coach, which allows him to work on both the physical preparation and the recovery of athletes.
Over the years, Milanov has been part of the staffs of national teams under the leadership of Silvano Prandi, Martin Stoev, Camillo Placì, Nayden Naydenov, and Nikolay Zhelyazkov – a period during which Bulgarian volleyball recorded some of its strongest international results.
"Working with these coaches gave me a lot. The experience and communication with them helped me immensely, and besides that, a lot of interesting and funny stories remained. Today, preparation is completely different. That's why I constantly strive to keep up with global trends in sports."
According to Milanov, modern sport is no longer limited to physical preparation alone. Recovery, proper nutrition, injury prevention, and the mental resilience of athletes are becoming increasingly important.
"Today, much more attention is paid to the recovery, nutrition, and mental resilience of athletes. This was one of the reasons why I also pursued a second master's degree – in sports psychology."
When asked to name the most emotional moments in his career, he doesn't hesitate.
"The bronze medal with the men's national team under the leadership of Silvano Prandi from Euro 2009 in Turkey is among my fondest memories. Also, the silver medals with the youth national team, led by Nikolay Zhelyazkov. The interesting thing then was that no one expected us to even get out of the group, but we reached the final against Russia. It's no coincidence that in sports, they say a medal is an expression of hard work. Perhaps that's why those moments have remained so strongly in my mind."
After nearly 20 years of working as a physiotherapist, conditioning specialist, and sports psychology expert, Simeon Milanov returns to where his professional journey began – in Bulgarian volleyball. The first challenge for him and the national girls' U17 team will be the Balkan Championship in Albania, where the new staff will take its first steps together.
photos: volleyweek.bg andbasketball.bg
