The Importance of Sometimes Taking a Sabbatical - A Year or a Bit More

The summer of 2024 marked a turning point in how I understand high-level basketball. Living such an intense experience with the Spanish National Team was a true privilege, but also a moment of deep reflection. Not only for what it meant professionally, but because it reshaped my perspective on future opportunities: which ones were truly worth pursuing… and which ones I needed to be brave enough to decline.

After that incredible summer, opportunities appeared. Real possibilities to work as a head coach or as an assistant coach in different countries. Exciting projects, challenging roles, next steps in a coaching career. But they arrived at a very specific personal moment in my life—one in which I felt the need to prioritize something that will never come back.

My son’s growth.

His transition from kindergarten to primary school.The small, everyday moments that don’t show up on a résumé, but matter more than any title or contract.

I chose to take a year - or a bit more.

A year without leading a team—but not a year away from basketball.

It turned into a period of intense work and learning. My schedule remained full through player development, working with players from professional academies, collaborating on projects, and supporting players connected to national teams across Europe. I traveled, discovered new environments, connected with federations, delivered clinics and talks, and continued my education as a coach—just from a different angle.

It was an incredible year. A different one.A transition year that allowed me to observe the game with more perspective, to listen more, to reflect better, and to reconnect with who I am—as a coach and as a person.

And eventually, the inevitable questions appeared: How many coaches allow themselves a year like this? How many step aside voluntarily? And how many, after doing so, feel that inner need to return to the bench?

Today, my answer is clear.

I have enjoyed every step of my journey in basketball, but the desire to coach a team again has come back stronger than ever. With more calm, more clarity, and more hunger. Looking ahead to the 2026/27 season, waiting for the right project, the right context, the right destination.

I don’t yet know where it will be.

But I do know I’m ready for it.