Miloslav Kříž
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Miloslav Kříž (29 May 1924 – 20 May 2013) was a Czech professional
basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appro ...
player and
coach Coach may refer to: Guidance/instruction * Coach (sport), a director of Athletes' training and activities * Coaching, the practice of guiding an individual through a process ** Acting coach, a teacher who trains performers Transportation * Coac ...
. As a player, he played first for Uncas Prague, and later for
Sparta Prague Athletic Club Sparta Praha (), commonly known as Sparta Prague and Sparta Praha, is a professional football club based in Prague. It is the most successful club in the Czech Republic and one of the most successful in central Europe, winning t ...
, but he was better known as a
head coach A head coach, senior coach, or manager is a professional responsible for training and developing athletes within a sports team. This role often has a higher public profile and salary than other coaching positions. In some sports, such as associat ...
and trainer, especially as the head coach of the senior Czechoslovakian women's national team. He was awarded the
FIBA Order of Merit FIBA Order of Merit is an international basketball award that is awarded by FIBA, the international basketball federation. The award is given to individuals that have made very significant individual contributions to furthering the sport of basket ...
, for his services to basketball, in 2002.


Playing career

Kříž played for Uncas Prague, from 1940 to 1943, leaving to join BC Sparta Prague, in 1944, where he remained until 1948.


Coaching career

While still a player at
Sparta Prague Athletic Club Sparta Praha (), commonly known as Sparta Prague and Sparta Praha, is a professional football club based in Prague. It is the most successful club in the Czech Republic and one of the most successful in central Europe, winning t ...
, Kříž began
coaching Coaching is a form of development in which an experienced person, called a ''coach'', supports a learner or client in achieving a specific personal or professional goal by providing training and guidance. The learner is sometimes called a ''coa ...
both the club's women's team (from 1945), and men's team (from 1947). He finished in both of those roles in 1950, moving on to coach ATK Praha, for one season. In 1953, he returned to Sparta Prague, coaching the women's team for 11 years. During the same period, Kříž was also the head coach of the senior Czechoslovak Women's National Team, from 1946 to 1948, and again, from 1960 to 1968. The team finished third in the
1967 FIBA World Championship for Women The 1967 FIBA World Championship for Women (Czech: Mistrovství světa FIBA žen v roce 1967) was hosted by Czechoslovakia from 1967. The Soviet Union, a team considered "tall, strong, fast, and highly motivated", won the tournament, defeating So ...
. They were also runners-up in the
EuroBasket Women 1962 The 1962 European Women's Basketball Championship was the 8th regional championship held by FIBA Europe for women. The competition was held in Mulhouse, France and took place on September 22–29, 1962. The Soviet Union won their sixth gold medal ...
and the EuroBasket Women 1966, and finished third at the
EuroBasket Women 1964 The 1964 European Women Basketball Championship, commonly called EuroBasket Women 1964, was the 9th regional championship held by FIBA Europe. The competition was held in Hungary. won the gold medal and the silver medal while won the bronze. ...
. Kříž then moved to Germany, where from 1968 to 1971, he was the head coach of the senior German Men's National Team, and also of
VfL Osnabrück VfL Osnabrück is a German multi-sport club in Osnabrück, Lower Saxony. It currently fields teams in basketball, gymnastics, swimming, table tennis, and tennis but is by far best known for its Association football, football section. The footba ...
, who were the men's club champions of Germany in 1969. He also coached the
FIBA European Selection The FIBA Europe All-Star Game was the all-star basketball exhibition game, which was also known as the "FIBA Europe Festival". The "FIBA Europe Festival All-Star Game" was held from 1964 to 1995. It was organized by FIBA Europe. The FIBA Europe ...
teams, between 1964 and 1968.
/ref>


Basketball administration


Czechoslovakia

Kříž was also active in a variety of basketball organisations. Within Czechoslovakia, he was a member of the board of the Czechoslovak Volleyball and Basketball Federation (1946–51), President of DSO Spartak LZ Plzeň, DSO Spartak (1953–56), and leader of the Czechoslovak Basketball Federation's International Commission (1956–68). From 1973 until 1986, he was President of the Czech Basketball Federation, and Vice-President of the Czechoslovak Basketball Federation. From 1990 until 1993, he was the President of
Sparta Prague Athletic Club Sparta Praha (), commonly known as Sparta Prague and Sparta Praha, is a professional football club based in Prague. It is the most successful club in the Czech Republic and one of the most successful in central Europe, winning t ...
, and made Honorary President thereafter.


FIBA

Internationally, Kříž held a number of positions within
FIBA The International Basketball Federation (FIBA ; French language, French: ) is an association of national organizations which governs the sport of basketball worldwide. FIBA defines the rules of basketball, specifies the Basketball equipment ...
. He was a member of staff for the European zone, from 1956–68, and again from 1973–80, as well as a member of the FIBA European Cups commission, from 1972–76 and from 1990–94. From 1980–90, he was a member of FIBA World, and President of the Women's Commission, and from 1994 until 2000, he was FIBA Commissioner, presiding over 678 games in total.


Later career

Between 1970 and 1985, Kříž was the chief of the sports section at the Czechoslovak press agency. In his later career, he practiced law.


See also

* FIBA All-Star Games * Czechoslovak Women's Basketball Championship *
FIBA EuroBasket Women EuroBasket Women is a biennial international women's basketball competition held between the nations of FIBA Europe for women's national teams. EuroBasket Women is also used as a qualifying tournament for the FIBA Women's World Cup and also the ...
* BLC Sparta Prague


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Kriz, Miloslav Czech basketball coaches Czech men's basketball players 1924 births 2013 deaths Czechoslovak men's basketball players Czechoslovak basketball coaches Czechoslovak expatriate sportspeople in West Germany Expatriate basketball people in West Germany