Reaching the semi-final tournaments with all 3 teams in the first year, and the top 8 in Romania with one of them (out of 102 teams at the start), is an achievement owed not only to raw talent but also to an elite strategy. Behind every pass, every spectacular comeback and the mentality that brought us here stands Branko Gajić – a respected name in European volleyball and the man who recalibrates our club’s standards every day.
Under his coordination, Volleyball Forever didn’t just progress, it learned to think about volleyball at another level. To understand how this huge leap in quality happened, we take a look at the ten fundamental dimensions that define our coach’s way of working and his personality, together with how the girls see him.
1. A European vision: international standards brought to Romanian courts 🌍
Branko Gajić doesn’t coach just for the domestic championship; he brings to every training session the rigour, speed and discipline of the great volleyball schools of the continent. From day one he refused half measures, setting a pace in which every movement must have surgical precision. The girls quickly understood that to compete with the best teams in the country, you first have to train as if for European competitions. And then you have a chance to reach the top and perform there too.
Although he seems tough and sometimes too demanding, I understand where his rules and demands come from. He wants to make us real athletes and build strong characters, not only on court but also in our personal lives. This shows he truly cares about each of us and gives each of us the attention we need. I have learned a lot from this coach: discipline, that I can’t give up for anything, attention to detail and the determination needed for performance sport. I appreciate his commitment and I respect him.
2. The complete strategist: volleyball played like a game of chess 🧠
For Bane the net isn’t just an obstacle, but a chessboard on which every piece must move in coordination. He turned the girls’ game from one based on reflexes into one guided by anticipation and tactical analysis.
“He teaches us to read the game, not just to hit the ball”, the girls say. “Every instruction he gives us has a logic. He taught us to pay attention to essential details: how the opponent positions her hands at the block or where free space opens up in defence.”
Our coach taught us to be disciplined, persistent and respectful towards others. What’s more, he showed us that with a lot of consistent work we can progress enormously. He always keeps the team united, encouraging us to give our very best. Without our coach, the team wouldn’t be the same.
3. The crisis manager: Olympic calm in the face of “coffee breaks” ☕
Every young team goes through moments when “the lights go out”, like the famous lapses when at 16-6 the set seemed lost for the U15 team, or the start of the last match against Academia Pârv for the cadets. But Branko’s value shows best in those critical seconds. Instead of panic, he brings order. His confident look from the bench and the short instructions in time-outs are the medicine that restarts the team’s engines, giving the girls the clarity they need to get back into the match.
What I like most about our coach is how he combines high standards with support. He motivates us to push beyond our limits, but at the same time he has the patience to explain every detail and to encourage us when we struggle.
I appreciate that he sees the potential in each of us and gives us the confidence to grow both as athletes and as people. From him I have learned not only techniques and game strategies, but also important lessons about discipline, perseverance, responsibility and team spirit. Thanks to him I understood that real results come from consistent work, seriousness and self-belief.
4. The builder of confidence: from hesitation to “we can” 📈
Going from the group matches to the intensity of the Semi-final Tournaments and the Final Tournament was a huge test of mentality. Bane understood that physical barriers only break once the mental ones have fallen. Working constantly on the team’s morale, he raised the girls’ confidence to the point where sets against the country’s big forces were no longer seen with fear, but as an opportunity to prove that Volleyball Forever belongs to the elite.
What I like about my coach is that he tells us when we do something well, not only when we make mistakes, and that in the hard moments of matches he doesn’t let us lose confidence, but encourages us and shows us he’s with us whatever happens. From him I have learned not just a lot of technique, but also that in matches the most important thing is to be a team, to be united and to encourage each other.
Voleyball Forever helped me make lots of friends and become more sociable and friendly. Our coach knows how to help us when we need him, to encourage us, to celebrate with us and also to be there when things are hard.
5. The talent polisher: individual attention to every technical detail 💎
Every player in our squad is a special project for Branko Gajić. Whether it’s the finesse of Sophia’s serve, Irina’s maturity, Alya’s preparation or Zoe’s consistency, the coach knows exactly which button to press to bring out their maximum potential. He doesn’t just build a cohesive team, he grows strong individuals, polishing each girl’s technique with the patience of a jeweller. Because when they all have the shine of a diamond, the team will sparkle in any competition.
I still really like our coach, I can say I love him. Most of the time he has been there for me and helped me go beyond my limits, to learn that nothing is lost until the very end. He taught me to be a better person on court and to work until the end. What I didn’t like, though, was that he was totally unhappy that we finished 8th in the country. It bothered me that he wasn’t with us at the awards ceremony, because in the end we had an incredible result. It made me, at least, feel that 8th in the country was silly, that it wasn’t good. Of course we could all have done more, but from my point of view we worked hard and deserved at least to have him with us, because he said: “I will be with you through good times and bad”
6. The trigger of pride: how the fighting spirit wakes up 🦁
The marathon match against Akademika Focșani and the cadets’ final match against Academia Pârv showed another defining side of the coach: his ability to touch the girls’ sporting pride. After a hesitant first set (16-25) against Akademika, Branko knew how to switch on the ambition in the dressing room. The result? A sensational comeback in the next two sets (at 22 and 18), showing that under his leadership the team learned never to accept defeat without a fierce fight. Or, after losing the first 2 sets against Pârv, came an incredible run of 3 sets won, which brought us qualification for the cadets’ semi-final tournament.
Our coach, Bane, plays an important role in my development as a player. At his practices you learn volleyball techniques, but at the same time life lessons too, such as punctuality, respect and cooperation, between players, between players and coaches, and beyond that with people in general. Thank you!
7. The promoter of tenacity: the mentor who trains the refusal to give up 🛡️
If the narrowly lost sets (20-25 or 23-25) against the benchmarks from Sibiu or Bucharest showed us what we lack, Branko was the first to turn that minus into a clear goal for the future. He explains to the girls that tenacity isn’t a myth but a muscle trained through exactly these fierce battles. He doesn’t just demand grit; he provides the context in which the girls learn to stay “in” the match until the final whistle. It’s a quality Bane has in his DNA and wants to pass on to all his teams.
What I like about our coach is the ambition and drive he has for us; he lets us try new techniques and helps us develop creatively, not the way others want. I learned from him that however hard it gets, we have to fight!
What I like about the coach is that he varies the exercises a lot, makes jokes at practice and teaches us all kinds of things. And I want to say one more thing: without Bane I would give up volleyball.
8. The pillar of unity: the architect of a united, equal dressing room 🤝
In Branko Gajić’s vision, no player is above the team, but every player is vital. He managed to create an atmosphere in which the girls on court and those on the bench vibrate at the same intensity. This family spirit, in which collective success outshines individual achievements, is perhaps his biggest victory this season and the reason the team works like a perfect mechanism. If he managed this in a single year, we are convinced we will keep growing in the years ahead.
I really appreciate our coach’s dedication and involvement in the team’s development. He gave us a different perspective on this sport and helped us build stronger relationships with each other, both on and off the court.
Although he seems tough and sometimes too demanding, I understand where his rules and demands come from. He wants to make us real athletes and build strong characters, not only on court but also in our personal lives. This shows he truly cares about each of us and gives each of us the attention we need. I have learned a lot from this coach: discipline, that I can’t give up for anything, attention to detail and the determination needed for performance sport. I appreciate his commitment and I respect him.
9. The visionary of tomorrow: the coach preparing future victories 🌅
For Branko Gajić, this year’s Semi-final Tournaments and Final Tournament were not a destination but a foundation. Even when analysing matches afterwards, his eyes are on the future. He is the one guiding us towards integrating sports psychology and optimising preparation so that next year those missing points are ours. With him at the helm we know for sure that our project will not only stay in the elite, but will aim straight for the national podium – and not just in one category, but in all of them.
What I like about Bane is that he pushes us to our maximum potential and that, although he is very focused on winning, he is understanding and helps you in difficult moments.
He teaches us to be respectful and how to improve our technique. I like that he is understanding with each of us, funny but serious at the same time. I know he cares about us.
10. The perfect ally of the club’s project: the symbiosis on the bench 🧬
This year’s success doesn’t come from isolated work. Bane perfectly combined his European vision with the spirit instilled by Andreea, the club’s founder, and with the dedication of all our coaches, former national team players. So our thanks go to the whole coaching staff, because every coach deserves credit for preparing the girls and discovering their talent. This exceptional collaboration on the sideline gives them the most professional development environment in today’s youth volleyball.
I really like our coaches, because they taught us the first steps to becoming better volleyball players than we were. I thank them for being with us even in the most difficult moments. This club is wonderful!
A fighting spirit and the numbers of a historic season: towards new horizons 🚀🏆
Beyond tactical structure and rigour in training, Branko Gajić’s real strength lies in his deeply human qualities and in that innate fighting spirit he passes on, like a magnetism, to the whole team. His vast international experience translates not only into systems, but into the wisdom with which he listens to every player and the passion he puts into every second in the gym. This rare mix of authority, empathy and grit turned this season into a truly historic one: under his command our club achieved the incredible feat of qualifying three teams for the later stages of national competitions.
But for a fighter of his calibre, today’s success is just fuel for tomorrow’s challenge. We already look with great confidence to next season, where we are raising the bar even higher: expanding the project and qualifying four teams into the elite of Romanian volleyball. With Branko Gajić at the helm of this wonderful group, guided by his expertise and driven by the same refusal to give up, we are convinced the future will add new pages of glory to the club’s golden book, which is only beginning to be written.
My coach is a person from whom I learned what performance, discipline and hard work really mean. Thanks to him I have raised my level a lot and I am grateful for everything he taught me. Even if he doesn’t always show his support directly during matches, I know he trusts me and motivates me to keep getting better.
