Alessio Gaudio: ʺMinibasketball has grown a lot. The comparison with other coaches is important
After the first months of work as manager of the Juventus minibasketball sector, Alessio Gaudio has drawn up a balance sheet of the seasonal activity, which can only be It is positive in that we have increased the number of members compared to last year and we have started a project in schools with the collaboration of the Derthona Sports Club and the Camagna Foundation. Furthermore, the staff has also expanded, from the initial five people - myself, Stefano Degrada, Dario Gay, Valentina Scardaci and Clara D'Amico - we have now reached ten units thanks to the participation of five kids from the youth sector who allow us to make our most complete offer. Another aspect that Gaudio highlights with enthusiasm is the ʺparticipation of the kids in the events before the home matches of the A2 Series, in which we involved clubs not only from our area, such as Alba who came to watch one of our matches. This is an initiative that has also been very successful among families, so next year we intend to expand it further..
All four Juventus minibasketball teams – Esordienti, Aquilotti, Scoiattoli and Pulcini – participate in their respective championships: Gaudio explains how ʺin the case of the Esordienti and the Aquilotti we participate in the federal championships in the group with the teams from the provinces of Vercelli and Novara, while the Scoiattoli participated in some three-way concentrations with Serravalle and Valenza, playing two matches on the same day on the pitch of each of the participating teams . As for the Pulcini, starting next week, we will play matches in mini groups: these will be their first competitive experiences for the boys and it will be fun to see them play. Furthermore, towards the end of the sports year we would like to organize the Regional Jamboree for Beginners: we are working with the Federation to host it ourselvesʺ.
The comparison with the coaches of the youth sector, made possible on a logistical level by the proximity of the offices and playing fields in Tortona, is another aspect that Gaudio considers important for the development of the activity, as ʺI am lucky enough to work shoulder to shoulder with a professional of the caliber of Massimo Bisin, who has great experience and gives me both personal and professional advice. In the office, then, I talk to Paolo De Ros, Vanni Talpo, who in addition to being an assistant for the first team, coaches the Under 18 DNG, and with the president of the youth sector Andrea Ablatico, who follows our activity on a daily basis. The collaboration that has been created means that problems are faced and resolved thanks to everyone's help.
An important moment of discussion occurred on the occasion of the visit to Tortona by Andrea Capobianco, coach of the Under 20 men's national team, who ʺHe gave numerous ideas to work on – says Gaudio – because Capobianco is never banal and I believe he is one of the best youth team coaches we can count on in Italy. It was a formative and important experience because our club is trying to grow as a youth sector both locally and nationally..
In addition to being responsible for the mini-basketball sector, Alessio Gaudio is also coach of the Juventus Under-16 Eccellenza team. In his way of being, the coach ʺIt doesn't change, as I try to be a point of reference and an example for the kids as I consider it important for their growth. The needs of the little ones are no less important than those of the boys. The main differences between the two roles concern instead ʺthe objectives, which are very different. Furthermore, it is important to have a good technical preparation because the Under 16 boys must be ready to face a difficult championship such as the Under 18 DNG..
From the perspective of the path that the players take from mini-basketball to the youth sector, the figure of Marco Ramondino, who has always looked after the growth of young people, is of crucial – continues Gaudio – because it shows the end of the journey to a boy growing up in our youth teams. Marco has an eye for the young people who train with the first team, even in the past he has been able to bring out the best in players who now have an important role in Serie A2. Furthermore, he gives us advice because he participates in the technical meetings of the youth sector and helps us calibrate the work to prepare the boys to play at the highest possible level. Marco completes us and is fundamental because he shows us the final goal.
