Derthona Basketball Lab, we start again after an exciting year. DS Ablatico reveals all the news on and off the pitch
A season that started on August 23rd and ended on June 22nd. Ten months almost exactly which also meant historic results for the Derthona Basketball Lab. For the youth and mini-basketball sector of Derthona Basketball a long year characterized by many emotions, by enormous satisfactions on and off the pitch and also by the unknowns linked to the resurgence of Covid which seemed to have a major impact on the progress of the championships again. The 1/2022 season actually began on 23 July and work is underway to make the season just past the solid basis for adequate growth for a Serie A club like the Bertram YachtsTortona. The sporting director interprets what has been and above all what will be Andrea Ablatico.
What year was the one concluded in Mantua with the Under 17 Eccellenza playing the National Final?
“It was a season like that of the First Team, we achieved unexpected results from a technical point of view. At the same time there was confirmation of the link between the city and Derthona Basket, because despite this year too having been partly affected by Covid, the mini-basketball numbers increased by 20-25% in terms of registrations compared to previous years. In the youth sector we have created teams with different objectives, focusing on both the technical side and the social aspect, so we are extremely satisfied with all of them. It is clear that the icing on the cake was the qualification for the National Final of the U17 Eccellenza team led by Luca Ansaloni, who, despite the negative results on the field in the final phase in Mantua, was a demonstration of how we are working. To underline this, the fact that in the last pre-Finals week we worked intensely to give the injured people the opportunity to set foot on the pitch on this historic occasion, given that no team from the province of Alessandria had made it to the Italian tournament since 2015. And we hope to continue next year. I also like to point out that out of the 14 players called up for the Final, 9 were from Tortona or surrounding areas, so thanks to those who came from outside but also thanks to the guys from Tortona and the surrounding area. Coming to the necessary compliments, I give big ones to Andrea Fanaletti for the management of the mini-basketball, to Ansaloni for the technical management of the teams and to all the staff, starting from the technical area up to that of communication, who made us feel as important as a Serie A team. Obviously in all this I must continue to thank until exhaustion the top management of Derthona Basket, the CEO Ferencz Bartocci, the president Marco Picchi and the Gavio family, who support us at every level, which is extremely rare for Italian basketball when it comes to the youth sector.”
Will there be changes in the coaching staff with the new year?
“We salute as a coach a pillar of the youth sector like Paolo De Ros, who has personally accompanied me for 50 years and was in the technical area of the DBL for a very long time. Now, thanks to his merits, a different role has been given to him in the Society but he will always remain one of us. Tommaso Della Godenza will move from the role of coach to that of technical director, supported by Vittorio Perticarini, operational director of the Serie A team, who both myself and president Claudio Coffano will not fail to support 100%. Instead, there is the reconfirmation of Fanaletti as head of minibasketball, assisted by Clara Tallone, who will work together in this fundamental effort with BC Castelnuovo with whom we have been in partnership for some time. For all these years I sincerely thank Federico Meduri, athletic trainer of our youth teams who for professional reasons will not be able to continue his journey with us, and Stefano Cova, who has all the characteristics to continue his career as a senior coach".
For some who leave or change roles, there will be important arrivals in the technical area.
“Alongside the confirmation of Ansaloni who has signed a renewal for another 3 seasons, we will have two additions to the technical staff which will be made official next week. Two prominent coaches who have already done a lot in Italian basketball.”
What guidelines are being followed for the formation of the teams and for the recruitment of players also through the numerous tryouts still underway?
“We are continuing in the wake of last season, we will include new teams in the Silver championships to ensure that none of our kids stop playing basketball, while also keeping an eye on the technical aspect of the matter. We will ensure that we give coaches training that can perform at the highest levels, both in Piedmont and at a national level. We are basing our recruitments on the futurity of the three most important teams, U19, U17 and U15 Eccellenza, the U19 to give continuity to the results obtained as U17 last year, the U17 to lead them to retrace the feat of their predecessors , while for the U15s we are trying to recruit in the area to compete at the highest levels with other additions in the coming seasons.”
Ablatico reveals the names of young talents he has just signed.
“We have already signed two boys for the U17, the Italian-Argentinian Bruno Farias and the Bosnian Armin Korlatovic, and the Malian Lamine Tandia for the U19. We still have numerous negotiations underway with prospects of relevance on the Italian market, negotiations which I hope can materialize before the end of this month."
The great news from the Derthona Basketball Lab doesn't end here. From next season an entirely home-made senior championship will be played.
“We will soon formalize the purchase of a senior title to continue to compare our boys with senior teams. From this point of view, special thanks go to Olympia Voghera who supported us in these years before our choice to entrust the Tortona area alone with a prominent role for our youth teams also in the senior championship."
The sporting director addresses the final consideration to president Coffano.
“In the end, the only litmus test for the success or otherwise of any initiative is the result. This season he has certainly been excellent both on and off the pitch, so if I had to rate Claudio Coffano's management in his first year I would give it a solid 9."
