Precisely, the session got under way in a very different way from usual. The youngest fans came down from the stands onto the court to join the players for their stretching routine and the usual warm-up games at the start of training. Guided by Mariano Bein, the team’s fitness coach, they were able to stand alongside the players, imitate their movements and enjoy a few minutes on the Príncipe Felipe court.
It was a special event that the Red Tide used to get a closer look at the many new faces in a squad that was only missing Jilson Bango on Wednesday, as he continues working on his recovery from a knee injury. The session also featured academy player Matija Lukic, who, as happened last season, will be a regular presence in Casademont’s first-team training sessions.
The youngest fans took part in the warm-up. Photo: Pilar Álvarez
After the opening exercises, Gonzalo García de Vitoria took charge of the training session. Wearing a microphone, the coach explained to the fans filling the stands the different drills he was setting for his players, from shooting exercises to the plays and tactical situations the team worked on during a session in which Trae Bell-Haynes received the loudest ovation from the crowd.
REBUILDING THE CONNECTION
The initiative brought the squad closer once again to a fan base that moved away from the team last season as a result of its results and sporting performance. Just as it has made numerous changes to its roster, Casademont wants to change that dynamic and rebuild a connection it considers essential to taking on the new project with a revamped team and the goal of restoring excitement to basketball in Zaragoza.
With this event and on the sporting front, the Aragonese team is continuing its preparations for a preseason in which it has already played three friendlies. Gonzalo García de Vitoria’s side defeated Lleida (106-102) and Tenerife (86-84), while losing to Valencia Basket in a closely fought game (88-81). The fourth test will come on Saturday against French side Élan Béarnais Pau-Lacq-Orthez in Zuera.
