27-DECEMBER-2012
TORNEO NAVIDAD: AN EUROPEAN LEVEL TEST
 

Youth National Teams are already in Guadalajara, where the 9th edition of the Guadalajara International Tournament is to be held, which is the last test before the qualification pools for the 2013 European Championships.

Boy’s Youth National Team coach, Ricardo Rocha highlights the importance of this competition known as Torneo Navidad, to the team’s preparation, few hours from facing Spain whose squad includes 3 youth players Junior European vice-champions. [Schedule]

“To us is very important to be able to play here with the same level that we will face later in the qualification stage. The opportunity to play in the Guadalajara Tournament and face 3 strong National Teams is great, because it will allow us to understand our current level and what you need to improve in a short time. In the friendly matches played at Gala Volei Tournament, our players showed some details which we’ve been training and showed awareness to what they can’t accomplish yet. It’s important that they can manage the pressure at the competition level, in order to stay in the gameplan. I believe that isn’t going to happen and that they will perform as requested by the coaches. Let’s see if our game will reflect in good results”.

– The Navidad Tournament will serve to polish the strategy?
“There are several aspects to consider:
Understand the level that we are at, our mistakes, our most confident players in the decisive moments of the game. Our strategy must change from game to game. We will analyze the other teams and try to meet our gameplan to their own. Always thinking that we are not less than anyone and that we are there to win”.

– Did the athletes respond well to your expectations?
“The balance of the job done so far is very positive. In the last month we called athletes which are not in permanent training camp, some of those played in Senior level, which makes it difficult to integrate a weekly boarding regime. Their coming here changed our level of training and raised the competition between the players”.

- One of FPV biggest concerns is to achieve the best scholar and sport performance at the same time…
“Yes and that is being done. I’m also a Physical Education teacher and I consider that school has more importance at this age. If they neglect studies, they will be without the volleyball practices. We are very strict is this matter: If one can’t achieve the minimum goals which we consider average and essential for their studies, the athlete can’t play in the National Team, and therefore is send back to the previous club. I agree with this politic and the athletes are aware of this as well”.

The Torneo Navidad matches are to be held at Polideportivo San José, while the teams will be staying at Pax Hotel [phone: +34 949 248 060] and Prince Filipe Residential [phone: +34 949 887 574], at Guadalajara.