The academy’s youth players arrived at Hadar Yosef as part of the EuroLeague’s ONE TEAM initiative, worked through training stations, and held discussions with the professional staff
The players were divided into four stations:
1. Ball-handling with Jimmy Clark, Tamir Blatt, Iffe Lundberg, and Jeff Dowtin, under the guidance of Oded Kattash and Corey Carr.
2. Physical conditioning with John DiBartolomeo, Will Rayman, and Amit Ebo, under the guidance of Regev Fanan and Roi Rotkopf.
3. Shooting drills with Gur Lavi, Lonnie Walker, Jaylen Hoard, and Oren Sahar, under the guidance of Guy Pnini and Noam Levi.
4. Drives to the basket and finishing with Oshae Brissett, Zack Hankins, Marcio Santos, and Tamir Gold, under the guidance of Adi Amos and Amit Levi.
At the end, a discussion was held between Oded Kattash and Regev Fanan and the academy players. The coaches spoke about their philosophy, what it means to be a winner in the daily conduct of an athlete, self-belief, and long-term hard work. During the talk, the topic of Deni Avdija came up as an example of an athlete who worked very hard to reach his current level and continues to do so, while believing in himself throughout the journey.
“It’s a great pleasure to work with youth, to see them enjoying themselves here and experiencing something that will stay with them for life. We have the privilege to do this, and it’s not only fun for them – it’s fun for us as well,” said assistant coach Guy Pnini. “The main goal here is to enjoy, to hear them communicating with each other and building experiences. As players and as a staff, we were very excited. It’s a break from our routine and a change of pace. Doing good for others is always a huge joy. There are also some talents here, and a few with a good shooting touch – that was my station – so maybe some will surprise us in the future.”
Nadav Karpankov, a member of the basketball academy, concluded: “It was an enjoyable experience, not something you get to experience every day. I really liked the dribbling session with Lundberg and Clark. I won’t forget the talk at the end – hearing Oded Kattash and receiving the motivation he gave us, when we all admire him and watch him, is something very special. Wearing a shirt with the EuroLeague logo and taking part in such a training session and project is a great honor and a great pleasure for me.”
