Basket Landes fans can rest assured: Julie Barennes is never far away. This week, the Landes coach was even very close, since she was doing a training camp with the Bleuettes in order to prepare for her first tournament as a coach: the U20 European Championship which takes place from July 6 to 14 in Lithuania. And of which the French women’s team is the defending champion. However, no pressure during this preparation like at home.
Let Basket Landes fans be reassured: Julie Barennes is never far away. This week, the Landes coach was even close, since she was doing an internship with the Bleuettes in order to prepare for her first tournament as coach: the U20 European Championship which takes place from July 6 to 14 in Lithuania. And of which the French women’s team is the title holder. However, no pressure during this preparation like at home.
Wednesday evening, during the last session of the day at the Espace Mitterrand, and despite a stifling heat, the atmosphere was as relaxed as it can be during Basket Landes training. A session concluded with throw-in situations with a few seconds to play, leading to outpourings of joy with each point scored or interception.
Passing in front of the press, the Tarbes interior Jess-Mine Zodia was under pressure from Manoe Cissé and Fatoumata Touré not to forget them when making a small signing. “Most of us know each other. We have already done two campaigns together (Euro U18 2022 and World U19 2023, Editor’s note), recalls the TGB player. Afterwards, there are a lot of 2005s with us too. We have a good group and we are starting to find our cohesion. And then everyone has the same goal: the 2005s, like the 2004s, never had a gold medal. And for us, the 2004s, this is the last opportunity to win it! »
Accelerated cohesion
Good mood, motivation, and of course work. It takes a lot to lay the foundations of a team game in just one month, Julie Barennes having collected her players for a first training camp in Vichy on June 5. “We try to put simple things in place, things they are used to, like that, they already have some automatisms,” explains the coach.
Jess-Mine Zodia is one of the big names in this French U20 team.
Philippe Salvat/SO
“In the idea there are things that we find at Basket Landes. It also saves me time, if I start inventing there… Even if there are also small inventions of course, continues Julie Barennes, under the eyes of Yohana Ewodo, her player with the blue and white club, who came in visit. We have a collective game where everyone can participate, due to absences. It redistributes the cards and that’s great for the girls. There will be systems that look like, I’m used to it, I know the answers and counter-answers. »
Brand absences
Numerous absences for the Bleuettes. The new Landes Leïla Lacan, the ex-Tarbaises Carla Leïte and Dominique Malonga are with the French senior team to prepare, and perhaps participate in the Olympics. The Lyonnaise Justine Mouyokolo, initially selected by Julie Barennes, is injured (and replaced by the Tarbaise Léna Monasse). Finally, the interior Anaëlle Dutat, who plays in the American university championship (NCAA) declined the selection.
The Bleuettes trained on Mitterrand’s court for a good part of the week.
Philippe Salvat/SO
So many players who are candidates or even assured of the major five otherwise. “Behind there is a large pool, very homogeneous,” reassures Vincent Joly, head of the Basket Landes training center and assistant to Julie Barennes with the Bleuettes. The latter also explains that the French case, with three of its best players taken by the Olympics, is also found for other selections. Enough to consider an open Lithuanian tournament.
Green lights
Positive point for the French team: a largely successful preparation tournament in Bourg-en-Bresse, from June 14 to 16. The Bleuettes beat Lithuania (87-62), who they will meet again in the group stage at the European Championship (with Latvia and Slovenia), the Czech Republic (78-68) and Finland (75-62).
“I understand that Lithuania is expecting people in the public, so it’s going to be very hot”
“We played some pretty interesting matches, it allowed us to gauge ourselves a little, even if it won’t be the same at the European Championship,” admits Julie Barennes. “The Lithuania of Bourg-en-Bresse won’t be the same as over there. I understood that they were expecting a crowd in the crowd, so it’s going to be pretty tight. But we were able to see where we were in terms of basketball, that’s always positive, and it’s also positive to win.”
Next meeting for the Bleuettes: another preparation tournament, this time in Santa Cruz de Tenerife, from June 30 to July 2. “We will also take the opportunity to see where our Spanish friends are at. We often meet them at the Euro or the World Cup,” smiles the French coach. In the final on July 14?
2024-06-29 05:03:46
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