Women's World Grand Prix 2017

  • If I was the head of the Italian Federation what I would do something to make sure at least the 6 best Italians in every position are starters in a club. For example Conegliano having Folei,Danesi,Melandri and now with Robin is a big mistake. They could step in and support/help Danesi and Melandri to go to a club where they will play full time.

    It's very easy actually. The players just have to be good enough to prove their coaches that they should be starter and then they'll be. Of course you can go to a weak club in order to have a guaranteed starter spot, but then you won't have the same motivation to show your best in every training and every match. Do you think the players who will start ahead of those you mention became so good because they were just handed their place on court with a ribbon around it? Folie also was on bench a lot in several clubs until she finally became good enough to be starter for the best Italian team :whistle:

  • Danesi, Bonifacio, Guerra are probably not good enough to become starters in the TOP teams, but they could easily be starters in the smaller clubs.


    I don`t get why Melandri left Fireze to go to Conegliano, of course she won`t be starting over Robin.


    That is where I think the Italian Federation should step in and support/help the players and be like " hey Danesi you are only 20, right now makes no sense for you to play for Conegliano, if you go to Monza you will get much more play time and improve your game.


    And this mentality of not wanting or having motivation to play for a smaller team is the problem. That is what the Federation should show them, winning champions league is not the same when you are a barely bench player, it means nothing really.


    And why would you not have the same motivation in every match? If you play your best you will be showing right there to the stronger teams how good you are. That is even a extra motivation.

  • I guess we'll never have the same opinion on that subject ;)
    I'll repeat mine though: players spend between 2-4 hours per week on court for matches and 4-6 hours per day for training. So the players in top teams get much more "quality time" with better coaches and better teammates (which in training means better opponents) than teams that spend more time on court during matches but don't have the same quality in training. Of course the training in "weak" Italian teams still is good, but for example look at how much better Malinov plays now compared to last season even though she was on court very little for Conegliano.


    Don't get me wrong, I do think that playing is very important for a player's development, but IMO time on court must be earned in training.

  • I know we won`t have the same opinion.


    But if this "training" thing worked, don`t you think Turkey would be the best Team in the World? They all practice with the Top players in the world, Polen has practiced with every top OPP, but the problem is that they get good training but not enough time on the court. And then when they get time on the court they get "lost" because they are not used to it.


    Another example, Americans are so good because they never bench, they will always find a club where they will be starters. Look at Michelle Bartash she played how many years in Germany?! but if she would play in a stronger league back then she would never been a starter, but she was smart to play in Germany and she would play full time, now look how good she is playing. She would not be this good if she spent her career sitting on a Italian bench.


    I remember you said the twins got offers from top teams in Europe, but of course they would not a starters in any of these clubs, so they were smart and went to France where they will be playing full time and improving their game. They know they will improve their game by "playing" and it does not matter if it is Italy or France, and just getting to practice with the top players in Italy or Turkey but not getting any time on the court won`t get them anywhere... :rose:


    training in "weak" Italian teams still is good, but for example look at how much better Malinov plays now compared to last season even though she was on court very little for Conegliano.

  • Bartsch simply wasn't good when she first came to Germany, no Italian team would have ever taken her back then :whistle:


    And not every player can be a top player. I don't think Polen's career would have gone any different if she had made different club choices, she's simply a limited player. And still she showed that she's better than Meryem who chose to play for weak teams...

  • Don't get me wrong, I do think that playing is very important for a player's development, but IMO time on court must be earned in training.

    Lauren Carlini ( American Setter) will be the starting setter for Scandicci. Has she proved anything in training yet? No. And you can`t say a NCAA player will be good at the Pro Level until they start.


    But how she was "handed" this starting spot right off the get go?? Because her agent ( and I`m sure the American Federation) made sure she would sign with them "only" if she was a starting setter. And they worked very hard with the club to make it happen. But let`s say no club in Italy or Turkey would sign her as a starting setter, I`m sure she would have gone to Germany and be a starting setter.


    So if american agents and federation can do this kind of thing, why they Italian Federation can not do the same thing for the Italians? That should not be a problem.


    Let`s say when Melandri was looking for a club, her agent should have make sure she would be a starter in whichever club she finds, if Conegliano would not grant her the starting spot, they should guide her to the "next" club.

  • Federations don't interfere with leagues and club teams. Club teams have to satisfy their sponsors in order to stay alive, and they need success for that.


    Anyway the discussion is pointless. I have my opinion, you have yours and neither will convince the other :wavy:

  • We are 'a bit' off topic, but still:


    I know it was said Malinov and Orro will be starters, but Cambi must a starter as well,


    Cambi will be too, in Pesaro.



    Bonifacio and Guerra are probably not good enough to become starters in the TOP teams,


    Yeah, Bonifacio was simply the starter MBs in the winner of the Italia League :whistle:



    Let`s say when Melandri was looking for a club, her agent should have make sure she would be a starter in whichever club she finds,


    Melandri was titular in Firenze, so it's clear it was her choice to go in Conegliano. May be for money, may be for the quality of training, may be to play in the CL, may be to win something (or better, to have a strong chance too), but it was her choice.
    But may be knowing De Kruijf would have stayed she would have thought differently.

  • I thought Sylla was pretty poor for Bergamo this year but it seems she is a different player under Mazzanti. I wasn't sure if the Italian OHs would provide good support for Egonu but if Sylla can keep up a high level then she could solve a lot of problems for Italy now and in the future.

  • Forget about motivation being a player in lower clubs, if you want to be a world class player your attitude must be the same in any club! When I am not wrong, Malinov was first called to the senior NT around 2014 right? Bonitta called her and she played the season in Serie A2 and now she slowly starts to play in top italian clubs!

  • Is Malygina injured and that`s why she`s not playing? How about Malika?


    I still don`t get what`s Frolova in doing there... she`s 30, 1.78cm, can`t pass, can`t attack, can`t block.

  • For some people it is the competition to gain a starting spot that can be a major motivation. It is not that players are not trying to win when playing for weaker teams, but that they can be inspired to perform even better to make sure they play every match.

  • I still don`t get what`s Frolova in doing there... she`s 30, 1.78cm, can`t pass, can`t attack, can`t block.

    Exactly. She is just there, taking up a spot from a younger player

  • Exactly. She is just there, taking up a spot from a younger player

    Kuziutkin is 70 years old, that`s way too old to be a coach, what is the Russian Federation even thinking :down:.


    edit: Gamova as head coach and Sokolova as assistant would be perfect for Russia.

  • Kuziutkin is 70 years old, that`s way too old to be a coach, what is the Russian Federation even thinking :down:

    Since when is there an age limit for coaches? You do know Karpol?


    In Frolova's defense, she played a very good season for Yenisey and IMO deserved the invitation. But international level is a different story indeed. However, none of the other OHs performs much better, and I think the decent reception of Frolova/Kutiukova/Ilchenko is a major factor for Russia's very much increased use of MB attacks this year.

  • There`s no age to be a coach. ( Karpol is a special case) But at 70, his volleyball is old school, can he even get on the court and show his players what he wants them to do? That is a lot of young coaches will do, they will even get in there and show them how it is done.


    Russia is playing old school volleyball, and with a 70 years old that won`t be changed.



    Why not Gamova? She knows the sport, knows how to win, knows what it takes. Just take Antiga as a example. And she is even working with the youth team.


    All these players admire and respect Gamova and would be a great chemistry. She could pull in the "role model" coach style just like Lang Ping, I think all these young players would feel more motivated playing for Gamova than for a 70 year old.


    Even Fofao is talking classes and she wants to be a coach.

    :what: :white: :rolll:


    This is the most hilarious thing I have ever read on this forum.

  • How does this Russia play "oldschool volleyball"? Have you even watched them? They play the very same as most other teams.


    Being a top player and being a coach are two completely different stories. Some can be both (Lang Ping for example), but many can't. Guidetti hasn't been a high level player at all by the way...