by Chiara Fermani
GROTTAZZOLINA – In a silent and attentive PalaGrotta, different from what we are used to seeing in the fiery matches of the Yuasa Battery, the staff, the players of the M&G Volleyball School and the entrepreneurs of Fermano, met this morning to attend one of the events flagship of the “SPORTIVA-MENTE – The meaning of sport for a meaningful sport” festival, now in its second edition.
Two exceptional guests: Andrea Zorzi, the multiple volleyball champion who is now a commentator and commentator for Sky Sport and Lega Volley, and the former manager, now business consultant and university professor Gabriele Gabrielli. With them Luca Alici, professor at the University of Perugia, creative mind of many initiatives of the sports club. “M&G is first of all a company, then it is also a volleyball team, a sort of ecosystem with many projects” Alici reminded everyone.
A unique opportunity for partner and friend companies to meet, network and receive stimuli from an authoritative speaker such as Andrea Zorzi who developed the theme “Position and role – Training in the management of conflict zones”, taking as a starting point one highly reactive sports such as volleyball, applicable in other contexts such as the corporate one. To do this, the former volleyball player made the audience come down from the stands to enter the field and, using the players of the Yuasa Battery and the coach Massimiliano Ortenzi, explained through the game what the roles of volleyball are, the conflict zones and how to best manage them to achieve the best result.
A continuous movement between position and role, which are not synonymous. On the playing field the conflict zone is a bit like “no man’s land”, a zone of competence halfway between two teammates, it is here that in a very short period of time the players must decide which of the two will receive first .
Do you know the “mia” that is shouted during matches? Here, Zorzi banishes the “your” and underlines the importance of an immediate choice, an assumption of risk that goes beyond the role. This is an element that identifies a winning team, even within companies, as Gabrielli had the opportunity to delve into in the second part of the event, more focused on corporate practice. And as coach Massimiliano Ortenzi explained, interacting with Zorzi, that he was ‘interviewed’ by Zorzi during his half hour of speech.
“Where will the ball land? Who is responsible for taking it? How much do I want to take it (motivational)? Should I take it?” These are some of the questions posed by Gabrielli, who has spent a lifetime in the world of human resources, therefore understanding people. “To answer this we need to use different metrics. The rational and organizational one. The rational and calculating one. Metric with an emotional dimension. For a manager, every decision involves a tangle of calculations, emotions and states of mind.”
It should never be forgotten, and Zorzi’s tests on the pitch have demonstrated this, that “the ball remains only for a moment in the hands of the manager who takes it. And then – concludes Gabrielli – when you give the ball you don’t know exactly how it will be played: there will always be the dimension of risk”.
After theory, it’s already time for practice, because tomorrow at 6pm the attention will once again be focused on the champions who allowed Grottazzolina to enter the Olympus of national volleyball.
The current opponent is Pool Libertas Cantù, already beaten at home last Wednesday 3-1. After a first trial set granted to the hosts, and which served Breuning and his teammates to return their minds to the volleyball game after days spent, more than deservedly, celebrating a historic feat, coach Ortenzi’s team is back to grinding his game.
The first leg result would allow Yuasa to qualify even in the event of a defeat, as long as they take home two sets; in the event of a mirror result, however, it’s off to the Golden Set. It’s a safe bet, however, that the Grotese troops have no intention of giving up the lead, even more so in front of their own audience than tomorrow, for the first time after the historic promotion obtained in Siena, will have the opportunity to hug and say goodbye to their favorites at the PalaGrotta.
Kick-off at 6pm, match entrusted to the all-Salerno direction composed of Rosario Vecchione and Enrico Autuori. At stake is access to the Final Four of the Italian Cup which will take place in Cuneo on the weekend of 11 and 12 May, a wonderful opportunity to add another beautiful piece to a mosaic that has been truly perfect so far. “You still have the Italian Cup to honor after a great championship, I’ll wait for you in Cuneo” was the final comment from the former champion of the Velasco era.
