Montreal Alliance | Training camp gets under way

Kemy Ossé showed up at the Verdun Auditorium around 7:30 a.m. Monday morning. Two hours before the first Montreal Alliance practice. “I just wanted to touch the ball, get on the pitch here at home. It was special. It really is a feeling that I cannot describe. »

Katherine Harvey Pinard
The Press

This gives a good idea of ​​the feeling that reigned within the walls of the home of the Montreal Alliance for this first day of training camp.

Entering the Auditorium at around 9:20 a.m., all you could hear was the squeal of sneakers on the court. At the stroke of 9:30 a.m., general manager Joel Anthony, director of operations Annie Larouche and head coach Vincent Lavandier addressed the attentive players. The trio thus officially kicked off the first camp in franchise history.

“There’s a lot of energy and a bit of stress, especially for the youngsters,” noted Montreal point guard Kemy Ossé after practice. It’s normal. For many of them, this is the first professional training camp. We’re going a little fast right now, but it’s really exciting. »

“Everyone is just excited,” winger Nathan Cayo said. We learn to know each other. There are several in the team who already know each other. So it’s about developing chemistry, starting to understand match play. »

A total of 15 players were present on Monday. European players Gaios Skordilis and Ashley Hamilton were the only two absentees, but they will join the team shortly. When they arrive, Ontarian Lewis Diankulu will leave, explained Vincent Lavandier.

Three challenges

Lavandier arrived in Montreal 10 days ago. He had time to reacquaint himself with the city – which he already knows well – and to see the ground being built on the Scotty-Bowman ice rink. Land which, by the way, is particularly pretty.

“I’m not a stressed person, so everything is going well,” said the head coach. I don’t feel like I’ve landed and discovered everything because we’ve been at work for months. »

The 50-year-old is not the kind of coach to “experiment” with his players, he said. Everything is already “calculated”. Its planning is ready for the whole season. “I’m very serious,” he said in front of the surprised looks of journalists, before explaining that it was his way of being ready to face the imponderables that could arise during the campaign.

On several occasions, the native of Dieppe, in Normandy, spoke to the media about the notion of pleasure. The pleasure of making “beautiful encounters”. The pleasure of being on the field.

“You could see the enthusiasm and the will [ce matin]he mentioned. […] I find that in everyday life in modern times, the notion of pleasure is important. I’m sure we’ll have a lot of fun. If we can earn more, that would be perfect! »

Lavandier names three main challenges his team will face this season. First, “not to lose the ball from a technical point of view”. “It’s simple to say that, but it’s difficult,” he said. Then, “build a collective defense” and, finally, ensure that everyone is “in top form at the end of training camp”, which will last only nine days.

For the moment, only the Quebecer Hernst Laroche is limited; he is dragging an injury suffered during his last season in Tunisia.

The benefits of experience

For its first season, the Alliance is counting on a young team, but also on a few experienced players. Montrealer Kemy Ossé, who was the first to agree with the Alliance in March, will be among the leaders. He is one of only two players, with Alain Louis, to have already played in the Canadian Elite Basketball League (LECB).

“I’m going to have to be very vocal, talk a lot, that’s normal,” he said. I accept this challenge. This is one of my first challenges for this year, to communicate more, to guide the youngest. »

A total of eight players have no professional experience behind the tie. Of the lot, there is Nathan Cayo, a product of Collège Jean-de-Brébeuf. The 24-year-old winger has played the past five seasons with the University of Richmond Spiders in the NCAA.

“Kemy is a Montreal legend,” he said. I have followed his journey since I was young. Now that I’m playing with him, I just want to learn from him, ask him about what it’s like to be a professional, to have a long career. »

The rookies will also be able to count on Montrealer Hernst Laroche, 33, who has played in various European teams over the past eight years. That’s not to mention Greek Gaios Skordilis and Englishman Ashley Hamilton, who have been playing pro for 14 and 9 years respectively.

“At key moments, [les joueurs d’expérience] are going to be important, explained Vincent Lavandier. It is they who [vont devoir] decide the right way, how to win the matches. […] It’s true that they will be my leaders. I may have a special relationship with them in those moments. »