Perse basketball teams savour Italy tour

Perse basketball players developed their dribbling skills during a fantastic half term tour to Italy.

Twenty-two players from Year 10 to Upper Sixth spent six days exploring the Verona region and facing some fixtures against local opposition.

The squad began the trip with a coaching session led by trainers from local club Pallacanestro ALBa. They then faced competitive matches against the club’s youth sides with the Perse second team winning their game, while the first team lost a very physical encounter, but both fixtures were great learning experiences for the two sides.

Following a rest day at Gardaland theme park, the squad spent the day exploring the sights of Verona, seeing the famous Juliet’s Balcony and learning about the geography and history of the city.

The teams then continued to Pallacanestro Arzignano for our remaining fixtures. This time the second team came up short, despite a great second-half comeback, but the first team clinched a nail-biting victory in the final seconds of the game thanks to some excellent free throw shooting under pressure.

After a morning of team building games, including quidditch and egg catching, the squad spent a final afternoon sightseeing in Mantova.

Perse basketball coach Sam Patterson said: “The team returned to the UK happy, but exhausted, having developed their basketball skills against a very different style of play and strengthened their bond as a team.”