The Travel Team

This post is reserved for our captain, Adrijus Ruseckas, who has always been an exceptional person in Travel Team. He arrived in La Roda knowing everything about the previous tournaments. He always perfectly understood what we expected from him. He understood the importance of the group and how to build it strong. He is smart, shares kind words, and has immensely positive emotions. After the last game, despite the pain of our loss, Adrijus shared good words with me. These words alone show how great he is... Adrijus, you are a great person.

This time in Travel Team was special because I wanted my dear friend Supun to coach the kids. He is a very unique person who cares deeply about each kid on the team, their individuality, their character, their talent, and how they play. I wanted the kids to benefit from his approach.

We aimed to bring a structured game to the team, where each kid finds a role and understands the importance of the point guard having the ball 90% of the time, yet also recognizing the value of their brief moments with the ball, the importance of the last split second of the offense. We know, especially with only two practice sessions, that this is very challenging. It is hard to build a consistent structure and for the kids to find their place in it.

But this time with Supun was a unique opportunity for them to experience this structure. Yes, we paid the cost of quick games with fast ball movement and surprising plays. We know we didn't have that. Some kids found it hard because they felt they could contribute more if the game were faster. However, for others, it was better, because for instance we could deliver the ball to our big players more often. This change in game style was surprising for many, but our objective remains the same: to give the kids another experience to carry home, hoping it will be useful for them.

Regarding the final, we all make mistakes, and coaches always make the worst ones. In 16 years of Travel Team, I've tried to correct this, but the path to victory is filled with mistakes to avoid. After a loss we know we could have won, I always blame myself and feel stupid. I believe all coaches feel this way. And it's not much different for the players. What's the good in that? Or rather, how can we use it to improve? That's what a defeat is for, I guess. When we win, we're full of useless conclusions. When we lose, we're full of questions. Let us use those questions to become better.

Finally, Travel Team is about emotions, right? The saddest part for me was wanting us to win so we could gather in the middle circle, together as a team, with kids from other teams joining us, happy and united by the sport. As coaches, we failed to deliver that, which is my biggest regret. But on the other hand, when we win, we win together. When we lose, we lose together. And nothing, not even a gold medal, can replace what these four days together gave the kids: experience, even if difficult and sometimes painful, and emotions.

Huge thanks to the La Roda tournament staff, especially Diego, for their exceptional work. Every aspect of the tournament is designed to be perfect. Every year I think the same: I've never seen anything like it anywhere else in the world. Absolute congratulations. La Roda U12 Future Stars

Congrats and thanks to the Real Madrid team, especially Gael #12, because this final game was great. The irradiated power of Gael when he made this final shot was amazing. We love basketball for that! Real Madrid C.F.

The last words go to our boys, directly to them. I am proud of Travel Team because I am proud of you, guys. You brought your joy, talent, and will to be perfect into Travel Team, making it yours. Congratulations to the newcomer, Nathan, for jumping in and performing so well, and to the veterans, Adrijus, Artur, Alex, Valters, Herkus, Mosè, Kajus, Kostas, Benjamin, Joris, and Teodors, for all your Travel Team journey, every single minute of it. You are all unique and exceptional. Keep being great and keep looking around!

PS: I also added a photo here of all the kids in La Roda who have been in Travel Team and participated with other teams. With Pol, Seymon, Sohan, Arnau, Alex, Marco, Michal, Emir, (Juan). A photo all together. This is who we are! 🥰

We were thrilled to welcome Bruno, first player from Poland in Travel Team! 🇵🇱
I want to give some special words for Bruno, because thanks to him, I remembered how important it is to have a sensitive boy in the group, with an open heart, who can embrace the emotions and multiply them by 100. Bruno was the multiplier! and he made the adventure 10 times better. Thank you Bruno!

Great GREAT moments with these boys!!! Bronze medal after Prievidza and Bees Pesaro! that finishes a perfect tournament 🏀🥉🤩
where the kids bonded in no time, even though they didn’t know each other a second before, even though they don’t speak the same language, even though they have different life, different history, different future!

The cup will go to USA with Yaroslav where he will start a new life adventure. He can keep an eye on the cup when he will need support, a link with his friends around the planet, because the planet is not so big when we have friends everywhere, right? Yarek, you also deserve this cup as a symbol of all the progress you made, as a basketball player and as a person. I saw how you were thinking about your teammates and not about yourself, and I was very proud of you. Good luck in USA, boy. 🌎

Ready for the quarter final!!! Kids from Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, Ukraine, Spain, Italy, France, Finland 🤩 Halloween tournament

(Ok I am super late 😅😂 but too much work!)

Here a few photos of our team in the tournament of Mataró in September!! Great team and great boys with only one loss against Barça in semifinal by less than 10 points! Those kids have great personalities and it’s always easy to get them connected, and always a big pleasure to coach them! This time they came from Lithuania, Latvia, Slovakia, France and for the first time in Travel Team from Bulgaria!!! Joris 🇱🇹 Nojus 🇱🇹 Joris 🇱🇹 Gabriel 🇫🇷 Kostas 🇱🇹 Alex 🇸🇰 Dimitar 🇧🇬 Herkus 🇱🇹 Adrijus 🇱🇹 Valters🇱🇻

The tournament of U.E. Mataró is always perfect❤️ Big thanks to everyone there!!

Kristupas and Deividas in the LT National Team 🤩🤩🤩 Congrats!!

Adrians MVP!! 🤩🤩🤩 (EYBL Tournament)

This is Luc from Congo, fully ready to live an exceptional basketball adventure with Play4Africa and us!! We can’t wait to welcome him!!!

We are very very proud and happy to see our beloved Kristians joining Barça!!! 🤩🤩🤩
Not only an exceptional player but also an amazing person, always giving its best, always humble and hard worker, always nice, calm and smiling, giving good mood and support for everyone around him, building big team confidence! We will always remember those two games against Barça and Real, by 4 and by 1… 😮 Infinite emotions!!!

The Travel Team working with kids up to U12, we have some opportunities coming from outside for older kids. Let me post two if them here (they are promising because organized by friends of ours), and if you are interested, get in touch (you know my number 😉).

*Team Begoat*

Tournament from December 27th to 30th, team arriving on 26th noon, Ivrea, Italy
For players born in 2010

Canestri Senza Reti FIBA Tournament
https://canestrisenzareti.wordpress.com/

A video of the participation of the team last year:
https://youtu.be/1uYY4VKgWwk?si=XRO8syUUGBoNg7fj

*Next Hoops*

Tournament of Parets December 8-10, for players born in 2011
Tournament of Sabadell December 8-10, for players born in 2010

Victor and Miles meet again in Las Vegas 5 years after having played together in Travel Team!!! These wonderful kids make the world smaller ❤️🌎🇫🇷🇺🇸

We are extremely happy and proud to start working with the great youth program Play4Africa!! Play4Africa+The Travel Team

A hoodie was found this summer in the Barça camp in Vilnius. We can’t find who it belongs to!

Armands is an amazing shooter!!!! 🤩🤩🤩🏆

Joris and Andris and in!!! 💥💥💥

Alley-Oop Rudens Kausa 2023 TOP 4 komandu labākie spēlētāji 💪🏼

Gaļas Nams Ādaži

Congratulations to Alley-Oop Basketball for the organisation of the tournament, perfectly thought!! (Teams, refs, officials, all nice people around, live streams, hostels, etc… GREAT 💪)

Thanks to all the parents for your countless messages, they are important! One is recurring a lot: it’s about Travel Team helping the kids to believe in themselves. That is exactly what Travel Team is for. All the kids are unique but they also have all something in common: they are capable of the best if they believe in themselves! Congrats, boys, for the gold medal in the Alley-Oop Basketball tournament!!

2/2 wins with a great game by 1 point against Alley-Oop Basketball 😮 and we play the next against Marupė

Live for the tournament in Bauska, perfectly organized by Alley-Oop Basketball 🤩

Alley-Oop Basketball Rudens Kauss 2023 U12 Puiši BK Ķekava- Mārupes NSS

🏆 CAMPEONES 🏀

Naše družstvo U12 sa stalo víťazom turnaja VIII Torneo Mini 2023 v španielskom El Carpio, ktorý organizoval Club Baloncesto Alto Guadalquivir , ktorému ďakujeme za pozvanie ako aj organizáciu. 👏 Vo finále sme zdolali C.B. Ciudad de Córdoba 85:76 💪 V krátkom čase je to už druhý medzinárodný úspech nášho klubu a tohto družstva

Congratulations to the boys, they did it!!! MBA Prievidza Travel Team 🏆

Live of the final of MBA Prievidza Travel Team / Cordoba !!

VIII TORNEO MINI EL CARPIO 2023 - DOMINGO TARDE Día 3 Sesión Tarde del VIII Torneo Mini masculino y femenino, organizado por el CB Alto Guadalquivir, que se celebra en El Carpio los días 20-21-22 de octubr...

Excellent article with outstanding words from Jokubas and his father!

https://www.tv3.lt/naujiena/sportas/lietuvis-tarp-geriausiu-prestizinio-turnyro-zaideju-kuo-ypatinga-ispaniska-krepsinio-mokykla-n1264627

Huge congrats to Jokubas for his work, his Best 5 award, and his great thinking!!!

Lietuvis – tarp geriausių prestižinio turnyro žaidėjų: kuo ypatinga ispaniška krepšinio mokykla? Nuo XXI a. pradžios Europos ir viso pasaulio elite įsitvirtinęs Ispanijos krepšinis nesiruošia užleisti savo pozicijų. Šiuo metu pasauliniame FIBA vyrų ...

Ignas MVP!!! Congrats ❤️

Kornelijus for the first place with his team, and MVP!!! 🤩🤩🤩 (Kedainai tournament)

Always amazing to see former Travel Team players meeting again on the court, coming from everywhere on the planet 🌏 ❤️
A huge sum of talent right there on the photos!!!!!
👇👇👇
Vadim, Gustavs, Gunars

Un U11-1 Denaisien, en tournoi en Espagne avec une sélection Européenne. Courte défaite en demi finale de 5 pts contre le FC Barcelone (et de 1 pt face à cette même équipe vendredi). Une troisième place acquise face à de grosses et belles équipes.
Félicitations à Gabriel, le travail récompensé 💪💪🔴🏀

Source photo : uemataro