Interview #5 with Yannick Verbeelen

Yannick Verbeelen answered some questions of sparta.lu. Thanks Yannick and good luck for the season.

1. How did you stay in shape during the Corona break and was it harder than usually to be ready for the practice start this week?

I bought some fitness material to do my workouts at home and went running a lot. It was definitely harder to prepare myself for pre-season, but since I had a lot of time during quarantine, I worked out a lot and now I feel like I'm as fit as the other years. The big difference was that the gym was closed during all this time, so I had to play basketball alone in my backyard instead of practicing with my teamates or coaches like the last years.

2. Our roster changed a bit compared to last season. How do you see our team for next season?

Mathis is a great addition to the team and I'm sure he will fit right in. I'm excited to play with the two new professional players and I'm sure that a great season lies ahead of us.

3. You developed from a young role player into a regular starter last year. What was the key to improve continuously and what advice can you give to a young player to get an important role in the Senior team?

Since the start of my career, I'm always trying to do my best in defense, which is how I started getting playing time in the Senior team. So last year I had to show the coaches that they could trust me in offense as well and that I could take more responsibility at times.

My advice to the young players would be to always give 100% at every practice and every game. This way you'll progress a lot faster and you will show your coaches how motivated you are. In my opinion, defense is the most important attribute to start getting minutes in the Senior team, since the coach knows that he can put you in the game without the other team taking advantage of it. And then over time, as you develop as a player, you'll find your role in the team.

4. How would you describe your playing style, your game?

Like I mentioned in the previous question, my strength is my defense. Most of the time I have to guard the opposing team's ballhandler and put pressure on him full-court. In offense I tend to drive to the basket and kick the ball out to my open teammates if the defense is rotating. I enjoy playing in fastbreaks and attack the basket if the occasion shows itself.

5. What are the goals with the team next season and for you personally?

We haven't officially set our goals as a team yet but I personally think that we are able to beat every team in the league. Even after last year's disappointing season, I strongly believe that we can reach this season's final four.

My personal goal is to continue improving and take more responsibility. However the main goal this season is all about winning as a team.

6. Some words to our fans?

First of all I'd like to thank every person that came to a game to support us last season and especially those that supported us during some disappointing losses. The support we get helps us a lot during games but also gives us one more reason to train hard as we want to give our fans a reason to celebrate. We might not know how the situation will be at the games because of Covid but I'm sure that no matter how this plays out we will still have the best fans in Luxembourg!