After the Team Italy softball squad’s four-day training and physical fitness testing program coordinated by Dr. Giampiero Pastore of the Institute of Sport Science at the Giulio Onesti Olympic Training Center in Rome, Federazione Italiana Baseball Softball (FIBS) Vice President Roberta Soldi spoke candidly about the recent experience and what to expect in 2021. A longtime proponent for Italian softball, Roberta Soldi was also upbeat in her forecast for Olympic-bound Team Italy and the 24 players manager Enrico Obletter selected to participate in the Rome program.
Roberta Soldi said, “Rome provided us with a new opportunity to meet as a team after the training camp we had in October in Pescara. It also confirmed the physical strength of the players individually based on the results obtained by Andrea Cardone and Francesca Ambruoso. The overall response and progress were very good, despite the fact that it was obviously more difficult to train without the encouragement and cheering of teammates in the gym and weight room. Under the direction of manager Enrico Obletter, the players had the chance to work on technical theory, analyze videos of past games as well as get a glimpse of the pitchers Team Italy will face in the Tokyo Olympics. The path that will take us to Tokyo requires concentration and determination on the part of the athletes. It will be essential for all the clubs and the entire Italian softball community to come together for this historic feat.”
Roberta Soldi also mentioned that coaches and players hope to resume training with health and safety precautions in place before the start of the 2021 international competition calendar, which includes the Australian Pacific Cup and the Summer Slam scheduled to take place in Sydney from late February to mid-March. Forza #Italia!
by Roberto Angotti
