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Friday, November 28, 2008
Greetings from an archipelago
 Hello everybody, this is Mario Fernandez, point guard of Kalise Gran Canaria and one of the new bloggers at Eurocupbasketball.com. First of all, I would like to thank the Eurocup organization for having the opportunity to give my opinion and give my point of view and humble thoughts in this blog, which I will write with the best intentions. I really hope that the time you spend reading this blog is worth it whenever you come close to these lines.
For those that don't know me well, this is my third season with Kalise Gran Canaria. I started my career playing for FC Barcelona, in its cadet and junior teams, as well as for its second team. Six years ago, I joined Calpe in the Spanish third division. I soon moved up to the Spanish second division, playing for Aracena, Menorca and CAI Zaragoza before joining Gran Canaria. This season, we are back in Europe's second competition and, as usual, we will be the European team that accumulates the most kilometers travelling around the continent - and misses more practices because of those long trips.
Gran Canaria is one of the Canary Islands and that makes us both the westernmost and southernmost team, geographically, in the competition. It all makes sense - the long trips, the endless hours spent on airports, the physical effort that you have to make after long trips, playing two really strong competitions - because of our extraordinary fans. I can say we all are honoured to represent our club and our fans all around the continent. We can even consider ourselves, in a way, as sports ambassadors of the Canary Archipelago. Of course, this is a must-come place and everyone should visit the Canary Islands not only because of its great weather, but also because of its good people and its many attractions.
It is safe to say that Kalise Gran Canaria is not one of the highest-budgets teams in Europe - it is more the other way around. Without trying to look arrogant, I have to say we manage to compete in such a strong, tough domestic league like the ACB, with good results and great wins along the way. I would even say that no matter what some big brains and basketball experts say out there at the beginning of each season, we always beat their expectations.
A lot of people ask me about the secret that allowed Kalise Gran Canaria to do so well year after year. In a way, I am totally convinved that there is no other recipe that hard work and a good atmosphere inside the team. We have a great basketball environment and the atmosphere is great. There are no little "cliques" in this team, which is very remarkable especially this season, with five new players such as Josh Fisher, James Augustine, Daniel Kickert, Melvin Sanders and Albert Moncasi.
Above all, there is an excellent symbiosis with our great Gran Canaria fans. That is the key for us to survuive, stay together as a team and obtain good results along the way. Friends, this is our main strength. The relationship with our fans is what makes this modest team so strong.
See you next time!!!
POSTED BY
MARIO FERNANDEZ - GRAN CANARIA, SPAIN
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