R. Zakrys’ Team: More Belief and Maturity After a Challenging Season

The 2012-born Tornado KM I team is preparing for a new Lithuanian Youth Basketball League season after a challenging year. Injuries followed the team throughout last season, forcing the coaching staff to adjust their plans and search for new solutions more than once.

Despite all the challenges, Tornado finished eighth in the regular season and managed to secure a place in the playoffs during the final stretch of the season. There, they faced the regular-season winners. The opponents proved stronger and won the series 2–0, but simply reaching the playoffs became an important reminder for the team that even in difficult circumstances, it is possible to remain competitive.

– We definitely could not avoid injuries, and we are still dealing with their consequences. We are still waiting for two important players, Ridas Liaudenskas and Justas Bruneckas, to rejoin the team. Their injuries were serious, so at the moment it is difficult to say exactly when both of them will be able to fully return to the training process.

At the same time, last season clearly showed another side of this team. I was very happy with the character and fighting spirit the boys showed in the final two MKL games. Those performances helped us earn a place in the playoffs. I think it was an important lesson for the whole team – if you truly believe in what you are doing and fight for one another, nothing is impossible.

– Most importantly, I want the boys to enjoy the game, believe in themselves and trust their teammates. I would like to see them share the ball more, trust one another and make increasingly mature decisions on the court.

Another very important aspect is the ability to read game situations – to understand what is happening on the court, when to attack, when to pass the ball and when to help a teammate. When players begin to understand the game better, basketball naturally becomes both more effective and more enjoyable to watch.

Tornado KM I enters the new season knowing that not everything can be planned in advance. However, last year already proved that this team knows how to fight until the very end. The main priorities now are to welcome the missing players back, build confidence and continue developing a more mature team game step by step.