While most national teams during their training camps think only about training, tactics, and physical preparation, Italy's coach Julio Velasco made an unusual gesture towards his volleyball players. During the camp in Cavalese, the legendary specialist gave two books to each of the 14 national team members. The interesting thing is that all titles are different and were personally selected by Velasco according to the character, interests, and sensitivity of each player. According to information from the Italian Volleyball Federation, these are not random reading recommendations. All books have already been read by Velasco, and a large part of them are world bestsellers. The coach decided to give them precisely because he believes they can be useful for the specific player. The initiative perfectly illustrates the philosophy of one of the most successful coaches in the history of volleyball. For Velasco, building a strong team is not limited to technique, tactics, and physical preparation. According to him, reading develops curiosity, self-knowledge, and the ability to communicate – qualities that are also an important part of building a successful team.
However, if we look at Velasco's choices purely from a reader's perspective, we cannot help but make another curious observation. At first glance, the most captivating package seems to have gone to star Paola Egonu. "One Thousand and One Nights" is one of the most popular classics in world literature, and Billie Holiday's autobiography "Lady Sings the Blues" is an easy and engaging read. There is also a strong choice for captain Anna Danesi, who receives Edgar Allan Poe's "Extraordinary Tales" and Ray Bradbury's dystopian classic "Fahrenheit 451". Sports enthusiasts would probably envy Loveth Omoruyi, who, in addition to the novel "Friendship Regained," will also read Andre Agassi's famous autobiography "Open." Ekaterina Antropova and Gaia Giovannini seem to be at the other extreme. Borges is among the most challenging authors of the 20th century, and his works require concentration and often a second reading. No less serious literary challenges are the novels by Mario Vargas Llosa, Sándor Márai, and Ágota Kristóf, which also find a place on Velasco's list. Of course, this is just a reader's perspective. Velasco himself probably wasn't looking for the easiest or most difficult books, but titles that best suited the character and sensitivity of each of his players.
The books Julio Velasco gave to his national team players:
Alessia Orro–The House of the Spirits(Isabel Allende),Embers(Sándor Márai)
Sara Fahr–Love in the Time of Cholera(Gabriel García Márquez),The Real Woman(Sándor Márai)
Denise Meli–For Whom the Bell Tolls(Ernest Hemingway),The Man Who Loved Dogs(Leonardo Padura)
Paola Egonu–One Thousand and One Nights,Lady Sings the Blues(Billie Holiday)
Miriam Sylla–My Brilliant Friend(Elena Ferrante),The Jungle Book(Rudyard Kipling)
Ilaria Spirito–Stories(Julio Cortázar),The Feast of the Goat(Mario Vargas Llosa)
Gaia Giovannini–The K. City Trilogy(Agota Kristof, Hungarian-Swiss writer),The Aleph(Jorge Luis Borges)
Loveth Omoruyi–Reunion(Fred Uhlman),Open(Andre Agassi)
Stella Nervini–The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo(Stieg Larsson),When Nietzsche Wept(Irvin D. Yalom)
Carlotta Cambi–Homeland(Fernando Aramburu)Job(Joseph Roth)
Linda Nwakalor–Dona Flor and Her Two Husbands(Jorge Amado)The War of the End of the World(Mario Vargas Llosa)
Eleonora Fersino–Football(Osvaldo Soriano)The Long Goodbye(Raymond Chandler)
Anna Danesi–Extraordinary Tales(Edgar Allan Poe)Fahrenheit 451(Ray Bradbury)
Ekaterina Antropova–The Girl(Valeria Parella),Fictions(Jorge Luis Borges)
