National team player Anne Simon started her professional career in Italy with San Martino. The team reached the semi finals.
What is your conclusion of the first season as a professional player?
„The start into the season was difficult with 6 losses in a row. While I was satisfied with my personal performances to start, we struggled as a team and the players did not know their role on the court, also because we had many new players on the team. We managed to turn the season around and finish 4th which was impressive and which made us proud about the way we performed. I would say that it was a good season as a team and for me personally. »
How did your playing style adapt to the professional level and what are the things you will work on?
„From a physical standpoint, the difference between USA and Italy has not been significant so that I was well prepared for the level of competition. I have to improve my ball handling skills in order to become more secure and I need to improve my speed to become a better player overall.“
What are your plans for the future?
„I decided to leave San Martino which was a difficult decision. However, I will stay in the first league in Italy and join a club with higher ambitions and where I will have the opportunity to play in an international competition, that was very important to me. I also think that I can keep a strong role in the new team which will give me the opportunity to improve. San Martino was an amazing club and I felt welcome from day one, but I think that we reached the maximum with the team and my goal is to play at the highest possible level.“
The games of the small European countries are coming up. What will be possible for Luxembourg?
„We were so close to qualify for the European Championship. I needed some time to accept that we missed the opportunity and it was difficult to go back to Italy after out tough loss in Montenegro. Now, our focus is to play as good as possible at the games of the small countries and try to win the gold medal. However, Montenegro is the favorite and they are preparing the European Championship. We showed that we can beat them but we also obviously lost a crucial game against the opponent. It will be a hard challenge, first we need to win the first games against Andorra and Cyprus. We have a strong team on paper, everybody is excited and we will try to show the best possible performance at the right moment. »
