We are going to meet a young basketball player, today (year class: 1999). He keeps the Sala Consilina’s flag flying, overseas. Precisely in Stanton, Montcalm County, Michigan. Pierpaolo Puglia is a play-guard. He comes from Sala Consilina and he won a scholarship that gave him the chance to play in the World Basketball homeland: the U.S.A.
Let’s read his words:
In what team did you start play basketball?
My basketball career began with “Polisportiva basket Sala Consilina”. Then I went to “Pallacanestro trinità”, where I still play. With the “Pallacanestro trinità” I partecipated to the youth leagues category and Promotion.
Who was your first coach? What did he give you?
My first coach was Gennaro Durante. Since I was 6, he grew me up in the gym as a son. I know I can always count on him, there is a great feeling between us!
In what american high school do you play? How did you get there?
I play in the Central Montcalm High School team. Since I had the opportunity to attend one semester in an American school, I couldn’t miss this great opportunity. “Make the team” is not easy because there are a lot of guys who try to get into the team and many of them are left out. I’ve been good and lucky, and, after passing physical and practical intense tests, coach Basom confirmed my presence in the team. It was an undescribable emotion, because the dream of any basketball respectable player is to play in the U.S.A.!
What did you miss about Sala Consilina?
I miss the smell of my grandma’s sunday sause. (Un)fortunately, my american experience is coming to an end, so I can finally go back to my’grandma’s good kitchen. Jokes asides, I missed my family, my friends, my italian team. But I created a second life here; I put on stand-by my “daily life”, by creating reletionships with new people, new things and new smells that I will always carry in my heart. These new connections helped me to keep going.
Speaking about basketball, what differences did you find between Italy and America?
The differences are abysmal. Here we practice a game mainly physical and the level is considerably higher. Basketball, as well as any other sport, is a get-together for the community. People of all ages follow the high school teams: That’s great! Once I was in a fast food restaurant in a nearby town, a lady recognized me and congratulated me for the match of the previous evening. Another big difference is the infrastructure: my school has a gym with three basketball courts, near to each other. The other schools have gyms like this one. For this reason, we can train every day. Consequently, the level of basketball is higher.