A truly family-friendly evening to cap off another season that reached an all-time high, with third place in the regular season and a near miss in the playoffs in the Credem Banca Serie A3 championship. A renowned restaurant in Citerna, the “Belvedere”—with its dining room opening onto a terrace overlooking the valley—was chosen as the venue for Volley Altotevere’s convivial gathering on Thursday, May 7th. All the players, coaching staff, operational staff, loyal fans, and even local business representatives were in attendance: about sixty people in total, led by CEO Claudio Bigi, who managed to infuse the event with a friendly yet formal atmosphere. Between courses (with an excellent menu worthy of mention), there were particularly meaningful interludes in the cheerful atmosphere that permeated the evening. One of this year’s new figures, Dr. Nicola Cesarotti, the first team’s mental coach, began the ceremony. He first pretended to award a prize to the supposedly outstanding player, then surprised those present by saying his recognition goes to the entire team. He then presented each of the 14 players on the roster with a star with the words “super mental skills,” rewarding each with a single call. Next came the group of fans who, from the stands, always paint the stadium blue and white and cheer on their favorites from the first point to the last. A letter of gratitude accompanied a trophy presented to captain Jacopo Biffi for leading the team, for instilling grit and heart over his three seasons with ErmGroup. Biffi thanked the players and the club for their thoughts on him. Further ceremonies are scheduled for the next few days, and in the meantime, the management and sports director Valdemaro Gustinelli are hard at work preparing for their fifth consecutive season in Serie A3, which will inevitably involve some changes, along with the expected confirmations.
