Vilnius 'Rytas' begins season preparations with first training session

The Vilnius "Rytas" basketball club has officially commenced its journey toward the new season, gathering for its inaugural team training session. The event saw the participation of both seasoned veterans and new recruits, alongside players from the club's youth system.

Head coach Nedas Pacevičius shared his enthusiasm for the team's current atmosphere, noting the positive energy and the pleasure of seeing familiar faces and new additions. He acknowledged that the initial weeks of training often involve a demanding routine but expressed confidence in the team's ability to maintain engagement and avoid monotony.

“

The moods are very good, really. My first words to the team today were that I personally felt I had missed that process a little, all those faces. It's nice to see so many new faces, as well as those we worked with last year – players, coaches. The emotions are good, but as always: the first few weeks are always like this, and then you get into that routine, which becomes somewhat monotonous, but our job will be to ensure it isn't.

Newcomer Cassius Winston echoed the coach's sentiments, describing his first practice with the team as enjoyable. He praised his teammates as fun and hardworking, anticipating a promising season. Winston also mentioned settling into Vilnius, focusing on rest during his initial days in the capital.

“

I feel good. It was fun to get on the court with the team, get to know everyone, the coaching staff, get moving and start the season. The teammates are great, fun, hardworking, so it's going to be a fun season. In the first days in Vilnius, I'm trying to just sleep and rest. My family likes it very much, so everything is fine.

The team's initial training focused on physical conditioning and system integration, conducted without full contact. "Rytas" is not yet at full strength, as five players are currently representing their national teams. Gytis Radzevičius, Matas Jogėla, and Augustas Marčiulionis are with the Lithuanian national team, Kay Bruhnke is with Germany, and new player Ricky Lindo is playing for Panama.

Coach Pacevičius highlighted the valuable contribution of the club's youth system during this period, providing energy and support. He noted that the players returning from national team duties would receive a few days of rest after their international games before rejoining the club. Veteran player Gytis Masiulis also expressed his excitement about returning to the court after a lengthy summer break, looking forward to the upcoming season.

“

It's very nice to be back on the court again, to meet my friends. The first practice – introductory. We worked a bit physically, threw the ball, didn't strategize too much, but it's very nice to be on the court again. It was quite a long summer break, so I really missed basketball and we've gotten back to work with good spirits.