Read the interview with Emma in BM Basket Magazine, curated by Daniele Morbio.
Leggi l'intervista a Emma su BM Basket Magazine, a cura di Daniele Morbio.
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Scopri i sogni e gli obiettivi di Emma Giacchetti nel mondo del basket, una giovane playmaker che ha già lasciato il segno nella Serie A italiana. Dalla lotta contro la violenza alla difesa della natura, Emma ci racconta la sua passione per il gioco e la sua voglia di giocare nella Nazionale maggiore.
Emma's interview English version
GIACCHETTI, A STAR IS BORN IN CAMPOBASSO
European Under 16 champion last summer and elected to the best five of the continental tournament, she also led the Under 17 of the Molise club to the national title. "I feel the coach's trust, the humanity of the city helps me." "Matilde Villa is an example for us young players, I would like to also make it to the senior National Team." Commitment against gender violence and respect for nature.
DEBUT IN VENICE on October 5, 2022, also scoring her first career point from the free-throw line, Emma Giacchetti is now one of the young promises of the Italian championship, also considering the bronze she won in the Under 16 European Championship last summer. The Macerata girl now plays an average of 5 minutes per game with her Magnolia Campobasso and talks about her impact in Serie A at 16 years old, amidst difficulties and emotions: "Many difficulties, it's the most important league. It was hard to integrate with experienced players in a team where I'm the youngest, especially in the position I play. However, I'm extremely happy to be able to experience this, also because there are many girls who haven't had this opportunity yet. It's difficult for me, yes, but there is a lot of desire to fully experience this, trying to learn new things day by day."
In women's basketball today there are some young girls, but not many who play consistently and regularly, one of them is the talented Matilde Villa, recently an opponent of Campobasso and Emma Giacchetti.
On the space given to young players, the 16-year-old has a rather clear view, emphasizing that, if there aren't many, those who are there must prove that they can play.
"A young player always has to earn trust. They can be extremely strong, but they have to gain the trust of the coach and the team in general, so it's complicated in any case. Matilde is currently the strongest young player in Italy, she is an example of how trust and commitment matter."
WITH HER CAMPOBASSO, the 16-year-old is experiencing an extraordinary season with a current placement among the top 4 or 5 teams in the championship, behind the three dominant powerhouses at the top. It's a dream start with Domenico "Mimmo" Sabatelli on the bench in a city that is showing immense passion and support for the Molise girls.
"I arrived last year, I played a few games already in the past season and now I'm fully integrated, it's a tournament of continuous growth. There are many girls who want to play. We play very well and very often, with great ball movement, we understand each other immediately. It's normal to lose against Bologna and Venice, who are built to win. The fans are the sixth man on the court, they have always supported us and it's fantastic, as well as the entire staff. The relationship with Mimmo is extraordinary, human, he's like a second father to me since I live here alone with the other girls, he demands attention, defensive concentration, and aggression when I enter the court, bringing energy. I'm satisfied with playing 5 minutes every game, I expected it because they had already foreseen this role for me last year, I hope they are also happy with me. This year we would like to advance to the playoffs' second round, that's our season's goal, but we aim first to reach the Italian Cup and try to progress as far as possible in it."
The schedule, with travels and early games, put Bologna and Venice three days apart, two of the title contenders.
"I think Virtus is the favorite, but the real surprise could be Reyer and they could even win the championship because they play fantastically well: they understand each other perfectly, which Schio and Bologna still don't do at this point. Zandalasini could be the MVP of the league if Bologna wins, but if Venice wins, Kuier because she has monstrous qualities, she is a natural talent. I think Faenza, San Martino, and Geas can be the surprises of the championship, along with us, of course."
EMMA ENTERED THIS CHAMPIONSHIP with a precious medal around her neck, the bronze she won at the European Under 16 Championship, and a place in the tournament's best five, a great satisfaction and an even greater emotion that the young guard shares: "We went there with serenity, a desire to demonstrate that the prejudices in Italy about our inability to achieve a good placement were wrong. This brought us up, we were all connected on a human level, we fully enjoyed it. I would never have made it into the ideal five if our team hadn't made it to the podium, I was extremely happy to be among the top five, it gave me a lot of confidence to show what I can be. I have to mention my teammates Francesca Baldassarre, with whom I played in Campobasso last year, she is a wonderful girl and we have a great connection both on and off the court, and undoubtedly Beatrice Cerè, she has great willpower. Then there's little Isabel Hassan, the only one born in 2009 on the team, a talent. And our tall players, Emma D'Este, Marianna Zanetti, they did a great job both in rebounding and more, also the two Geas girls, Minora and Ostoni, Emma Volpato, and Nicole Torresani, who plays in Luxembourg if I'm not mistaken. The coach was Giovanni Lucchesi, we were an amazing group."
A LOVE FOR BASKETBALL that for the 16-year-old Campobasso's number 10 starts from afar, it comes from her mother Federica Sanges, a former Italian player who played in Serie A2: "My passion comes from my mom who played in Civitanova for FEBA, my old club. She always tells me that she used to take me to watch games and I would roll around with the ball even as a little girl. From there, my passion for basketball started until my debut in A2 two years ago and then I came to Campobasso last year for this new experience in A1. My idol is Kobe Bryant for his attention to details, but more realistically I would say Mariella Santucci, who for me is the true inspiration, I associate myself with her way of playing, her way of transmitting the game. I hope she recovers soon from her injury because I want to compete against her and because the National Team needs players like her. I hope to one day play for the senior national team, to continue playing in A1, and to be a leading figure in this championship."
SIXTEEN YEARS OLD, LITTLE "EXPERIENCE" in Serie A1 yet, but already clear ideas about Italian basketball, which needs significant growth and more space.
"We were the first team to be broadcasted on RAI, it was a fantastic emotion, there were also many spectators and we played a great game. Women's basketball needs to be followed and understood, many people don't watch it because they don't understand our game, which is not just about the athleticism of male players, but also about technique, reasoning, and logic present in all the plays we propose. I hope these innovations can continue and become even more concrete."
Today, young people are seen with too much of a tendency to live in the social media world and less inclined towards the reality of life, which concerns not only sports but also everyday living: a situation driven both by the morbid fascination with social media and the changes of our days, our habits, as emphasized by Emma Giacchetti herself.
"Engaging in sports is not only a way to occupy time, but also to regain lost habits, like socializing with other kids, having fun, making new friends: a young person who wants to start should do it early because it's a beautiful world that shapes you and helps you grow. It's true, people no longer find joy in small gestures, in socializing, but I also think that there are often too hasty judgments about a youth universe defined only by appearance and social media use, which represents, in my opinion, a sort of vicious cycle. However, I am convinced that sports help us break away from this "virtual" reality and I'm extremely happy to be in Campobasso, living in the dormitory, playing basketball because it helps me experience real life."
IN RECENT DAYS, there has been much talk about a phenomenon that is a big, enormous problem in Italy, that of femicides and violence against women: at 16 years old, this situation is particularly delicate, but the Campobasso player, amidst difficulties, fears, and sadness in her heart for the case of Giulia Cecchettin, tries to express her opinion, supported by a club like Magnolia that fights for gender equality.
"What happens is terrible, it's ugly to think about it, but any noise late at night makes your hair stand on end, it's like terror. There are often news stories of girls being killed by men for trivial reasons, it's truly ugly. What should one think? People are not well, men should not be allowed to do such things, the life of a girl who had the right to live her life and enter the world like many others has been taken away. Now she can't do it anymore."
A world that needs improvement, but that young Emma Giacchetti tries to live to the fullest, amidst dreams, reality, and future goals at 16 years old, as a girl who wants to be a protagonist in basketball.
"I consider myself a girl with very clear dreams, who will do everything to achieve them, I think I'm cheerful with everyone, I love giving attention to other people to make them happy. From the world I dream of, I would like to eliminate violence, femicides, truly disgusting situations. I would like to encounter that humanity everywhere that I see, for example, in Campobasso: it's beautiful to go out and greet even people I don't know, they are kind. And I would also like nature to be protected because it's a common good: I practically grew up by the sea."
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