BadalonaJoel Parra was 8 years old when Joventut de Badalona played in the semifinals of the Endesa League. The last time the Peña qualified for a final, it had not even been born. The green-and-black winger, who a few days ago was selected as the best youngster in the competition, dreams that the club of his life will live again moments like those of the first part of the 90s, when he get a European Cup, two Leagues and a Korac. “Our goal is for the Penya to be big again, like that of Jordi Villacampa and Rafa Jofresa. Matching what they did is very difficult because those years were very good, but we have to be one of the important teams in the Endesa League , that the rivals have the fear or the respect to us of other times “, analyzes Parra.
“When I arrived at the Peña at the age of five, I only thought about playing and having fun, enjoying my teammates. This club has seen me grow as a player and as a person, ”said the green-and-black team winger. Joel Parra’s season is being very good and, in addition, he has connected very well with a fan who has him as one of his great references. “It’s something I didn’t expect. I’m like that on and off the court, and people like to see me play makes me even more proud,” he admits. During the third game of the semifinals, they were played with Nikola Mirotic, the great star of a Barça who wants to repeat the title of champion.
“What Carles Duran is asking me to do is to be myself, to do the things that have brought me to the first team of the Youth. He gives me a lot of advice and reminds me that everything starts from the defense, that it brings a lot of energy, that “The key is to exploit the things that define me and that have to do with intensity,” said Parra, who is offering his full version. “The key factor is confidence. This is my fifth year in the first team and every year that passes is noticeable. I feel more mature and with a more regular game. It’s a process that all young players go through and everyone has its own evolution. I feel settled, “he says.
When he was a teenager, the Penya opted to change his shooting hand, a risky decision that has worked very well. “I was told when I went from first-year cadet to second-year cadet. “It was not an effective shot, especially from the three-point line. I went to death with the goal because if they were proposing it to me, it was because it was beneficial for me. If I had to make three shots and not touch the hoop I didn’t care because I was thinking about a long-term improvement. Pau del Tio helped me a lot in the process. I am happy because the club did it with my progression in mind and it worked, “he said.
“Joel from the lower categories threw with the same effectiveness with his right hand as with his left near the basket, but when he walked away he had no effectiveness. Joel is the main protagonist of this story. It’s all based on the trust he placed in me, and the day-to-day work. His determination was key “, analyzes Pau del Tio, assistant coach of the Peña. The role of Jordi Martí and David Jimeno was also decisive.
Vine has become the benchmark for boys and girls in the nursery. “El Joventut is a special club because it connects the first team players with the base players. When you are training on the sidelines, you can get closer to see how the first team works. They create the motivation to understand that, “If you work, you can become one of them. It’s the big dream of all the players who are in the club.
