If legends like Apple Computer can be born in a garage, it is not that surprising that the formation of the VU KNF Basketball team started with a conversation in the Student‘s Representation. What matters is whether words become actions. Giedrius Romeika, the dean of the Faculty, is certain that there is only one formula for increasing student involvement in the University life: to listen, to encourage and to support, and hopes that this great example will be an incentive for the less daring. Mantas Kalinauskas, the student of the Economics and Management study programme, agrees with the dean. He has taken the lead without fear of the inevitable bureaucracy and is determined to turn this venture into a beneficial experience.
“We discussed the matter, created a survey and shared it on social media. After collecting the answers, we organised the first training session to get to know the players and assess their skills and potential,” says Mantas Kalinauskas, the team leader. Together with him, the first members of the team were Titas Repšys, the then chairman of the Students' Representation, and Marijus Našlėnas, the first-year student of the Finance Analytics study programme. The first meeting of the players was followed by negotiations with the administration of the Faculty, which not only helped to set the goals but also to secure the necessary funding.
“Basketball means much more to us as a team than just sport or winning. It is a symbol of fellowship and unity, reflecting our different experiences, ages and fields of study. Basketball brings us together as a strong team, gives us the opportunity to develop team morale, to work towards common goals and to share our enthusiasm for sport,” says the team leader. M. Kalinauskas notes that most of the players have experience in playing basketball, some of them were teammates in basketball schools. But there are also newcomers to the sport, who have been involved and taught the subtleties of the game. “It is never too late,” he says and is glad that the impressive victory was gained not by chasing sporting achievements but by focusing on team spirit.
“The team preparation for the competitions, the hardening workouts and exercises that helped to keep the team physically fit and create a stronger bond between the team members should not be forgotten,” says Mantas. According to him, besides the constant technical work with the team, perhaps the biggest contribution of the coach Liucijus Biekša is the strong motivation and the individual tactics developed when playing against other teams. “All the players in the team motivate each other in their own ways, but if I had to pick one player, of course it would be Marijus Našlėnas. He has been the driving force of the team this season and has set a great example of how passionate we need to be in every game, no matter what team we play against,” smiles the team leader.
“Team communication improved particularly in the second half of the season when we finally started to pick up wins. Taking the time to celebrate them certainly contributed to that as well. Going to matches in Vilnius also brought us closer, as time on the road together in a small space became a natural socialisation that went beyond the basketball court and strengthened interpersonal ties,” tells Mantas Kalinauskas. He was also burdened with the inevitable conflicts in this type of sport, so the team leader is especially happy that it did not break up the team, but only made it stronger.
The students took the permission to carry the flag of the Faculty very seriously. The Instagram account, created especially for the team's communication, has a style similar to that of the VU brand, and impresses with its consistency and immediacy of news in relevant formats. The students initiated live broadcasts of the most important competitions. On the basketball court, there was also a great deal of fan support.
The team's clothing is designed by Mantas Kalinauskas himself. “We wanted to stand out from the rest. The idea was to represent the architectural part of our Kaunas Faculty in the clothing. We think that this idea worked very well with the help of suppliers. But there iss always room for improvement – we would like to create a different shade of shorts and warm-up shirts,” he says, sharing the plans for the future. The student is excited to apply what he has learned in his studies when communicating about the team.
“Of course, we are appreciated by the University and Faculty community, because for the first time in the history of Kaunas Faculty, the team took part in the Rector's Cup tournament and won silver medals. This is a great step for our Faculty,” says M. Kalinauskas. “We are most excited about the launch of sports activity to bring the Faculty community together and to promote its name.” The team leader mentions that in the future he would like to have more funding for the team, both to help with domestic issues and to make the players more comfortable. However, the biggest wish of the whole team is that first-year students, who have just started their integration in the Faculty, join in. This way, they can take advantage of the opportunity to pursue their interests and thus get involved in the community.