Catalina Alimenti’s perseverance and desire to grow

Catherine Cali Alimenti, originally from Coronel Suárez, traveled to Capital Federal in search of personal growth in hockey. Currently, she is not only the top scorer for her club with 22 goals, GEBA, and the Torneo Metropolitano A, but she is also training with Las Leonas.

At the age of 16 he had already made his debut in First Division at Coronel Suárez Rugby & Hockey Club. At 18 years old, and with the encouragement of his coach, he went to try out for GEBA and since then he has played for the Palermo club, where he made his debut in First Division in 2022. “I always looked at GEBA, and my coach always motivated me to go”commented on the election. Mercedes Taboada, friend and captain of Cali, She remembers the moment she arrived: “She had little headbands. At that time thin ones had become fashionable, and she wore them. When she played I thought ‘she’s good’. For us it’s common for them to come and try on, so we’re used to it.” for people to come who haven’t played for the club since they were little.”

Alimenti is a player that you always want to have on your team, because in addition to her infallible penalty corner she also has goals from play, and her favorite was that way. “I don’t have many goals that are not from the set play, but I remember one against Arquitectura and another against Vélez that I liked a lot, especially for that”. Another thing he wanted to highlight was the goal against River Plate at the crossroads of the 2023 Playoffs, due to the context in which it occurred, and it was one of the first he scored.

According to Clara Campi, teammate, one of the qualities it has Cali It’s the instinct he has on the field, the vision of knowing where you have to be at the moment. Mer He added that he is like a workhorse, he always goes forward. “He has a lot of dedication to training, his goals are not a coincidence, but he prepares a lot”added the captain. One of the gestures that he trained the most, and continues to train, is the right punch. When she was younger, she always looked for the backhand every time she entered the area, but when it was her turn to shoot from the forehand it came out weak. That’s how, on the sand court, he was left throwing 20 balls every time he had to train.

GEBA was a team that was on the rise in 2024. The televised one against Ciudad, the classic, was a breaking point for the Palermo team. From there everything began to improve, eventually qualifying directly for the semifinals of the Playoffs. But when sometimes things don’t work out, the key is knowing that you continue giving everything for the team. “It is something that I have to improve a lot, because I get quite frustrated, but I always try to focus on what I am capable of at that moment and that is what I can give to my teammates.”

Her coach Coronel Suárez made Catalina who she is today, and she owes a lot to him. “He is a big fan of hockey and he ended up passing it on to me too. Since I was four years old when I picked up a hockey stick for the first time, I have never missed a training session.” Furthermore, Carlita Rebecchi was one of the Argentine players who watched the most and tried to copy. “Obviously I was looking at Lucha (Aymar), but Carlita played in the same position as me and was also dragging.” To perfect the short corner kick, he focuses on Agustina Gorzelany and Frédérique Matla, a player from the Netherlands. Based on what he sees in these players, he tries to apply it to his way of playing, modifying some things and copying others.

She is a player who came exclusively for hockey, and although she studies, that was the primary reason for making the change and leaving so many things behind. Among his dreams and goals to achieve he said: “Become a champion with GEBA and wear the Argentine shirt.”