Hornets to Practice in Lafayette
NEW ORLEANS - The New Orleans Hornets announced today that they will hold Training Camp Powered by Toyota at the University of Louisiana-Lafayette’s Leon Moncla Indoor Practice Facility from Sept. 29 – Oct. 4.
“As Louisiana’s team, we are really looking forward to having the chance to spend time with our fans in Lafayette,” said Hornets Owner George Shinn. “We are fortunate to have Toyota on board as a partner for our 2009 training camp. As an organization, we consider ourselves a regional team and belong to not only New Orleans, but the entire state of Louisiana.”
“Toyota Dealers in the New Orleans area are thrilled to be in partnership with the Hornets as they prepare for the upcoming season,” said J C Fassino, SVP Marketing for Gulf States Toyota. “Our Toyota Dealers know the Hornets have another successful season ahead and are extremely happy to be able to support them and their outstanding fans.”
The Hornets will hold practice daily from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. with media availability following the practice sessions. Practices will be open only to the media for the final 30 minutes, however, please note that times may fluctuate day to day.
“As a team, we are really looking forward to our time in Lafayette,” said General Manager Jeff Bower. “Spending a week isolated as a team gives us the opportunity to build the type of relationships and camaraderie that are an instrumental in being successful. Our ultimate goal is to bring a championship to the state of Louisiana.”
“The University of Louisiana at Lafayette welcomes the New Orleans Hornets to its campus to prepare for their 2009-10 season,” said university President Dr. Joseph Savoie. “We are pleased to have high-quality athletic facilities like the Leon Moncla Indoor Practice Facility that can attract professional sports teams such as the Hornets to our community.”
In addition to training in Lafayette, the Hornets will take part in the Downtown Alive! on Friday, Oct. 2. All coaches and players will be present at the weekly event, which has been a community tradition in Lafayette for the past 26 years.
“We are very excited to welcome the Hornets to town for training camp,” said Lafayette City-Parish President Joey Durel. “We are pleased they are recognizing the fan base that they have in Lafayette and Acadiana, and we look forward to giving the Hornets a warm welcome on Friday, October 2nd during Downtown Alive.”
On Saturday, October 3, the Hornets will have a scrimmage at Earl K. Long Gym on the campus of the University of Louisiana-Lafayette. More details on the scrimmage will be available at a later date.
