Global Exchange – Brazil

Thanks Partners of the Americas Indiana – Chapter!

June 10th 2009

A day of contrasts:

2:00 pm

Today we started out with our first visit to the Ayrton Senna Foundation  to observe program for young people.  This is coordinated with local university and National Foundation.  Amazing young people working with litlle children.  Physical fitness and educational enrichment are program emphasis.

3:00pm – 6:45 pm

Futsal Training was conducted at the Colegio Israelita.  Unique place for Futsal in Porto Alegre.  There U12 team is National Champs on will playing in the Disney Cup Championships for South & Central America.  This group was trained Coach Eduardo, but he is

supported by a professional staff that prepares young people to enjoy sport at Colegio Israelita.  They have a plan that they use for all their sports programs.  Futsal does not stand alone.  Staff is multidisciplined in training in many sport activities.  It was great to be there to see that many of the youth are trying different sports but it their choice to participate in sports while being supported by family. We could learn so much from their philosophy developing well rounded people with passion for athletics.  Clearly a best practice. 

Then something life changing happened.  Their Coordinator Coach Pena left the facililty to staff and went to their social program that he runs alone.  He is supported by staff with their time.  We went to Vila of Good Jesus (Vila Bom Jesus), a Favela. 

7:00pm

It was dark,  not much light except for stars and some street lights,  the program for Vila Good Jesus (Vila Bom Jesus) takes place at the school that is known by the Bus Line name of   ´´470´´.   As we traveled there we saw time stand still,  we moved into the hills and side winding

streets, we saw a mix of altitude, attitude, and culture.  We do not know the level of violence and lawlessness that potentially exists here in America.  You saw cars, to bicycles, to horse drawn carriages as main modes of transportation all in this one community.  This community is run by powerful drug families that support the people where there are social gaps.  The futsal court (one court, no nets, holes in fences, ) have 30 players participating.  The children are full of life.  These kids played hard, creative, and had a drive that they played as if their lives depended on it. 

more to come….

June 12, 2009

9:00 am

Another dream made a reality.  I visited Gremio.  Usually you get to see practice from outside and see players through fences and watch training, and maybe meet a couple of players, but today was different. 

We were invited in to share the morning with the staff.  We walked into the stadium and were escorted to meet with the staff that supports the Gremio professional soccer team.  First it was a meeting with the Scouting and performance staff they shared their professional background and explained the process of Scouting and preparation for matches.  This department uses the best in soccer scouting on the field with the lastest film editing technology. 

They were analyzing high level matches that featured future opponents.  They learned many of these things through graduate level study abroad in other countries.  They also shared that the cognitive level of sport performance is the standard of development in the world class soccer.  Information to athletes and coaching staff will build high levels of performance in competition.  Combined with the culutre of Brasileiro Futebol and you have a home-made recipe for success.  We were grateful to have this time with the staff,  but then they said come here, but you must turn all the cameras off.  They took us to spiral stair case in the stadium and showed us the high performance areas within Gremio.  We saw the nutrition area, locker room (SAMBA WAS BEING PLAYED ON LOUD SPEAKERS), media room, strength and conditioning room, physiotherapy, medical, equipment room, and many areas that I remember but could not take all in.  We have a long way to go to reach the high performance standards of Global Football in the United States.  Once again the

recognition and use of best in resources, people, and culture have created a standard of excellence.   Not all staff were high level Futebol athletes, but were were experts in their respective role.   As the top physiologist shared “Only 4 clubs in Brazil have these standards and resources, but we have to ask ourselves daily, `how do we use these resources´ to improve perfomance on the field´´.    Each person that I met was a student of the game and life.  They shared their expertise without no threat of competition.  They believe that through sharing of information it only makes the best better.  They carried no fear of hiding their expertise.  Also,  they study experts across disciplines in sport, but always applying to real world environment.  It seemed common to all people in high roles in Brazil to have practical and theoretical years of experience combined, but all were young people aged 25-38.  The Coaching staff was older but relied on the education base of young people.  This staff was amazing and they all worked together to strive for high performance on the field of play. 

More to come….

June 12th – 3:00 pm

We headed to a German Colony, west of Porto Alegre,  the interstate we travel edwas single lane,  and had radar zones everywhere.  Santa Cruz do Sul was like traveling from Indianapolis to Bloomington,  It is the hotbed of Basketball. 

We first visited University of Santa Cruz do Sul.  Coach Victor Chukwudebe was traveling with us to conduct the basketball clinic.  We heard the universal language of basketball, squeaking sneakers on the court, it was cool!  When we entered in to gym.  It was amazing to see hoopsters, and extremely tall hoopsters playing the game.  It is my theory that the German pastry “Cuca´´ is the reason why there were so many young people above 6 feet tall.  I hope to bring the recipe back. 

Coach Victor showed them good fundamental practice games and spoke to athletes and coaches on sports and youth development in America.  We also visited Corinthians basketball club (of course after having some “Cuca´´, I do feel taller).  This club is one the oldest basketball clubs in Rio Grande do Sul.  It has two professional basketball national championship teams in its history.  This is amazing for a town with a population of 120,000 people.  This town reminded me of “Indiana Basketball´´.   Santa Cruz do Sul  has its assembly hall, and young people are in the gym training on Friday night.   Santa Cruz do Sul has a young player that will be going to NBA discovery camp in Central America (Mexico City), and will come to the United States to play in high school.  Basketball is clearly a sport that has taken root and grown here!

This morning we were picked up and escorted to Town called Nova Prata.  We were picked by the mayor´s staff and driven 200 kilometers.  The drive was amazing.  We traveled through wine country and small mountain communities.  There was no way that I could have the courage travel the mountain roads, paved well but winding.  Wilmar our driver was clearly an expert in traveling the road.  We stopped at a “Lancheria ´´`or fast food place to have cafezinho or espresso.  Also,  we just arrived to see the kickoff of the Confederations cup match between Brazil and Egypt.  Amazing in the small country side we see that Brazilian Futebol is king.  One gentlemen mentioned in Portuguese that Kaka should be say “Muito Obrigado´´ to Egypt for the first goal of the game.  I actually understood him.  Well back to Nova Prata,  this town is nestled in Sierra Gaucho of Rio Grande do Sul.  It is a sister city of Noblesville, Indiana.  The mayor was a very kind, funny, and driven person to make the quality of life better for everyone in their city.  He also surrounded himself with young people to help fulfill his vision.  We had a wonderful lunch and then went to see a Nation´s best practice “Segundo Tempo´´, or second half program.  This program provide enrichment and exercise through dance & sport.  All staff in this program are  degreed professionals with Physical Education specialization.  We danced capoeria,  played batucada (drums) and danced samba with the young people.  One instructor quoted Martin Luther King “I have a dream that my four children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character. I have a dream today.´´  It shows the power of  sharing ideas to change the world.  I could speak about the poverty of the participants in “Segundo Tempo´´, but what I saw was a treasure of community perservering and with joy.  Mayor Victor is doing everything possible to bridge the powerful economy of Nova Prata with meeting and alleviating poverty.  He has proven it can be done.

more to come…

Tuesday & Wednesday June 16-17

Full day tuesday, picked up at early in the morning and we met with social programs coordinator for internationale.  This club had great tradition and is world champs in soccer.  They teach activities to young people during the half the day while first team training takes place.  We saw there suites section of stadium (please note stadium was busy selling tickets for games and people where everywhere).  Futebol is show much a part of the social fabric in Porto Alegre.  Internationale is truly the “citizens club´´.  Then we had lunch with the mayor of Alegrete. He came to Porto Alegre to meet with us(8 hour trip).  He mentioned that they have plans to have social programs with sports he shared ideas and we hope there could be a level of collaboration in the future.  Later in the evening we went to watch u15 boys basketball match “sogipa´´ versus “uniao´´.  There are sport clubs all over the city ranging from 167 years old sogipa to new Futsal club owned by Ronaldinho Gaucho.  Great experience,  even saw world championship gymnast training.  Later that night met with Felipe or “Bolo´´.  We talked for about an hour on training similarities of Futebol and Futsal.  This was a very intersting discussion due to the fact that he was an understudy of the Mourinho method of coaching in Portugal.  Jose did not create it but has improved on his father´s ideas.  Also he is one of the physical trainers of futsal professionals at club Porto Alegre.   Great discussion, by the way Futsal and Soccer are two distinct disciplines in learning, teaching, and playing. 

Next morning a day to remember:

We then traveled to the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul.  We were shown the campus for physical education and also given presentation on the national policy of sport and where social programs fit into support the nation of Brazil.  During that time we visited Cero-Cero program, and learned about legacy of  Ayrton Senna Foundation and the children it has served across the country.  Clearly there is so much much more that we can learn in exchange with Brazil regarding youth development, sport, and social programs. 

We also had the privilege to talk with the study group (cross disciplines, theorists and practioners) on youth development and sport in both countries.  

 

 

 

 

In the afternoon, Coach Victor ran a practice for u17 boys at sogipa, and then I was given time to meet with Rogerio Voser Phd. 

 

 

 

He one of the foremost writers and practioners on fustal in Brazil.  He mentioned that coaches that have court sports background can teach, play, coach Futsal.  He also mentioned that Fustal helps develop soccer players but not necessarily the other way around.  This game, Futsal has its own body of knowledge being shared around the world.  It does have room in the sport community of the US.    Then it was on to the Quaterfinal Match of Copa Libertadores Gremio vs Caracas……more to come

1:00 am

Just attended the quarterfinals of the Copa Libertadores.  Fans are singing in the streets. 

 

I am officially Gremista.  This was truly the most spectacular soccer match I have been to as a spectator.  Kickoff was at 10:00 pm because of television.  It felt like 7pm becuase of the energy of the crowd.  We sat in a seated section watching the supporters sing the team to get the result of 0-0 tie.   This tie put Gremio through to the final four of Copa Libertadores.  This post is about the crowd. 

The most amazing thing happened during the match.  A foul was called and then with any warning there was rowdy cheers and celebrations happening throughout the stadium.  I look bewildered.  Did I miss something.  No, just that Ronaldo from Corinthians Just put a goal in to score against Internacionale of  Porto Alegre.  The Gremistas of Gremio were celebrating and that made the singing even louder.  Dale ….Dale…Gremio or Come on…Come on Gremio!  I can still hear the songs in my head and heart.  World Class futebol in a world championship city….in a world championship nation….that is Brazil….more to come…

Last Day in Porto Alegre,

9:00 am

we took a trip south of the city to Ronaldinho Gaucho´s social program.  The Ronaldinho Institute (IRG) is his dream to to help disadvantaged kids through sports and education.  The Institute is on a rolling hills campus in the heart of a very poor section of Porto Alegre. 

 

IRG was teaming with activities and professional staff working with kids in the community. 

 

Providing meals, Futsal, Futebol, Arts and Crafts, Computer Technology, and Brazilian drums,  this program is clearly a best practice in what world class athletes can provide to improve and empower others.

In the evening we closed out our visit with the sport ministry director for Porto Alegre, Joao Bosco.  We discussed potential for concurrent Mayors Cup for Soccer in both Porto Alegre and Indianapolis. 

 

 

We learned how they have create a recreation and leisure inclusive city.  Over the past 10 days we saw this in action.  From Basketball clubs, open play futsal, community accesible parks, two world championship clubs, and of course wonderful Brazilian people.  We saw what could become of a creative community of Gaucho people that make the best of life….Obrigado Brazil…Muito Muito Obrigado.