João Pedro Vieira in New Year's interview

João Pedro Vieira is a coach who is leading the Women's Team on a very beautiful and meritorious walk. However, it has its feet well placed on the ground and knows that nothing is gained, but that only with much work and concentration can the group that guides get even further. On New Year's Day, the Women's Senior Coach spoke to the CAB Official Site about the second phase of the Women's League competition. Is the team ready for round two? The team just needs to be prepared, because that's what we work for every day. On this second round, our responsibilities are even greater as we are the team that has not yet lost a game. What do you tell the players to keep their concentration levels high? In every training session, whether technical, physical or tactical, we always have to be at our limit. We cannot accommodate ourselves, we must always want more if we want to achieve our objectives. Will the second round of the championship be different from the first round? This second round will be very different from the first round of the championship. Many teams have changed or will change their five strong ones, which will naturally make different results happen, of course. With the departure of some players and the entry of others, some games will be even more contested and fool yourself who thinks it will be easy!... The fact that we have not yet lost this season gives us more motivation and responsibility to maintain this first place, always having the awareness that it will be much more difficult than the first round, because it is legitimate that all teams want to win the first round. January is one of many games. How will the team handle the wear and tear? During this month of January, and if we make it to the Finals of the Federation Cup, we'll have six games. The players want to play, because that's what they train for every day, and we'll have to be well physically to maintain the level demonstrated in the first lap. This Christmas stop didn't come at a very good time, because our team was growing in a very interesting way. So let us see how we react to this stop, but I think that after two or three games we will be back at the desired competitive level. How has it been working with João Fernandes and Luisa Montes? I am very pleased and happy for the dynamic we have. We are working as a real team, communication is working very well and the work done by everyone and between the sub-24 team and the senior team is being very positive. Luisa's work is complicated, as she has to train with her about 18 athletes on a daily basis, but she is still able to maintain the competitive level in the I Division and, at the same time, help the younger to evolve and gradually join the senior team. I'm very happy with Luisa's work. João Fernandes, after many years completely out of female basketball, is a pleasant surprise and is perfectly integrated into the team's working dynamics. It is a great help in the daily training sessions with the senior team and it is he who follows me more often in the Women's League games, because Luisa usually has the satellite team games. I hope we can keep the same dynamic until the end of the season, and if so, I hope we get pretty things for our club. Is the new competition system for the Women's League finals more interesting than the previous one? Personally, I do not like the new system of dispute at all, because it does not see the regularity of the best teams throughout the season. All it takes is a few injuries and a short squad, which becomes very difficult to be a national champion. The playoff I think is the best system of competition, because you always have a week to prepare the next game and to outline and train strategies to win your opponent. In this system of all against all on a weekend, anything is possible. But if we want to be champions, we have to go to the final round to win all the games, so that's what we're working for. What message do you want to leave to CAB FAMILY for 2015? Basketball is a fantastic sport. This is where I made best friends. Let's all help the CAB stay the big club it is. Athletes, coaches, parents, leaders, employees and sympathizers, in 2015, more appear in the games, both from senior teams and in the games of the training teams. To everyone, to a happy new year and, above all, to me, the most important thing is that we all have great health.