Sandra Gonçalves takes stock of her first year in office

Sandra Gonçalves is one of the new faces of the club board. To fulfill her first role as leader of the Friends of the Basketball, Sandra, who is also the mother of an athlete from the Squipa de Sub-14 Males, is widely known as one of the great dynamizers of our institution, as well as an asiduous presence in the various activities that the club organizes, both in the sports and in the social sphere. After a year on his first term as head, the CAB’s Official Website spoke to ‘our’ Sandra and asked her to take stock of his ‘life’ as leader so far. The result of our dialogue is recorded here: What do you make of your first year as head? Very positive! It has been a year of hard work and dedication, but also extraordinary rewards at all levels. This is a great club, a club of and for everyone around it and prides itself on being a great FAMILY. Is seeing the club with manager's eyes any different than seeing him with partner eyes? These are other responsibilities... You feel the weight of the decisions you make, you feel more deeply the criticisms that are made to the club, whether good or bad, you live more intensely the emotions in games and events. There is a great concern of this Directorate with the effectiveness and efficiency in the management of resources, in the organization of our events, in the motivation of our athletes and this feels every day. Is it difficult to separate the responsibilities of leader from the sensitivity of also being a mother of an athlete? Actually, I think the two perspectives are complete. This is essentially a Training Club and, from this perspective, it is good to be able to make the contribution of those who are ‘on the other side’. On the contrary, it is also good to perceive, as the athlete's mother, the reasons for the decisions made by the club's management. For you, what was the highlight of 2014/2015? Definitely the ‘Final Four’ of the Women’s Portugal Cup. Those were unforgettable moments. From the ‘bubbling’ of the organization of the event to the moment when you have the feeling of ‘mission accomplished’, with a pavilion full of fans, color, noise, joy, enthusiasm!... It is difficult to verbalize what all those who contributed to that spectacle felt in those days. And, of course, the cherry on top of the cake: watch our athletes raise the ‘cup’ of triumph! It was beautiful! What about the least accomplished moment? The final of the Women's National Championship, especially because of the burden of injustice aggregated at the moment. After an era that cannot be classified below ‘excellent’, it was a great sadness! But we're not one to fade. Next season we'll be better. What does not kill us strengthens us – and this did not kill us! Is the CAB a different club? What sets you apart? The cab is the cab! We have one thing in common with the other clubs: we play basketball. Everything else sets us apart. And we've worked hard to be like this, A FAMILY! What prospects do you have for the CAB Tournament? It'll be another of the highest points of the season. I already smell the movement, noise, laughter, sweat, joy, emotion, companionship, surprises! They'll be very busy days, great days! We have many teams registered and this only reinforces the idea that the CAB Tournament is ‘that’ event in which all clubs like to participate. It's gonna be the big basketball party! What is it that catamaran trips, dinner parties, fado nights, cake sales, parades, raffles, gym classes, Zumba events, exhibitions, games with journalists, games with society guys, workshops and ‘rally paper’ have to do with basketball? You got me! I bet you've heard me say 'collateral effect' (laughs) All these initiatives, and many others that are yet to come, only reinforce our concept of "Family of Families". Families live together, have fun together, help each other when it's necessary and that's what we do! At these events, athletes, coaches, leaders, supporters, family members, friends and acquaintances join. And we have news: the FAMILY keeps growing! What message would you like to leave the CAB FAMILY? May we always be a united, happy and dynamic family! In constant ‘adoption’ phase!