Vice-President João Pedro Vieira reflects on four years in office in the Directorate of the CAB

After four years of work, the leadership period of the current Directorate and the mandate of João Pedro Vieira as Vice-President for Sports Management are coming to an end. No exclusive interview to the CAB Official Site, the manager-trainer reflects on his period of service of the club in this dual capacity. Here we record your words: 1- What do you make of your four years as vice president of the club? It was a very rewarding experience, in which I learned to understand and respect even more the work of the leader. You could tell I like coaching a lot more than vice president. 2- As leader, what was the most difficult moment in the mandate? The financial problems that were present at all times of the mandate, making, for example, our Board have to make decisions such as the withdrawal of the Men's League play-off or the women's team have been subjected to a one-week shift and a huge series of games. ... and see club people, especially athletes, going through serious financial problems and we, in the Board, can't do anything about it. 3- And what was the greatest joy? Different moments, but very good: watching children grow up and teenagers from our club become adults and adults and follow their paths in their lives, knowing that the CAB also contributed to their training as people and athletes; a CAB tournament that involved foreign teams and from all points of the country and Azores and involved about 600 participants; when the male team won the Cup of Portugal; and winning, at this time, and against all expectations, the Cup of Portugal Female, having in the team a 43-year-old lady named Taj McWilliams Franklin and her daughter Schera 4- What was the feeling of seeing the club from the perspective of leader, rather than seeing it from the perspective of coach? Seeing the club from the perspective of a leader who has been or is a coach is easier, although sometimes other leaders may not understand the point of view of a leader who thinks as a 'trainer'. But it is undoubtedly a different way of seeing the club, much more complex and that goes beyond victories and defeats and forming players. 5- Have you ever felt a conflict between what you wanted as a coach and what you thought was possible as a leader? Yes, many times. As a coach, I always wanted the best for my team, but, as I was also a manager, I knew that not everything I thought was best for the team would be possible to achieve or execute, and almost always due to financial difficulties. 6- How did you resolve such conflicts? I simply focused on what was essential and tried to make the team suffer as little as possible from these conflicts. 7- What are the 'lessons' that the leading role gave you for your understanding of basketball and competition? I can tell you that the last four years have certainly been full of little lessons that I will take with me to life. I've learned that when it's not just up to you, you can't commit to certain decisions that you might not be able to make, exactly because it's not just up to you. The fact that he was a player and a coach helps a lot more to understand the game and to 'criticize' the competition we have in Portugal. My understanding of basketball and competition is part of a whole process of maturing, and, of course, that these last four years, exercising in two of them the role of leader and in the other two that of the leader/trainer of training and that of the leader/trainer of female seniors, also contributed to this process of maturing. 8- In a word, how do you sum up the last four years of Vice President João Pedro's life? In one word it is difficult, but in two I would say 'weary' and 'gratifying'. 9- What advice would you give to the person who will take up the position you have held in the last four years? Who am I to give advice?... Being vice president of the CAB is one more that, daily, helps the Board to take the club forward... I can't answer that question that easily. Being a leader is very exhausting and often ungrateful, but being a coach is also... For me, the difference is that I love being a coach a lot more than being a manager, and perhaps because I have this passion for training and for managing and leading groups, which gives me great pleasure and, when you get pleasure in what you do, everything gets easier. 10- Any messages you want to leave the CAB FAMILY? I would like to leave a word of thanks to all my fellow directors for the four years of daily work to try to keep open and in office a club that still has much to give basketball. It was a great pleasure to share the sorrows and joys experienced by our club. I have learned from everyone and I sincerely hope that in my own way I have also contributed to a better CAB. I wish everyone the best of this life and, of course, the new Board, that you can do a better job and have more resources to give the necessary support that CAB coaches and athletes deserve.