Vice President Roberto Rodrigues talks about the start of the season and the expectations of senior farmers and training

The beginning of a new era is always a time of great demand for the Cube, not only because of the financial responsibilities that a new year entails, particularly when it comes to the competition of senior teams, but also because of all the logistical pressure inherent in managing a club with a large training and four teams to participate in national races. In an interview with the CAB's Official Website, Roberto Rodrigues, Vice President for Sports Management, reports in the first person the way the beginning of 2016/2017 is being lived by the club's Board and makes pertinent observations about the functioning of the Training and the senior teams. How is this start-up of the season taking place at the management level? At the directional level, the beginning of the season is always guided by a great azáfama, because after the hiring of all athletes, the registration process begins, the preparation of logistics for the sports and social season of the club, because in a club like the CAB we cannot organize things "on top of the knee", so everything should be planned in detail and with due time for the interventions necessary for the desired result. What are the expectations for senior teams? Expectations are always quite high, waiting for the best possible result in each sector and obviously pass through titles. These expectations are only possible due to the great degree of demand and rigour guided by the Board and consequently by the coaches of our teams, because only then will it be possible to have the expected results and justify all public and private bets in our club. And what are the expectations regarding training? In a club awarded several times by the maximum basketball entity in Portugal, which is the Portuguese Basketball Federation, and one of the few clubs certified as a training school, expectations could also be high, we try every day to give more and better conditions to coaches and athletes, always knowing that no matter how many such conditions are provided, there will be a need to move to the next level, such as an athlete whenever he reaches a level, the goal will have to be next. Despite high expectations, driving will only require a single condition for all coaches and athletes: WORK. It is notorious the turnout that is happening to the club's training schools in the overwhelming majority of the ranks. What reading can be made of this situation? What challenges does it pose to the club? Reading this situation can be seen as a consequence of the excellent work that has been done over the years by those who collaborate in training, trainers, coordinators, educators and other people present. The challenge is one, which is related to the limited space that the club has, however solutions will be found, because it just does not find the person who does not seek, so we prefer to have this challenge to solve than not to have it...to work! As a leader, what role would you like to see the education officers take over the Training Process that is carried out within the club? As in previous interviews, I would like to see those in charge of education more involved in the activities of their students, and despite several priorities, expect that sport sometimes would not be seen as the "ugly duck" of activities, because I think there is time for everything. Sometimes, unfortunately, I still see and hear in charge of education to make the children stop attending training to study, but if there is a real organization it will always be possible to coordinate all activities. This type of situation may also come from the "absence" of those in charge of this training process, because there are still athletes who, excuse me the expression, seem to be "goods" being "discharged" the pavilion door and "collected" after training/games. What message would you like to leave to senior teams and their coaches? The senior teams would just like to ask for a lot of work and dedication, that in each training and in each game, do it as the last, because regardless of the sports result, they will always be calmly aware that they have done everything positively, contributing to what they can and know best, otherwise they will always face the psychological component that they could have defended more, run more... And it's a bad feeling! And what message would you leave for Training and their coaches? For training the previous message must also be its guiding line, because all training will be the seniors of tomorrow and being our future, it can only be better if you work to the maximum. Knowing what it's like to still be a player in the training, I add some aspects that you must always keep in mind: don't stop dreaming, because only in this way will it be possible for you to fight for your goals and seek to improve what you control (your game!), all that is alien to you will only serve as excuses for failures and nothing else.