Football 5-a-side - RIBEIRO de VASCONCELOS Fabio

General
FROM COURT TO BENCH
After playing in the Brazilian men's Para football 5-a-side teams that won gold at the Paralympic Games in 2004, 2008 and 2012, he was appointed head coach of the team in 2013. He feels he has adapted well to his role change and has brought a more professional approach to the sport since taking over as coach. "My fear at the beginning was my friendship with the players. I came off the court and became coach so I was afraid of that. I decide things alongside the members of the team, I am a friend of them, but at working time I have to be serious. The players understood this very well and despite all difficulties it all went well. In my time [as a player] the training periods were shorter and scarce. But with all the talent we had, we managed to get results for Brazil. Now, thanks to the Confederation and the Brazilian Paralympic Committee we have a bigger structure and we train more. We also could install in the minds of the players the need to be more professional and train and take care of themselves even when they are not with the national team. In the modern game they have to defend and attack, the game is more intense and everybody have to participate. It doesn't matter if you are the best in the world, you have to be ready physically and mentally for everything." (olimpiadatododia.com.br, 05 May 2020; agenciabrasil.com.br, 06 May 2020)