CUIDAR held this Monday (13) the lecture “In Search of Excellence” given by the former coach of the Brazilian Volleyball Team, Bernardo Rezende, Bernardinho. In the Noble Hall, at the Gávea headquarters, the event brought together more than 600 people, including athletes and club professionals. The President, Eduardo Bandeira de Mello; the Vice-President of Olympic Sports, Alexandre Póvoa; and the Director of the department, Marcelo Vido, were in the audience.

With a degree in Economics from the Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro, Bernardinho coached the national men's volleyball team from 2001 to 2017, winning two Olympic gold medals (in 2004 and 2016), three World Championships, two World Cups, eight World Leagues, and three Champions Leagues. Leading the Rio de Janeiro team, the coach also won no fewer than eleven editions of the Superliga, the sport's highest competition in the country. Off the court, he has written two books, lectures throughout Brazil, and recently became a professor at PUC-Rio.

The School of Athletes and Professionals event featured Flamengo fans from all sports and categories, from youth to professional. Accustomed to working with athletes, Bernardinho commented on the opportunity to chat with athletes of all ages. 

“You do something that is more generic, you can't get too specific, because you're talking to very young kids and more established champions, so you have to do something that can, in a certain way, reach everyone,” he commented. 

"My fear was that some message the little ones wouldn't understand, and that something meant for the younger ones would be uninteresting to the older ones. I wanted to convey a bit of the message to everyone. It was a really cool experience, and I can see it from the enthusiasm of the group; everyone will certainly take something away. They're different, but everyone takes something away, that's what I hope."

With an extensive and extremely successful volleyball career, Bernardinho has become an icon who transcends the boundaries of sport, being admired by personalities from various sports beyond volleyball.

"There are always differences, but the essence is the same. When we talk about discipline, preparation, and teamwork, it all works. What differs are technical specifics, physical differences, and different skills, but the essence and values ​​are the same, and my idea was to talk, not about one thing specifically, but about the whole, about what everyone has in common," concluded the former coach. 

Rafaela Lima, a setter for the FlaVôlei team, celebrated the opportunity to participate in the event and hear from one of the sport's legends.

"I think the talk was great for everyone who attended, but for us it was even more special to hear the best volleyball coach in the world talk about his experiences. We're at the beginning of the season to gain promotion to the Superliga A. We know we'll face difficult times along the way, which is normal in any athlete's life. But better than hearing about his victories was hearing about the moments of hardship and overcoming he went through. Only those who are there and experiencing it know what it's like," commented the number 3. "Understanding that the small actions we take in our daily lives make a huge difference down the road is crucial to getting where we want to go, and I think he conveyed this message very well in the talk; it gave us an extra boost to keep going."