CUIDAR, the Unified Center for the Identification and Development of Performance Athletes, has been increasingly influential in the development of the club's athletes. The facility in Gávea—which has further enhanced the interdisciplinary approach to sports, combining athlete training with work from various fields related to sports science—completed eight months of existence on June 22nd. 

Izabel Miranda, Sports Science Manager at Mais Querido, celebrated this date and spoke about the importance of CUIDAR for Flamengo's Olympic Sports.

"The concern about avoiding premature results in young people is due to the consequences these can have on the athlete's career. Because it is generally the result of forced preparation, the pursuit of results in athletes in training is subject to two main criticisms: the first is the possibility of causing a premature depletion of the young athlete's adaptive reserves, and the second is summarized in the lack of ideal groundwork to achieve a high level of performance in adulthood, caused by an exclusive focus on winning," said Izabel.

The manager, who has been leading the project since the beginning, continued explaining how all the scientific knowledge acquired has been applied. 

"Training theory has undergone profound changes with the advancement of scientific knowledge. The results of research applied to sports provide more precise parameters for determining training loads, with the aim of maximizing the resulting adaptations without compromising the athlete's physical and psychological integrity," he explained. 

And finally, Izabel concluded by talking about the project's responsibility, highlighting the importance of CARE for Flamengo's Olympic Sports athletes. 

"From this perspective, the Unified Center for Identification and Development of Performance Athletes (CUIDAR) is responsible for implementing a Sports Science intervention program to provide updated and standardized information and tools so that coaches can guide their training program to achieve excellence in sports performance, promoting athlete health," he added.

Since January 2016, CUIDAR has been carrying out various activities to benefit Flamengo's athletes. The project built and continues to develop a database of 640 Flamengo athletes, which allows for improved training cycles in the eight sports offered by Mais Querido. CUIDAR promotes initiatives not only for athletes. Last year, the club's professionals benefited from 14 Sports Professional Schools, involving an average of 100 professionals. 

In the future, the red-and-black project still intends to carry out some actions, such as developing partnerships with universities in the area of ​​health and sports performance, implementing an athlete school performance program, and building a tool to identify potential sports talents.

The Unified Center for Identification and Development of High-Performance Athletes seeks to enhance interdisciplinarity in sports by combining athlete training with collaborative work from various sports disciplines to complement each individual's development. The goal is to not only train athletes but also develop the professionals involved in developing new talent, focusing on six areas: physical preparation, technique, tactics, and intellectual, educational, and emotional development.