On Children's Day, boys who live far from home get emotional when talking about their family

Fabrício Costa\ From GLOBOESPORTE.COM\

The boys who live in the accommodation: Bruno, Maicon, Lorran, João, Edgar, Gustavo, Vinícius, Rafael, Luiz, Leozinho and Joaquim, with the exception of this one.

From afar, you can see two mansions with Flamengo crests. Closer, three fields indicate that this is the training center for the country's most popular club. Like a dream factory, the Vargem Grande training center welcomes boys between the ages of 14 and 17, who train incessantly and sleep in the hope of one day being like Ronaldo, Kaká, or Romário. They only stop to think about life outside the confines of the confines on special dates, like October 12th. Just ask 15-year-old Leozinho.

"I arrived at Flamengo's hostel when I was 12. But we don't live just for football. I miss my parents a lot, especially on Children's Day. Church is what gives me the strength to keep fighting here in Rio. Every Thursday I go to the Assembly of God in Barra da Tijuca. I don't like keeping photos of my relatives. Their memories are in my heart," says the Pernambuco striker, whose best friend in soccer is midfielder Jônatas, formerly of Flamengo and now at Espanyol.

"I've been to his house three times in Ceará. He's like a father to me. On Children's Day, I'll remember him too."

Edgar: keep an eye on the ball and the portraits kept under lock and key in the accommodation

End of torment

Joaquim Telles, from Mato Grosso, is having better luck than his teammates living in the dorm. But, like everyone else living at Flamengo's, he also misses his father, who lives in Sinop.

"I was away from my parents for a year and a half. I lived with an uncle who had health problems in Vila Isabel. In early 2007, my mother decided to move here to take better care of me. As for my father, I only see him via webcam. He still lives in Mato Grosso," says the team's number 10, who shares his birthday with his idol Romário, January 29th, and will ask for an iPod as a gift.

Cruel routine

Zé Ricardo: Coach considers himself a big brother to the boys. End of training for the children's category. The boys listen to coach Zé Ricardo's advice. Next Sunday, there will be another Carioca Championship game. Everyone knows the competition schedule by heart. But they struggle to answer what they will do on their day: Children's Day.

"We should play video games and watch cable TV. I only see my parents once a year. I'm going to spend Children's Day looking at the poster with messages of support they gave me. I've been at Flamengo's training camp for five months. I still miss them so much," says goalkeeper Gustavo Vanin, nicknamed "Pato" by his teammates due to his resemblance to the Milan striker.

More sentimental, center forward Vinícius Maciel vents:

- My parents call me every other day. And I try to go home at least twice a year. I'm counting down the hours until December arrives. They say they want to hug and kiss me. The best Children's Day gift would be their presence here in Rio. But I know that won't happen.

Big Brother

In order to fill a gap in the training of young football players, coach Zé Ricardo plays a fundamental role.

"I'm like a big brother. The older brother in the family who gives advice and tries to bridge the gap between them and their parents. Here, they learn to follow rules and be disciplined, but they also need affection. The boys' relatives always contact me when they're in Rio. They say they're worried, but they trust Flamengo's professionals."

Inseparable amulet

Lorran admits that when homesickness hits, the only way to do it is to turn to his amulet: "Anything goes to remember the ones we love." The words of Michel Lorran's midfielder perfectly express what the boy from Barra das Garças, in the interior of Mato Grosso, does to minimize the absence of his parents in his daily life.

"To remember my father, I keep a shirt that smells like him. I don't wear it under any circumstances. I'll just wear it to take the photo, okay?" says Michel Lorran, who arrived at Flamengo's training camp three months ago, coming from the Fluminense youth academy.

Letters to ease the longing

An old-fashioned romantic, Maicon's memory is drawn from the letters he collects with his mother's inscriptions. And while his family awaits him in the interior of Rio de Janeiro, in Engenheiro Paulo de Frontin, the boy strives to one day provide a better standard of living for his four siblings and his parents. A present on this special occasion? He dismisses it with the caution of someone resigned to what little he has.

"I'm going to ask my mom for some sneakers for Children's Day. But I won't charge much. I know my parents can't afford to give me many things. Since they live in the countryside of Rio, I miss them by reading the letters my mom writes me," Maicon declares.