Mom Blog - Color Commentary for Wednesday, 8/11

EMBU & SAO PAOLO YOUTH TRAINING CENTER: The boys blog is correct, we started the morning making it about 2 blocks as we did the “count off” (ask your sons) and realized that we were missing 3 kiddos. A quick run around the block and we found our fugitives. Overall, this worked well for the parents because we could run back into the lobby for one more quick refill on our coffees while Fernando stormed the halls.
Embu is “about 40 minutes” from "Sow Hockey" and is a picturesque arts & crafts village where local artisans sell their wares. Since it was a Wednesday and overcast, the town was quiet so we could easily break into groups to roam the village shops. The boys gravitated to the expected: ornate swords, food vendors, polished stone and Brazilian trinkets. They were very sweet about choosing just the right thing for family members. Those boys without parents with them took the time to find a mom for advice on gifts or sizes, etc. (“Do you think my mom would like this?”) Brad with the facts earns the most diligent shopper award… those of you who receive a gift from him should know how much effort he put in toward buying just the right thing for each of you.
Lunch was a quick adventure bouncing between two street vendor stalls… Xinho managed our line at one; Mineko- with her fabulous Portuguese- manned the other. We ate at plastic sidewalk tables (do not picture the Champs Elysees) and watched Jack feed the pigeons with a hunk of bread tied to a string.



Then back on the bus and off to the Sao Paulo FC youth training center (home of KaKa), which is essentially a boarding school for Brazilian soccer hopefuls starting at age 11. 140 kids live there – it’s like a small college set up. The kids selected via quarterly try-outs with more than 3000 kids showing up for 10 spots. Or, discovered by one of about a dozen full-time scouts who cross the country looking to find the next Kaka. A very large security guard escorted us around for about 2 hours giving a tour, and at the end the president of the club arrived to welcome us and give us little gifts.
The tour is not open to the public; the visit was arranged for Fernando by Serreta through back-channels. Ricardo played for the club as a youth as well. The training clubs such as this generate revenue by growing players, selling them to the highest bidder and taking 85+% of the signing bonus. One player in perhaps a 1000 makes it to the pros.



After heading back to the Hotel, the boys changed immediately and walked again to the local futsal center across the street. The Brazilian boys were there, and Xinho and Ricardo instructed a two-hour clinic. Afterward, dinner at the hotel and then a walk to town to see the ongoing festival, dance (aka jump around) at the bandstand and talk (like the Brazilians all do) with their Brazilian exchange buddies.