The golden boys in orange
The history of futsal (5-a-side football or soccer) in Nova Geração is intertwined with the creation of the project. The first lessons started in 2012 with Professor Jairo Alencar. The name of the project, Nova Geração, was chosen at the time by the students themselves and was then affectionately nicknamed “NG”, later becoming “NG family”, due to the strong sense of belonging felt by the children. A feeling still present today in all the sports that have been started at João Paulo II, such as handball and basketball.
Professor Jairo was extremely important for the launch of futsal activities: he divided the students into age groups, and taught them the rules and the basics. From the first, Nova Geração has participated in two competitions, the “Futcup”, to gain some experience, and the “Gabriel Cup”, held at the Catholic Church dedicated to the Resurrected Jesus Christ, in which the team won the second place. The final score was 4 to 3 at penalty kicks to the opposing team, which had several players classified in the base category of the Esporte Clube Vitoria. Since this first competition the boys showed a great ability to react and organize the game. Professor Jairo left the project in 2013 and in a recent interview, when asked about his experience, he said:
“I am very happy to have contributed to the project: it has been a rewarding experience both from a professional and mental point of view, especially thanks to the teamwork. I have met good friends and I always thank the people who run the project for the opportunity and trust they gave me. Even if I am no longer directly involved in their work, I always hope that all the proposals to develop the project are successful. I thank God for having had the opportunity to be able to contribute with my knowledge to the growth of young people and children of the community “.
2015
In 2015 André Borges became the new futsal teacher. Through his work, students improved the game tactics. The team took part in the “Gabriel Cup” again and won the first place. In school competitions such as the JOCOPPAR the team won second place in the Under 8 category, after a thrilling and exciting game. In addition, for the first time, a player from the Nova Geração teams, Igor Correia, was recognized as the best player in the under 14 championship.
2016
Once again, in 2016 our teams participated in the JOCOPPAR and Gabriel Cup competitions; in addition, Nova Geração made its debut at FEEPS, another important school competition in the city of Salvador. André Borges succeeded in making our soccer team one of the strongest in the city, reaching the third place in the under 15 category in the JOCOPPAR. Furthermore, a student from Nova Geração, Adriano Alenito, was awarded the championship best athlete prize.
Again in 2016, Nova Geração promoted an athletic event called Festival Esportivo do Subúrbio, whose participation was open to public and private schools and social projects: in this first year our teams won in the under 17 category, under 15, under 13 and achieved the second place in the under 10 category. Our kids could grow their self-esteem, could deepen their critical thinking and could begin of a journey of personal responsibility that would help them in their future lives.
2017
In 2017 Augusto Neto became our futsal teacher and carried out a remarkable work, especially from a socio-emotional and tactical point of view. During the JOCOPPAR tournament, in the under 12 category, the team won all the matches until the last one, against the Colégio Integral team. The match was memorable; Nova Geração ranked second and, once again, one of its players, Diego Andrade, received the Championship best player award. The Little team, with 7-year-old children, ranked fourth in the JOCOPPAR: a surprising fact since it was their first competition. In the Bahia School Championship, the youth team ranked second, and qualifications they scored the highest score in their history: a 13-0 victory against the Colégio Marista team. Even at the 2017 Esportivo do Subúrbio Festival, the results continued to be excellent, with the youth and the under 10 teams that won the second place, while the under 13 and the under 15 teams won the first place.
“I really enjoyed working in Nova Geração, especially for the relationship and the friendship with the boys; it’s a reality that I really miss.” Professor Augusto Neto
2018
From 2018, and for the following two years, the futsal of Nova Geração went under the guidance of Professor Daniel Souza, who always and greatly appreciated the structure made available for the training. Among the various competitions, Nova Geração also participated in a competition outside the state and stood out for its performances: the Taça Cidade Aracajú, held in the capital of the State of Sergipe. The team won the second place and an important Trophy. In the two years Professor Daniel led the team, we assisted many thrilling and tactically well-organized matches; among them, the finals of the 2019 Subúrbio Ferroviário Export Festival, between Nova Geração and União Curitiba. It was an exciting game, which thrilled the audience from start to finish. The União Curitiba team scored two goals in the first 5 minutes of the game, but at the end of the first half Nova Geração scored the first goal and in the second half it went back to the field with determination to win. In a breath-taking competition, Nova Geração drew and, 5 minutes from the end, Fábio Felipe scored a spectacular goal from the middle of the field, leading the team to victory and the fans to delirium. Among the many aspects of the excellent work done by Professor Daniel, of particular note are the technical growth and the greater understanding of individual tactics. Furthermore, the emotional ties created between the professor, students and collaborators will remain forever.
Statement by Professor Daniel Souza:
The João Paulo II Educational Centre-Nova Geração is a place where I grew up professionally, and I had the opportunity to work with an extremely competent management in a remarkable facility that allows many children and teenagers in the outskirts of Salvador to access sports
PROFESSIONAL / PERSONAL TESTIMONY
I was a student at the João Paulo II Educational Centre and I have been working in the institution for some years now, first as an intern and then as a soccer teacher. I also live in the community and I know how important the João Paulo II Educational Centre is in our neighbourhood. I must say that the Centre helped me in my school career, so much so that I could graduate and become a P.E. teacher.
Currently my main professional goal is to have a positive impact on Nova Geração students. The Management has always considered sports activities seriously and thoroughly, so that young people in the community could benefit from it. The institution gave me the opportunity to work with skilled professionals, who have selflessly shared their technical knowledge and their professional life experiences with me; for this I am immensely grateful to them. Nova Geração football team won a lot but also lost some matches, but this is the reality in sports; however, our kids, “the orange”, are different. They do not play “only” for the game, and training is not “only” aimed at achieving victory on the field; they play because they truly love sports, they play dreaming of a better life for their families, they play because they are often the only Afro-descendants on the field, they play because they are the only representatives of the peripheral neighbourhoods in the competitions, they play because sport makes them forget the social gap between them and their opponents. Yet they are friendly, they play with determination, technique and joy. This is the sport I like, which is why this team is my team. All the professors who have collaborated to build the sports activity in the Centre agree that Nova Geração is more than a team, it is a family.
LÁZARO COUTINHO
Known affectionately by everyone as “Pekeno“, he has always been present and has always actively participated in lessons, games, competitions and all the dynamics that concern the project. He plays a fundamental role, so much so to be considered “the soul of the Nova Geração”. He is admired by all sports participants, and many even consider him as a father figure; he lives in the community and it would not be an exaggeration to define him as the personification of the “Nova Geração family”.
