Brazilian coach tells PH belles: Practice makes perfect

Brazilian champion coach Zé Roberto. JUNE NAVARRO/INQUIRER

SAO PAOLO, BRAZIL—Brazilian coach Zé Roberto cannot think of anything extra special and exceptional that his teams had done in training to become a global force in world volleyball.

For the three-time Olympic gold-medal winning mentor, the formula remains simple: Hard work, passion and the ability to play consistently against the best in the business.

“There are no secrets. Repetition is important by spending hours and hours in the gym and in practice,’’ said Roberto.

“It is also important that you play regularly against the best teams, the best players and the best coaches in the world,’’ added Roberto.

Philippine coach Jorge Edson Souza de Brito played under Roberto during Brazil’s Olympic gold-medal triumph in men’s volleyball during the 1992 Summer Games in Barcelona, Spain.

Roberto likewise steered the Brazilian women’s team to gold medals in the 2008 Beijing Olympics and the 2012 London Olympics plus a silver medal in last year’s 2021 Tokyo Olympics.