I spoke with Brazilian Soccer Tours Director, Paulo Alves, about six or seven months prior to my actual trip to Brazil. I am the Director of Coaching for a youth club in Southern California as well as the Technical Director for the Boys ’97 Team. What I was really looking for was to learn just exactly what the Brazilians do to create such gifted players. I almost wanted a blueprint that I could bring back here to the United States and immediately start implementing.

What I got, was so much more! Paulo set me up with a 2 week coaching clinic/internship with follow up activities. The clinics/internships were with all three Top Series A clubs located in Belo Horizonte. To take it one step further, I got to visit some of the local soccer schools which train the younger kids via the futsal method.

What I learned is that there is no real blueprint to their success as each club has a different curriculum and theory. However, they all create great players. It really reinforced the fact that there is really more than one way to skin a cat. I realized that there are some fundamental training methods they used in their past to create players like Pele, Zico, Ronaldo, Roberto Carlos, Ronaldo, and many others, that they are no longer using in their academies, but still utilizing in their soccer schools.

All in all, the trip was invaluable from a coaching perspective. Especially for coaches here in the United States. I would highly recommend the program to any coach that wishes to understand the fundamentals of training the youth soccer player at a much higher level. There is no coaching or teaching equivalent in America that is as valuable as being immersed in their soccer culture for an extended period of time to observe.

Thank you Paulo for the great trip and I look forward to returning to Brazil next year!

Randle J. Bowling
Olimpia Soccer Club
 

This was my second time using Brazilian Soccer Tours. This year, I decided that I wanted to see Rio de Janeiro, and Paulo Alves was very helpful in finding clubs in the Rio de Janeiro area. I ended up training with a professional team U-20 team for six weeks. The accommodations were superb; everything in the club's hotel was very modern and clean and it was only a short walk from the fields. The staff there was also incredibly friendly and the food was great was well.

During my stay, I witnessed not only a level of play that far exceeded my expectations, but I also became familiar with the incredible medical staff that took care of any injury or ache. In the mornings, I would train with the team from eight thirty to eleven. The team's practices included a lot of scrimmages, so I was able to get a lot of practice with the Brazilians. After morning practice, I returned to the hotel for some lunch and some much needed rest. I would go back to the training grounds for an afternoon session specially organized for myself and the other visitors. The afternoon session allowed more personal time with the coaches and opportunities for small sided games. During my leisure time, the club arranged for me to see many of the beautiful sights around Rio, including trips to the beaches, Sugarloaf, and Corcovado. Overall, it was an incredible trip, and as soon as I returned home I started thinking about the next trip that I would make to Rio.

Sincerely,
Nico Dalton
Note:
During the weekends, Mr. Alves arranged for me to stay at his friend's house in the city of Rio, so I was able to experience even more of Brazilian culture and lifestyle.
Pre- season College Player -Summer 2010

TO: Soccer Club, High School and College Coaches, Administrators and Parents

RE: Brazilian Soccer Tours and Soccer Travel

Dear Coach, Administrator, Parent and Player:

I am writing to you on behalf of the fine group of soccer professionals at Brazilian Soccer & Tours, Inc. I have had the pleasure of taking teams to Brazil with this company on numerous occasions and every trip was a priceless and terrific learning experience for all of the participants. Paulo Alves, along with the other staff members are passionate and caring professionals who care deeply about the beautiful game and the progress of young players.

The trips they offer are custom made for the players and parents’ needs. The teams that I took to Brazil were a mixture of Long Island Select, top club players and assorted ODP players from Region I of US Soccer. The level of training and game competition is unparalleled and the tours are fun and exciting.

I am currently coaching my first year at Westhill High School in Stamford, CT. My background however is in college soccer at the Division I, II and III levels. I possess a USSF “A” license and am a member of the Region I assessment staff.

Brazilian Soccer & Tours, Inc. will allow you and your players to play the highest level of ball and also enjoy a beautiful multicultural experience in Brazil. The tours are safe, exciting and can include sightseeing and shopping if that is your group’s desire. I can’t wait to go on the next tour, this upcoming summer if possible.

Good luck on your trip to Brazil, it will change the way you play and view the game we all love.

Please feel free to call me at home with any questions you may have.
Obrigado!

Mark K. Lukas
845.598.2620

SUMMER 2009

Dear Brazilian Soccer & Tours:

I just came back after spending 1 month with a professional soccer club in Brazil. The overall experience exceeded all of my expectations. My soccer skills improved on all levels, from technically to tactically the level of play in Brazil was higher than any I have ever encountered before. The players and staff were all very friendly and helpful throughout the duration of my stay. Brazil is a beautiful country and this is a once in a lifetime experience that I encourage anyone who is serious about playing soccer should consider.

Esteban Flores
Northeastern University

SUMMER 2009

This past summer I was looking for a place to travel abroad and play soccer. In my search, I encountered a website called Brazilian Soccer Tours. Soon after I called the company, I rapidly received a long list of possible clubs in Brazil that I could train with for the summer. Mr. Alves gave me the specifics of many different clubs, such as their reputations, the training that I would receive in each club, the costs of the trip, and the geography of the areas around the clubs (such as distance from the city). After I made my choice of club, I purchased the tickets, and arranged the visa. Mr. Alves even helped find a travel agent that could help me find the tickets and visa. I planned to spend two months training with the U-20 team of one of the professional clubs.

When I arrived at the airport in Belo Horizonte, a club representative greeted me and drove me to the club's training ground. Prior to my visit, the club had constructed a small house for me and the other exchange players, in order to offer a nice degree of privacy. The training was fairly rigorous, and I was amazed by the level of skill in all of the players there. Most weekdays alternated between practicing twice one day and once the next day. However, when the team entered into a major tournament, there would be fewer practices to give the players time to rest. There was always varied, but the staff always tried to focus on one point of the game at a time. One day the focus would be the tactical movements of players on the field, the next day might involve small sided games and possession drills. All of the training had a very high intensity, which made it a real thrill to play.

Although I was not allowed to play in their games, I feel that watching them play gave me a better idea of the role that I would need to play when on the field. The club was within easy driving distance of a major shopping center and a professional stadium. The taxis were not very expensive and after the first week, one of the taxi drivers gave me his card and I was able to arrange appointments with him. Several of the times that I left the training complex, I visited the players' recreation club. The club was a great place to relax, swim in the pool, and even play futsal. During my time with the club, I was able to attend two professional soccer games. The games were a great way to be emerged in Brazilian Soccer Culture: where people cheered their teams on with an unrivaled degree of passion. In addition to these diversions, the players were incredibly welcoming, and they often invited me to roam the areas around the training complex: occasionally inviting me to go out to dinner with them. All in all, I have to say that it was a pretty amazing experience, one that I would be happy to repeat given the chance.

Sincerely,
Nicolaas Dalton

Dear BST,

I would like to thank you once again for organizing our team’s recent trip to Brazil. Having spoken with our players on our return, our players would love to go back to Rio de Janeiro in the future using Brazilian Soccer & Tours. The caliber of teams we played against was tremendous. They were not only very difficult games for us, but also a superb opportunity for our players to play against the top youth players in the country. The week-long schedule you put together for our team was very well organized. The chance to visit places such as the Jesus Christ Statue, Sugarloaf Mountain, and the Maracana Stadium made sure this was the ultimate pre-season trip for our team.

Please let me know if there is anything else I can do for you and Brazilian Soccer & Tours. I would recommend this trip to anyone looking to take their team on an international tour. Please feel free to have coaches call me at any time so I can share our tremendous experience with them.

Once again, many thanks, and we’ll be in touch in the future!

Sincerely,

Adrian Blewitt
Head Men’s Soccer Coach
Lees-McRae College

Dear BST,

The Brazilian Soccer & Tours experience is essential for any aspiring soccer player. Being able to travel to the greatest soccer country in the world and play the top youth teams in Brazil is an experience I will never forget. It provides the opportunity to play soccer in a professional environment unlike any you can find in the U.S. The cultural, social and soccer experiences provided by this tour gave me a true lesson on what world-class soccer is all about. It helped me develop as a soccer player and a student of the game, which I consider a key contributor as to why I play professional soccer now. And I still have the dream of going back there to play again.

Jordan Cila
Colorado Rapids, MLS

Dear Brazilian Soccer & Tours,

"The club is great. You were right, the style of play down here is different than the states. I will definitely be a stronger player when I leave here. The training is like nothing I had in the states in any way. It's almost like regrouping your whole game. The first touch down here and tactical emphasis is good. I am having a great time learning..."

Lee, shortly after arriving in Xerem to train with Fluminense

Dear Brazilian Soccer & Tours,

"My trip to Brasil was the best experience of my life. The soccer was great, the food was delicious, and the culture was unforgettable. You learn things about life on trips like that that are priceless.
The training facilities were top class and the competition was the best I have ever experienced. I learned things down in Brasil that Americans only dream about and see in highlight tapes."

GUI STANPUR
NCAA, Div. 1, Columbia University Varsity Soccer Player

Dear Brazilian Soccer & Tours,

Well, you did it again!
You put together an experience for the boys that rivals any program or event  they could have participated in.
I think you personally have enriched their lives in a major way. We, Jeany and I, are eternally grateful to you for that.
Thank you again,

Jeff and Jeany.
JEFF WOLF - Manhattan Soccer Club Head coach