The Brazilian Flag Football Teams, in the men’s and women’s categories, debut this week at the IFAF Americas Championship to be held in Charlotte, United States. One of FABR’s big names, the receiver Victor Hugo ‘Mega’ is one of the highlights of the green and yellow team and spoke to Valinor Content about the expectations of the tournament and also the challenges to defray the expenses to compete in the international competition.
Photo: Lance!
Victor Hugo ‘Mega’ began his career in 2013 in flag football for America Ducks. The following year, the wide receiver won the Paulista Championship for the Corinthians Steamrollers, and at the end of 2014, he received a full scholarship to play at Texas College, in Tyler, Texas-USA. “Mega” was called up by the Brazilian national team in 2015, to represent the country in the dispute of the World Cup of American football. In 2017, Victor Hugo played for Sada Cruzeiro and was champion of the BFA League. In the same year, he again wore the shirt of Brasil Onças, in a friendly against Argentina, at Mineirão.
In 2018, the wide receiver won the national championship for the American Football Rooster. Victor Hugo “Mega” has participated in Combines in Miami, in the United States, with scouts from the NFL and CFL (Canada). The wide receiver also received an invitation from the XFL (another US League), to be evaluated in a combine in Saint Louis, and for a private combine for the CFL. In addition, the player has also played in Turkey, for Yeditepe Eagles. Last year, he defended the colors of Six Spartans (his current club) and Flamengo Imperadores.
Check out the interview with the Brazilian player below.
– What are the expectations for defending Brazil in the Intercontinental Tournament?
– Any appointment with the Brazilian team is extremely pleasurable and also demands tremendous responsibility, because you need to give your best. Thank God, with the experience I have in my career, I can do this, because I dedicate myself in my day to day, in flag football and American football training, as well as in the games. This experience gives me the confidence to really give myself to the national team, putting my heart into the work, and I believe that things will happen.
How was your preparation and that of Brazil for the tournament?
– I can say that it was the best preparation of the Brazilian team for flag football competitions. Although it’s still not at the ideal level we’re aiming for, it was by far the greatest preparation we’ve ever had. With a country as vast as ours, it is difficult to gather players from all regions, and we also face financial challenges. We held two face-to-face training camps for athletes, focusing on executing the plays. We also had weekly meetings with position coordinators, in which we worked on moves, training and reviews, in addition to meetings with head coach Heitor Medeiros. In addition, each athlete underwent physical preparation accompanied by the technical commission of the Brazilian team, which standardized training and evaluations. Therefore, I can say that it was the best physical preparation of the Brazilian flag football team in history.
– What can we expect from the men’s team in the competition?
– At the last World Cup in Israel, in 2021, Brazil ranked 17th. Now, we will have four days of competition and we will face the United States in the first game, followed by Argentina, Mexico, Panama and Chile. We are currently the South American Flag Football champions and we have already beaten some of these teams, but that means absolutely nothing. I believe that in order to measure our progress in flag football, we need to play against top teams such as the United States, Mexico and Canada. It would be great if we managed to place Brazil in the top four or five, which would represent a great advance since the last World Cup.
– FABR is an amateur sport, and as a result, athletes are responsible for their own travel expenses. How was the fundraising process to cover the expenses of the trip to the USA?
– The fundraising process is quite demanding for athletes, especially during this preparation period, which includes physical and technical training, as well as commitments to the flag football team to keep themselves mentally prepared. In addition to all this, athletes need to seek individual sponsorships, which can be very difficult to achieve in the short term. Each athlete had to disburse between R$ 8,000 and R$ 9,000, which include registration fees (in dollars), food, accommodation and round trip tickets. We are conducting fundraising campaigns, spreading awareness among family and friends. Some athletes got credit card loans, as was my case, and I am being helped by the team I play football for (Six Spartans), which is helping to pay part of the cost of the ticket. The company Focus Fisioterapia, with which I have a partnership, is also contributing with part of the registration fees and the costs of accommodation and food. I am extremely grateful for all this support. Unfortunately, the Confederation does not have the resources to cover these costs, which ends up being quite exhausting for the athletes.
– Talk a little about what it’s like to be a football player (full pads) and also a flag football player. Are there any significant changes when you’re playing one of the modes?
– Whether playing American football or flag football, players have some differences that they need to adapt to. However, that comes with understanding the game. The more you study and know the sport you play, the better you manage these differences. In flag football, there is a greater sense of urgency, where plays occur in three or four seconds. In American football, you sometimes have to wait for a play and have some patience for things to happen. You won’t always be the target of that move. I always say a phrase that is everything you give to the sport, it returns. Everything you give him, he gives back to you. So, if you dedicate yourself, study videos and train, it all gets closer to your environment. Inside the field you become more and more familiar.
2023-07-04 10:51:00
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