An interview with a volley ball champion

This June, the male U-18 volleyball team of CV Oeiras won its rank’s national championship – the first since 1980 – after defeating the runner-up Benfica. André de Botton, currently a Year 13 student in OIS, is a member of that team. The OIS Valley Times has interviewed him after this fantastic achievement.

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INT = Interviewer

- INT - Hello, André. It’s a pleasure to interview you today! Before anything else, I’d like to give you my congratulations for winning the U-18 national volleyball championship. This was the first title CV Oeiras has won in nearly a decade, and the first title won by the male U-18’s since 1980! You and your team are writing history in the club. How does that make you feel?

- ANDRÉ - First of all, thanks for interviewing me! I see you looked into the statistics! And it does feel like an important achievement. It’s hard to put it into words. We feel amazing that we were able to contribute so much to our club, coach, and overall everyone who believed in us.

- INT - You won 3-1 against SL Benfica in the final. Were you feeling confident before the match?

ANDRÉ - Well, it was a final – we were pretty nervous looking into it, and the first set was evidence of that, but as the game went on, we got into the rhythm and managed to win the game. Of course, there’s also the precedent of Benfica only winning once against us, so we came into the game with some confidence – but not underestimating the opponent, and respecting them, of course.

- INT - For how long have you been playing volleyball, and since when are you in CV Oeiras? Do you feel well integrated in your volleyball team, and the community surrounding it?

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ANDRÉ - I’ve been playing volleyball for 5 years – including beach volleyball, and in CV Oeiras for 3 years. We’ve been working towards this title for a long time, and I’ve been here for a long while. I feel very well integrated, especially because I’ve been here for a while – 8 hours per week over the course of 3 years, so I’m used to the dynamics of the team, and the friendships we made. In a way, it was also this feeling of friendship that led us to victory.

- INT - How did the pandemic change this season for your team, and how did you manage to adapt to it?

- ANDRÉ – Well, the 19/20 season was cancelled due to the pandemic, so coming into 20/21 we were focused on being in our best physical state, without any expectations in terms of our competition. In January this year though, we went into full lockdown – it was mentally and physically draining, and even after that some of my colleagues had to quarantine, but we kept pushing further, and I think these obstacles really made us stronger and victory taste even better.

- INT - Looking towards the future, is professional volleyball in your plans? Or do you play volleyball for the fun and the experiences?

- ANDRÉ - To be honest, I play it as more of a hobby – a hobby I’m very dedicated to, obviously, though the comradery, and each of these experiences make the effort I put into it worth it. But I don’t look at it as more than a hobby, and even if I wanted to become a professional volleyball player, I don’t really meet the requirements for it in terms of height.

- INT - As an OIS student, your accomplishments inspire students, parents and staff alike. What would you like to tell them, a few words of motivation?

- ANDRÉ - I think something you like doesn’t have to come in detriment of something else you like. You can be able of managing both your hobbies, social life, and academic life and more without inducing stress into it – it’s really just a matter of wanting it.

- INT - It’s been a pleasure to interview you. Thank you so much, André!

- ANDRÉ - Thank you!