Respecting individuality and studying hard: how Bia Vaz became a coach | OneFootball

To define the best tactics and make the most of the team’s abilities in a match, a coach must first and foremost know each player’s profile. It’s no coincidence that coaches are called teachers. As mentors, they identify vulnerabilities and enhance strengths, on and off the field.

From her childhood in the North Zone of São Paulo, through her professional football career as a player, to taking on the role of coach, the path traveled by Beatriz Vaz e Silva shaped the vision she now has of leadership.

“Dealing with people is always difficult, because we have to respect one another. Usually, judgment comes first. We look at others through our own eyes and with whatever beauty or lack of it we have to offer. Time shows us that dealing with people is very much about respecting who they are and understanding who we are too, because we have many limitations,” she acknowledges.

Childhood in sports

With attentive eyes, Bia listens more than she speaks. Even in tense moments during a match, it is in her notes — on paper — that she shapes and organizes her thoughts before instructing the players. The trio of sports, studies, and people has been present since early on. As a child, she had a diverse sporting background thanks to her grandpa, Claudionor Pereira da Silva, and the neighborhood where she lived.

“My father always loved playing and took me everywhere. And Vila Amélia is a super tree-lined neighborhood, so we played ball all day at the end of the street. There were street games, spinning tops, marbles, kites, volleyball, basketball. And alongside that, my father enrolled me in karate,” she says.

Unable to pinpoint exactly when street play became serious, she recalls that, around the age of 12, she left the tatami behind to prioritize the ball. Her schoolteacher Luiz not only allowed her to practice team sports, but also encouraged her to look for a club and, years later, to study physical education.

Clubs and titles

“A student who was studying physical education with Luiz, Carlinhos, was the coach of Macabi, which had an all-girls team. Then I had a tryout at Juventus, I was around 15. And that’s where I met Magali, who is a reference when we think about women’s football in São Paulo,” she recalls.

With Ferroviária, Bia Vaz won the 2014 Brazilian ChampionshipCredits: Tetê Viviani

From the Mooca club, the midfielder went on to play for Itanhaém, Mackenzie (where she completed her degree in physical education), Foz Cataratas, Ferroviária, São José, Flamengo, and Osasco Audax. Along the way, she had two experiences abroad — one to study and the other to play a season with the Boston Breakers. She also earned call-ups to the Brazilian National Team, as well as national and international titles.

With her clubs, she won the 2014 and 2016 Brazilian Women’s Championship, the 2011 and 2014 Women’s Copa do Brasil, and the 2013 Paulista Women’s Championship. And with the Seleção between 2013 and 2016, she won the 2014 Women’s Copa América.

Maturity and career transition

Despite the difficulties adapting in the United States and the frustration, she views that period as important for her personal and professional growth. “The Boston Breakers were very challenging, because the game was very vertical and I had come from a style similar to street football and futsal, based on combinations and being on the ball all the time. At the time, that game logic wasn’t so clear to me, and I made little effort to adapt to that reality. I think that has a lot to do with maturity,” she admits.

Bia also praises her call-ups to the Brazilian National Team, which she describes as experiences that went beyond football: “You know when you’re living a dream? Your teammates are role models, the people working with you are also huge figures, and the experience is collective — you spend a lot of time with one another, and that makes you grow.”

Even though she did not play much wearing Brazil’s jersey, going to competitions and being part of the group strengthened her and made her understand and respect her teammates and the coaches’ decisions. Unlike her casual choice to pursue professional football in her teenage years, her career transition into coaching was more thought out.

At 31, her body, mind, and motivation to stay on the field were no longer the same. She had already earned her B license, geared toward coaching age groups up to U-20, and had the support of members of the women’s national team staff, such as Vadão and Fabrício Maia.

The next challenge for the U-15 National Team is the Conmebol Evolution League, in SeptemberCredits: Luciana Vermell/CBF

“They were very patient with me day to day. And the players understood my moment of changing roles and were incredibly receptive and welcoming, giving me the support I needed to feel more confident in what I was doing,” she says gratefully.

Before returning to the Brazilian Women’s National Team as assistant coach of the U-17 side, with Rilany Silva, and head coach of the U-15 side at the beginning of this year, she led Corinthians’ U-20 team for two seasons, 2024 and 2025. Alongside Rilany, she won the South American U-17 Championship and will next face the Conmebol U-15 Evolution League in September in Paraguay and the U-17 World Cup in October in Morocco.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇧🇷 here.