Joana comes from Portugal and took part in the 2011 European Universities Futsal Championship as a volunteer. She's been happy to answer a few questions about her experience.

Can you briefly introduce yourself ?

J: My name is Joana Brito and I am a 19 years old Portuguese student. At the present moment I'm studying Physics at University of Lisbon.

Futsal is my second life, after my studies.

When, at the weekends, my friends go to watch our favourite team play football at the stadium, I'm at the pavilion watching the futsal team. I also play in a futsal team as a goalkeeper. Nevertheless, I also have fun playing tennis with my friends sometimes.

How did you learn about the European Universities Championships and about the volunteer program?

J: It all started when my university team last year (Technical Institute of Lisbon) qualified for the national championship, which were played in Coimbra, a beautiful city which was the hometown of, by that time, the women's futsal European Universitary Champions. We ended in 5th place of the national championship, but I was curious about the next level and searched on FADU, and then on EUSA website.

Why did you decide to apply as a volunteer?

J: Precisely because of my love for futsal. 


What were you actually doing on the event?

J: I was team guide for a Portuguese guys team, University of Minho. I hadn't met them before in the nationals, but they were really nice, funny people. I still keep in touch with some of them.

What are the good points of being a volunteer on EUC? Did you have a good time? Anything more you want to share to convince people they should go as volunteer on European Universities Championships?

J:When I applied for the EUC Futsal, I never really believed that I would be chosen.

I was at my first year at uni, didn't have any volunteering experience, was a foreigner... I didn't know the volunteer program before, so it was all new for me.

The truth is, besides the happiness of being accepted to such a great organization, once I was there, I never regretted it for even a second.

From the arrival to a strange, new country, Finland, where at 11pm there's so much sun that you'd think it was 4pm, to the intense games against the Spanish teams... Ten days without anyone you knew previously, in a different country, meeting new friends (specially the foreigner ones, but also those from your country - not to talk about the fantastic Finnish crew which received us), doing what you like, seeing what you like and at the end of the event that huge final party in Tampere...

I'm positive that was the best 'week' of my life, and I'm definitively trying again this year!!