Month: November 2015 (page 2 of 2)

Aavesh and His Dreams Shine at QPR’s South Mumbai Challenger

Aavesh Raheel - QPR SMJSC

Aavesh Raheel
Image Credit: QPR SMJSC Website

Mohammed Aavesh Raheel may be small-made, but that doesn’t stop him from dreaming big. The 14-year old football player was one of the few making waves at the first weekend of the 7th edition of the Queens Park Rangers (QPR) South Mumbai Junior Soccer Challenger (SMJSC) last month.

He plays in a number of positions, from forward to goalie, and plays his heart out no matter where he is on the pitch. Although he only started playing football a year ago, Aavesh has a big dream – to play for the Indian national football team! But that isn’t all he wants to do, he wants to follow his passion only after completing his education and getting good grades. We wish Aavesh all the best, and hope that he continues to nurture his passion for football!

Read more about how the QPR South Mumbai Junior Soccer Challenger has helped Aavesh to aspire for a better life on and off the pitch. Click here.

Everyday Heroes: Meet Jonathan Pitre

As stakeholders in grassroots football, be it parents, coaches or administrative staff, we often experience magical moments when we’re going about our work – moments when people, children especially, offer us much-needed doses of inspiration and love. Today, and for many days, months and years to come, Jonathan Pitre, a 14-year-old boy, scratch that, a 14-year-old superhero, from Ottawa, Canada is that source of inspiration.

Being a superhero isn’t always about wearing a cape and flying around saving Gotham. Sometimes, it’s just about being brave, and doing the absolute best you can with what you’ve been given. Jonathan is one such hero who refuses to let his condition bring him down or dictate his life. Born with a skin condition known as Epidermolysis Bullosa, or just EB, Jonathan went through many years of life thinking he was alone. Until he attended an EB conference in Toronto in 2012. For the first time in his life, he met others like him, and decided that he wanted to make a change.

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From Darkness Unto Light

Grassroots Football India wishes you a prosperous, joyful and blissful year ahead! Happy Diwali! :)

Happy Diwali 2015

PSL and Mumbai City FC Partnership Boosts Grassroots Football

The Phoenix Sports & Leisure Group (PSL) India has been working to develop grassroots football in India over the last few years. They have set up organisations like Soccer Connections and Just For Kicks (JFK), where they coach children in football, talent development, and life skills. While JFK is focused predominantly on transforming education in low-income schools by introducing football to them, Soccer Connections aims to provide focused, fun, and family-oriented football training to children under the age of 12. They conduct their training sessions in affiliated schools, or on professional playing grounds.

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U15 Youth League Week 2: Pune FC & PIFA Sports Post Big Wins

Six games were played in Week 2 of the Hero Under-15 Youth League matches, and we’re here to give you a glimpse of what went on. In the Kolkata-Jamshedpur Zone (Group A), Tata Football Academy U15 came face-to-face with Mohun Bagan AC U15 at 2 pm on Saturday at JRD Sports Complex. While the first half ended goalless, three quick goals in the 50th, 53rd and 71st minutes gave Mohun Bagan a comfortable 3-0 victory over TFA. The SAI Ground in Kolkata witnessed a mighty clash on Sunday afternoon, with East Bengal FC U15 taking the lead with a quick 11th minute goal by Kousik Santra. However, SAI-East U15 equalised in the beginning of the second half, when Abhijit Mondal netted the ball in the 52nd minute. The game would end in a 1-1 draw. The match between Mohammedan SC U15 and United SC U15 was goalless until the 66th minute when a goal from Surajuddin Munshi secured a 1-0 victory for Mohammedan SC U15.

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Maharashtra All Set for U15 Youth League

The much awaited Hero Under-15 Youth League kicked off last weekend in the Kolkata-Jamshedpur Zone (Group A) with a lot of fanfare and the Maharashtra Zone (Group B) is now set to start tomorrow. Saturday’s game sees traditional Mumbai rivals, Mumbai FC playing Kenkre FC at Cooperage followed by a couple of more games on Sunday featuring Pune FC against DSK Shivajians FC at the Pune FC Training Pitches, Mamurdi and PIFA Sports taking on debutants, Steadfast Academy in Bhiwandi.

While giving U15s competitive match experience is a key objective of the Youth League, another important consideration of the league is to see clubs promoting local talent, ideally from within their existing grassroots program.

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Let’s Achieve Together!

Am I a better coach/parent/player than I was yesterday? Did I learn something new today? Did I help a player push himself/herself to the next level? Can I go faster? Can I go higher today? Will I be stronger tomorrow? Will I be able to play better football tomorrow?

Just some questions coaches, parents and players need to ask themselves every day. Because…
Indian Girls Football Training

Anantapur Finds Solace in Football

ASA LogoAnantapur, once a crucial part of the Vijayanagar Empire, is now a primarily agrarian district with a developing industrial sector. Plagued by drought and poverty, the district is one of the 13 that receives funds from the Backwards Regions Grant Fund Programme (BRGFP) in Andhra Pradesh. For many years the people were left quite hopeless, until Vincent Ferrer and his partner Anne decided to start the Rural Development Trust (RDT) in Anantapur in 1969 to improve the quality of life of the rural poor and the underprivileged in the area.

Apart from the work done to educate the people, and uplift the poorer sections of society, the RDT takes a special interest in using sports and cultural activities to give children a holistic education.

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