Category: Features & Opinions (page 4 of 8)

Sport for Its Own Sake

December 31, 2015 / / 1 Comment

Free, self-organised play was one of the things that made our childhood so, so special. As children in India, especially in large housing complexes, we’ve probably all heard our parents screaming from our balconies summoning us for homework, meals and what have you. But the joy of playing lagoree, dodge ball, dabba ice-spice, chor-police, lock and key, and then heading out to the neighbourhood grocery store to pool in money and share a treat is something no amount of money, classes and coaching can ever buy. Here’s to a 2016 filled with hours of free play for our children!

Bobby Orr, legendary Canadian ice hockey player, says it best…

Bobby Orr Quote on Free Play

<3

 

Activity Breakdown of a Football Match

December 29, 2015 / / 0 Comments

We came across this fantastic breakdown of activities that occur during a football match presented by Ray Power, author of Making the Ball Roll – A Complete Guide to Youth Football for the Aspiring Coach, and it holds several insights for grassroots coaches on how to train our young footballers.

Football Game Activity Breakdown

Football Game Activity Breakdown
Source: Ray Power

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Goals for Girls Visits India

December 27, 2015 / / 0 Comments

Goals for Girls Logo

In great news for girls football, US-based Goals for Girls (G4G), an organisation that involves girls helping girls through football, will be visiting New Delhi from 5-8 January, 2016. Organised by Anglian Football, India will be hosting its 2nd Goal for Girls Summit this year.

During the summit, 18 girls from Triangle United in Chapel Hill, North Carolina will spend time with over 160 girls from across India over a 4-day leadership program. To be conducted at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, New Delhi, G4G will utilise the summit to spread the passion for the game among girls while using football as a medium to develop life skills that will help participants on and off the pitch. The broad idea is to give the girls who come from various backgrounds a voice and a self-defined identity.

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Eggs & Football

December 23, 2015 / / 0 Comments

A story that truly resonates with grassroots football. Do you identify with it? We certainly do!

Eggs and Football

To All the Grassroots Coaches Out There

December 18, 2015 / / 0 Comments

Our thoughts, our words, our actions make a huge difference and we enjoy a special privilege – one where we can impact young lives on an every day basis. We shouldn’t see ourselves as anything less than that. Here’s something to remind you of that fact. We guarantee you, it will be 16 minutes and 17 seconds of your life well spent.

 

Spot the Difference

December 17, 2015 / / 0 Comments
Ball Size and Weight 1

Spot the difference?
Source: UAE Coaches Forum

We’re not colour blind, so ‘They are different colours’ is definitely the wrong answer.

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One on One with Stevie Grieve

December 11, 2015 / / 1 Comment

Stevie GrieveGFI had the opportunity to speak with Stevie Grieve, Head of Coaching & Education at Bhaichung Bhutia Football Schools (BBFS) and Technical Director at Garhwal FC recently. During the conversation, Stevie shared his views on his journey into football coaching, his assessment of grassroots football in India and what BBFS are doing to positively impact Indian football. This is what he had to say…

GFI: What was the motivation behind getting into coaching?

Stevie: Initially when I was younger, it actually came about when I was playing futsal one night. I was teaching a kid how to do a skill, and then after a little while, the kid could do the skill. I think it was an elastico. And then from that, somebody asked me if I would be interested in coaching as a job. I was only 15 at the time, so when I turned 16, I went to the local community centre and became a coach and, over time, I decided that I would like to make it my career. It wasn’t something that was intentional; it was just something that kind of happened one evening and then I made it my life goal to do something.

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Retiring Legend Leaves Us More Inspiration

December 1, 2015 / / 1 Comment

If you haven’t heard already, one of our generation’s greatest athletes, Kobe Bryant, is going to retire after the 2015-16 NBA season. Recognised all over the world as a fantastic basketball player, those who have read a little more about him will know of his notoriously relentless work ethic as he often hoisted shots and raised a hellish sweat at ungodly hours in the gym.

Moreover, it’s not often that we see such a hugely talented athlete spend almost his entire career, 20 years, with one team and spur them to giddying heights of success. The man has 2 Olympic gold medals, 5 NBA Championship rings with the Lakers, an NBA MVP along with SEVENTEEN NBA All-Star selections.

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Eloquence is Invaluable

November 25, 2015 / / 0 Comments

There are many roles that coaches play in the development of footballers and there are a fair few qualities that coaches need to be successful. But there are some attributes that truly separate the best from the rest, and one such attribute is eloquence.

The ability to pick the right words, say them in the right way, deliver them at the right time, and, most importantly, to the right people sets a coach apart. There are times when players need a bit of tough lovin’, others when we need to go easy on the lads and still others when they need a bit of fun! Knowing what to say, when to say it, how to say it and whom to say it to makes all the difference.

One man who was capably eloquent was Sir Alex Ferguson. There’s a brilliant story that popped up on Reddit about how the great man, during his time at Aberdeen FC, disciplined the squad in a way that only he could.

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Football Done Differently

November 21, 2015 / / 0 Comments
SD Eibar Celebrations

Image Credit: SD Eibar Website

As the spotlight returns to European leagues and the much-awaited El Clasico tonight, spare a thought for some of the ‘lesser’ clubs who play the role of eternal bridesmaids while the superpowers grab the dollars and headlines. Today, we’re going to spend some time understanding how Sociedad Deportiva Eibar or simply, SD Eibar, a football club from a town of 27,000 people, roughly the population of all the buildings on Marine Drive in Mumbai, became La Liga‘s smallest club and captured the imagination of football fans all over the world along the way.

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