The buzz of children milling about the grounds, parents cheering vociferously, ecstatic ‘dab’ celebrations, smiles, laughter and an irresistible sense of camaraderie – all brought together because of the opportunity to play good, competitive football in a safe environment. That’s what the Tata Tiago School Football Championship (SFC) has made possible over the past two years for children across India.
Children celebrating their victory at SFC 2017
Apart from popularising football in the country, the Indian Super League (ISL) is doing a good job of encouraging clubs to invest in grassroots football. In 2015, the Reliance Foundation Young Champs (RFYC) initiative was kick-started as part of the ISL’s grassroots programme. The RFYC Program makes use of the ISL’s clubs’ grassroots initiatives to spot talented children from across the country between the ages of 11 and 14. The Foundation then offers the most talented and deserving children full-time residential scholarships to the Reliance Foundation School.
The RFYC Scouts with the Talents Picked by Atletico de Kolkata
Source: Indian Super League
Mumbai City FC joined hands with AIFF to conduct a grassroots leadership workshop from 5th to 7th February at the Vidyadhiraja School and Junior College in Bhandup, Mumbai. A total of 27 participants attended the three-day workshop with girls comprising nearly 50% of the group. The workshop, headed by chief instructor, Dinesh Nair, included both theoretical as well as practical sessions, and on the last day, the participants organised a grassroots festival.
Participants in a Theory Session
Source: Mumbai City FC Facebook Page
Numerous participants were from the host school itself, and as part of the theory sessions, they learnt about grassroots philosophy, the importance of small-sided games, characteristics of age groups, fair play and racism, coordination agility and motor skills, football laws and fundamentals, as well as management and injury prevention techniques.
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.
With the Indian Super League (ISL) in full swing, Ola Cabs, the official ride of Mumbai City FC, FC Pune City, Delhi Dynamos and Atletico de Kolkata, has decided to take the football fever sweeping the nation and put it to good use with their #PassItForward campaign. The initiative gives football fans a chance to show off their skills, challenge a friend and do some good for Indian football while they’re at it! Here’s how you can #PassItForward:
How To #PassItForward
Image Credit: Ola Cabs Blog
Mumbai City FC, who were awarded the Best Grassroots Programme by the Reliance Foundation earlier in May this year, have built on their initial success by announcing the launch of a new Grassroots Football League in the city. The ISL club has joined hands with the Navi Mumbai Area Schools Association (NMASA) to set up a much-needed youth league for children in the Under-8, Under-10, Under-12 and Under-14 age groups. The Mumbai City FC-NMASA Grassroots Football League will be held at the Fr Agnel Sports Complex in Vashi and will provide boys and girls from more than 150 schools in the Navi Mumbai area with competitive matches in a well-regulated and safe environment.
Image Credit: AFP
India’s leading goalscorer, Sunil Chhetri, recently spoke with FIFA about football in India. Some of the points he touched upon in the interview were India’s stuttering qualifying campaign for the 2018 World Cup in Russia and the support he got from his mother and aunt who competed at international level for Nepal. But one of things that stood out in his interview was his emphasis on the way forward for Indian football to improve:
“The sooner that we create an environment and system in which every boy or girl that wants to play football – and if they are good enough – can be provided with good coaching and good facilities, then half our job is done. That is my dream and aspiration for my nation. In that case we wouldn’t have the FIFA Ranking that we have now.” – Sunil Chhetri
To read the full interview, click here.
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