RFYS & AIFC TO CONDUCT EXPERT ONLINE WORKSHOPS TO HELP COACHES “UPSKILL & IMPROVE”

Select football coaches from across the country will have a unique opportunity to add to their knowledge base in a series of online workshops with qualified experts starting next week. The venture is an initiative of Reliance Foundation Youth Sports (RFYS) in association with the Association of Indian Football Coaches (AIFC).  The workshops will be conducted over three days, with sessions ranging from 90 to 120 minutes, giving coaches who are engaged with football institutes, schools and colleges, detailed insight into various aspects of their role. The first set of these sessions will be conducted with coaches from the East Zone from January 18-20, followed by the South from January 25-28, North from February 1-3 and culminating with the West from February 8-10.

The workshops will focus on subjects covering the entire gamut of the role of a coach; ranging from the code of conducted their wards are expected to adhere to, to how training sessions should be conducted and how players are best prepared for upcoming matches and for match day. Coaches will also be given insight into aspects such as what to look out for while scouting players, life skills they must seek to impart on their players, how to ensure children under their watch are protected and secured as well as the certifications they need to continue to further their own careers.

Former India player Gautam Ghosh  will be among the experts who will conduct the sessions. Ghosh, who holds an A licence from the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), is also the former coach of the Indian national junior team. He will be joined by Gumpe Rime, who besides being the former coach of the Indian national team, has a varied range of coaching expertise with an AFC A licence, an All India Football Federation (AIFF) C licence and is recognised by AFC as a Level 1 coach educator. Ryan Roy Shah, who holds an AFC C licence besides a C licence from UEFA, will be third member of this team of educators who will interact with the coaches.

“Footballing activities on the ground have been severely impacted due to the Covid-19 pandemic, so an initiative such as this is extremely important to ensure dedicated coaches around the country continue to upskill and improve,” says Dinesh Nair, Director, AIFC. “Over the last few months, RFYS & AIFC have been at the forefront of ensuring that despite not being able to train and play, players and coaches continue their development through their online initiatives.  These workshops are in line with AIFC's vision of improving coaching through education, exchange of ideas and welfare of the coaches in India. This will be another step in that direction and we are convinced they will be enormously beneficial to the coaches who participate.”

Up to 30 coaches are expected to participate in each workshop and will earn a certification at its conclusion. No fees will be charged from the participating coaches as the initiative is in line with RFYS’ objective to have a positive impact on the ecosystem through skill enhancement of PE teachers, infrastructure upgrades and community engagement programs. Since its inception in 2016,  RFYS has sponsored the D-license certification for over 700 coaches from across the country.