Gondia 3 Day Coaching Camp
Posted by India - 09/12/2009
3rd December to 5th December 2009 - PROJECT REPORT
On December 5th 2009 Coaches from Krida Vikas Sanstha Nagpur (KVSN) travelled to Gondia to deliver a three day football coaching camp at Gondia High School.
Attended by almost 200 boys and girls from the school and surrounding areas, it once again showed how passion for football is growing in Central India. The level of performance and improvement throughout the camp was outstanding from all the players, with participants ranging from 12 years of age to 24 years old. The Girls especially really demonstrated great skill and technique and a desire to improve.
As part of their Slum Soccer program, KVSN are using football as a tool to develop the lives and give sporting opportunities to children across India. The idea is to promote healthy living, social responsibility and personal development to children, and in Gondia it seemed to be working. The level of respect, discipline and enthusiasm the youngsters showed towards the coaches was very impressive to see.
KVSN Founder Vijay Barse was joined in Gondia by Darren Wiltshire, a qualified football coach from London, who could offer guidance to the players as to how to improve and develop their game, as well as by Savio Andrew and Homkant Surandase, both former participants in the project, now full time football coaches. They planned and provided sessions which worked on the basic skills of football. The coaches also spent time with the local coaches to offer advice on how to offer better football coaching to the young players, which will offer long term benefits for Gondia High School. Also participating as players were the local football club in Gondia, who sent both their male and female senior teams to be trained by the Slum Soccer coaches. Throughout the camp the coaches emphasized to all the players that ‘practice makes perfect’ and it was important to continue to practice as much as possible, if they are to improved.
The first two days were entirely dedicated to coaching, with two sessions per day for each group, on the third and final day, Slum Soccer organized a 5 a side tournament for the younger players to demonstrate their skills and show how much they had learnt during the coaching camp, and it went down a storm with the young players. The two hour tournament was the perfect way to end the coaching camp, and the local children seemed keen for another visit from KVSN’s Slum Soccer program. Awards were then presented to some of the best and most improved players, dignitaries from Gondia and Vijay Barse gave speeches, with the aim of ensuring the youngsters realized the important role sport can play in personal development.
