Passion to Profession – Football

In the last two years of growing up these boys only with football, we have met many people in the field, talking only about one thing “sports”, got respect from people who gave them inputs on food, exercise, yoga, breathing, fitness, food….and every stage sked these boys “do you want to go ahead with it?” They continued to talk about sports and we continued to feed sports. For some people it is new when we only talk about ONE INTEREST as the feeling of security with academics and certificate is very unconsciously seeped into our systems. But when they listen to us, they start talking SPORT with these boys :).

Last two years Dhrupad has been working on a deliberate practice plan by himself. The resources are self, videos. Reading, football Klub, discussions, watching, understanding about the drills, and revising the plan based on self-assessment – this all is done through a DETAILED action plan of each skill. And this detailing developed by him, with him over the period of time. The process took longer and required a lot of iterations with him – weekly reflections. And it went on with various cycles of doing/ not doing/ postponing/ doing/ sharing/ reflecting/ pushing/ challenge etc etc.

The coaches’ first advice – If you take a personal coach, you will stop thinking and planning so don’t go for it at this stage. You are part of the group practice for a team experience that is enough. The coach was delighted with the detailed planning of skills development

Second, advise – take enough rest for this plan to sustain (Dhrupad knows and working on it)
Third suggestion – Pick up any other sports as a hobby for the mind to get used to other aspects of the sports like winning/losing/team/practice etc. (this Dhrupad is aware, now he is clearer to pick up other stuff like gymming and swimming apart from TT and cycling)
Fourth advice – Use running for fitness, not as a sport as your body needs different ways of running, in marathon kind of sport you get used to one kind of running.

And of course – he advised Ratnesh to bring some academics for him, as he felt that don’t put all the eggs in the one basket. We will have a discussion with him on this any other time that it’s not one basket – its’ anyway many baskets he is learning and growing.

Some of the input he shared to develop GAME INTELLIGENCE (have you ever heard this subject ?) – most of it is part of Dhrupad’s deliberate practice plan, now it is becoming clearer for him as he listens to different people (his coach).

Watch matches with a purpose (match analysis)
Record your own game and analyze

Share with fellow players/ coaches and get feedback read/ Talk

Understand food and body

It’s not only about sports – they may change or continue, but what they learn is how to learn something – one or many it doesn’t matter, what matters is an opportunity and trust in that INTEREST and the child’s capability to achieve.