TEAM HERALD
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MARGAO: Various clubs from Salcete have come together and formed a co-ordination committee under the chairmanship of Bro. James Marcus of Don Bosco’s, to launch an attractive grassroots football programme for boys and girls between 8 and 10 years in Salcete from May.
Initially, there will be four training sessions per week during the holidays. There will be a grassroots festival between the centres, in the middle of May, to commemorate the Asian Grassroots Day.
The programme, an initiative of Salcete Football Club, which is well known as the nursery for football in Salcete, is being supported by various I-League clubs, village clubs and individuals whose passion for football is well known and the camps will be held in eight to 10 centres spread all over Salcete Taluka.
A special curriculum for the coaches who will be training very young children, has been especially designed by a distinguished panel of coaches, namely Arjuna Awardee Brahmanand Shankwalkar, Armando Colaco, Savio Medeira, Marcus Pacheco (all coaches with National background) and Mauricio Afonso, former captain of India.
A two-day course for the coaches in charge of each centre
will be held on April 26 and 27 at Don Bosco Engineering College ground, Fatorda from 4 to 6 p.m. Besides, the participating coaches and all those involved in training young children can participate in the course. All participants will be provided with a VCD and a training manual compiled by reputed coaches.
Emphasis will be laid on imparting to the coaches the latest methods of developing various skills like trapping, passing and dribbling.
At the same time a course for the administrators involved in managing the centres will be conducted. The administrators will be asked to follow a set of ‘Standard Operating Procedures’, so that each centre operates within set parameters.
The AFC has designated this year as the AFC Grassroots Year, aptly termed ‘Let’s Play!’, and it is encouraging one to organize activities to promote and emphasize that football is accessible and socially beneficial to everyone and that a strong foundation will allow players to progress to the elite level.
The programme, encourages young children to learn about football and human values and to enjoy the game as much as possible. The main goal of the Grassroots initiative is to get as many children as possible involved in the game, instill human values and, above all, to bring enjoyment to youngsters simply by letting them take part.
The Grassroots football offers fun and enjoyment. Football is the main source of pleasure for many children and it offers them a means of making friends and expressing themselves. The Grassroots initiative puts the focus on playing the game, and the basic philosophy behind it is that there is no better teacher than sport.
All children are welcome to come along and discover the joys of football, stated the organizers who also expect that parents will also back up the programme with their participation.
