Insights from EL Play' All-Star Program
“Sir, when is the next coaching?” asked an excited little Umesh, as I was walking out of the school. Just like I told the rest, I said “Soon, Umesh. I’ll keep you posted”. This particular question had overwhelmed me on the last day of the All-Star Program because almost every child I spoke to asked me this.
For 21 days this summer, 60 children aged 9-13, though picked by us for a pilot program for the best in the city, showed us what the sport of football meant to them. We always sensed that the All-Star Program would be well-received by the children, but watching their dedication reinforced my belief in the program. This dedication, in my opinion, is a testament to our program’s acceptance.
It was no surprise that when asked, a lot of children expressed their desire to play for India someday. And yet, none of these children knew how to go about doing so. Burdened by the numerous obstacles in their life, they were probably aware that pursuing this may be a luxury. But that has never stopped them from dreaming.
I remember having endless conversations with coaches, fellow colleagues and teachers about some of these kids: their talent, demeanour, leadership qualities. What I recall, most importantly from our conversations, is how passionately everyone spoke about these kids. I remember narrating and hearing of many anecdotes where we fervently described how the kids tore apart teams with their game-play. These kids are, sadly, gems in the eyes of a few hundred only.
For 21 days we watched these stars adhere to a strict regime of drills, tactics, fitness and nutrition and at the end of it, were very happy with the possibilities that were ahead of them. I, personally, would love to see our kids tear apart teams outside our league and go on from there. It was heartwarming to see the encouragement provided by the Teach For India fellows, some coming just to observe and encourage their kids. I saw how even the smallest bit of enthusiasm when met with the right encouragement could work wonders.
I’m really proud to have been a part of the All-Star Program and I must commend the people from our team who dared to dream about it. This may be a small step but is a huge milestone for us and hopefully for our future national footballers. – Sujeeth
Starting my work with EL Play on the first day of the All-Star program felt like being thrown into the deep end of a pool. The thought of managing and evaluating an advanced football program kept me awake with trepidation on my hour and a half-long bus journey, one that would have otherwise been a long joy ride in the early hours of Bangalore’s crisp and chirpy mornings.
The next 20 days sailed as smooth as a Bergkamp chip.
To me, the All-Star program is the closest to a thorough showcase of what the EL Play program is capable of producing – a highlights reel of prodigious footballing talent, role-model kids and ideal coaches who patiently nurture life-skills and sporting talent in equal measure, all working symbiotically in an environment that fosters collaboration, creativity, friendship and learning.
In its new avatar as one of the entities under the umbrella organisation, Enabling Leadership, this EL Play program is the perfect opportunity to develop the proof of concept of moulding the future leaders of our society. The program consisted of the top kids from across the Bangalore EL Play schools, each bringing along their unique talents, perspectives, social fears and egos. Guided by the best coaches from the program, the children put behind all those things that divided them and came together as a solid team which, to someone who didn’t know otherwise, would seem like a well-oiled unit that has regularly been training for a long time.
There are two things that stood out for me:
1. The diligent discussions between the three Under-12 coaches at the beginning and end of each session, reviewing and calibrating their session plans. There was visible improvement in the quality of sessions with nearly every passing day. In the beginning, the most experienced coach of the three led the sessions and discussions initially. By the end of the program, the other two were comfortably taking turns in doing the same.
2. The girls versus boys practice games in the Under-14 batch. Even though the boys were faster and technically better skilled, the girls consistently matched up (sometimes even bettered), serving everyone a display of how a team sport should be played.
By the end of the program, the children not only had a better understanding of their teammates and themselves but also an understanding of how to teach and learn from each other. I am optimistic that they will take back these lessons to their schools and other communities to help others fall in love with the game and learn as well as they have, effecting a positive chain of paying it forward.
A week after the All-Star program’s conclusion, I began my first round of school visits. With the exception of 2-3 schools, the average field size would not be more than two volleyball courts, with the ground quality similar to that of a beaten path (fittingly so). On putting that into perspective and reflecting on the quality of football at the All-Star program, it began to sink in that there is something truly special going on here.
By design or incidence, to me, this program has served as an induction to this organisation. It has clearly laid out the benchmark of what the expected outcome of all my efforts towards the coaches and children should be. – Kedar
