AIFF Media Team

NEW DELHI: Following the completion of a series of Grassroots Leaders Courses in the North-Eastern region, fourteen hand-picked coaches from the states of Manipur, Meghalaya, Assam, Nagaland, Mizoram, Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh were in attendance in the first-ever AIFF North East Instructors’ Course conducted in Shillong, Meghalaya from June 27-July 2, 2019 under the aegis of the Meghalaya Football Association.

The program was delivered by Anju Turambekar, Head AIFF Grassroots Department. The focus stayed on uncompromising need for quality, considering pedagogy, ability to deliver practical sessions, written assessment, enlightening the importance of developing Grassroots football, and to inspire, and help coaches to develop the programme over the course period.

The Grassroots Leaders Course takes a unique insight into children's Football between the ages of six and twelve with the programme being divided into three major categories which can be broken down further into the following age brackets – age 6-8, ages 9-10, and ages 11-12.

Isac Doru, Technical Director, AIFF stressed that the “psychological, and cognitive understanding of this age play a huge role in the success of training session structure and day to day management.”

"For some participants, this is the foundation stage of coaching. We need instructors who are able to felicitate that transition for first-time coaches, and provide them with the necessary tools which will help the candidates get further in the coaching field. For others who are already coaching regularly, there is a healthy discourse, and sharing of best practices, and coaching methods that can help them improve further as coaches,” Isac stated.

The course also provided wide knowledge in terms of the AFC Grassroots philosophy on how to develop and strengthen the various age categories of the game. Participants got a first-hand experience of the intricacies of working with each of these age groups during the theory, and practical sessions.

Anju added: "We are looking at candidates who have the qualities of a good instructor, and are able to deliver the content in the most engaging and simplistic manner that would best suit all future participants of the Grassroots Leaders courses.”