a beginner's guide to teaching foot ball to the underprivileged final

A Beginner’s Guide to Teaching Football to the Underprivileged

By Vedant Jain

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Index 1. Author’s Note

2. One’s role as a coach

3. Rules of the game

4. Positions and Formations

5. Fitness, Skills and Improvement

6. Factors affecting performance

7. Diet

8. Principles of training

9. Training tips

10. Typical training routine

11. Week wise training program

12. Matches and practice matches

13. Tactics and Stretegies

14. Inculcating Values

15. Extenuating circumstances

16. How to deal with injuries

17. List of equipment

18. Tests for fitness

19. Bibliography and Helpful Links

Author’s Note After having trained two public school’s teams for over a year now, I can safely say that it can be one of the most rewarding and satisfying experiences of my life. However, it can also be an extremely difficult thing to do, as it is often challenging to meet the demands of the job. I found that if I had had a sort of manual to somewhat guide me in my endeavours, it would have facilitated the learning experience to a great extent. All over the world, there are millions of people, children in particular who aspire to be the next Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo. Unfortunately, often, these children lack the resources, skills and positive role models to follow this dream through to completion. Luckily, several individuals have started to take up the challenge to train and more importantly, mentor these children to make their dreams just a little bit more feasible. Through this guide, I aim to aid the amateur coaches who may need a sense of direction to take up the challenge. Coaching children goes far beyond a mere passion for the ‘beautiful game’. Consequently, people with no training experience, who play football recreationally, may find themselves a little lost in terms of how to proceed. Thus, I have designed the guide as such that one can fully meet the requirements of the job and go above and beyond to give the children an adequate, if not brilliant learning experience. My personal experience in the field of coaching was a one-year tenure while teaching the sixth and seventh grades of the Worli Sea Face Municipal School. I was sixteen years old when I undertook the responsibility. I had completed a 3-year course in Physical Education, yet was somewhat unprepared. At the beginning of the year, the students weren’t able to pass the ball and played in a rather awkward and unorganised fashion. Slowly, with a combination of skill and fitness building drills, I slowly, but steadily worked their level up and I was proud of their progress. Eventually, they placed in the semi finals of the Just for Kicks tournament, which is by no means a small achievement. However, I felt there was a lot of room for improvement in the training program I had used to train the kids and as a result, have outlined an ideal 4-month training program for the children. For a more simplified version of this, skip through to page

One’s Role as a Coach

As a coach to twenty odd children, one must realise that one isn’t solely a football trainer. One plays the role of:

A mentor As a mentor to the children, one becomes a guide and a confidant. One must remember to lead them to make moral decisions, such as not to commit fouls in football or cheat in the game. One must also keep in mind that one must earn the trust of one’s children, such that they will fully commit themselves to the training. Thus, one must not break their trust with acts such as skipping training sessions, breaking rules, et cetera. In addition, one must provide psychological and emotional support as the children come from varied backgrounds

A role model One of the most surprising part of one’s time as a coach may be having twenty children look up to one. It makes one more careful about what one says and does because one has to be wary of not inculcating incorrect values to the children. One must be careful to be completely moral when teaching as the children are extremely impressionable and will pick up the slightest hint of unethical activity. Furthermore, one must also try to use the fact that the kids look up to you in order to indoctrinate good traits in them such as sharing, teamwork, et cetera.

A teacher Although one is not a traditional teacher, by way of not standing in a classroom and physically teaching subjects, one still holds similar responsibilities as one, such as teaching them discipline, punctuality, teamwork and personal development. One must remember to take time out to teach them these important life lessons. How this must be done is elaborated later in the guide. One must keep in mind all these roles and try one’s best to fulfil each one of them to be the ideal coach. Lastly, one must also remember to be enthusiastic and energised at all times so that this energy is adopted by the children.

Basic Rules of the Game

Apart from the rules concerning ball size, match length, field size and number of players, there are several other rules, which deal with the specifics of the game.

1. Each player is required to play with shoes, shin guards, shorts, a t-shirt and must not wear any hard jewellery or religious symbols (kada’s especially). Goalkeepers may wear gloves. Shin pads and gloves are for the players’ safety.

2. There must be a referee, whose authority is unopposed. 3. The timer must be started at the beginning of each half and stopped at the end of

a half. 4. Once the ball exits the field of play, either in the air or on the ground, it is marked

out of play. 5. If the ball enters the goal completely, it is marked as a goal 6. Intentional and overly aggressive behaviour to another player is marked as a foul

and a free kick (the ball is placed for the team to kick at the spot of the foul) is given. If this is doen in the 18 yard (D), it is a penalty, where no players can come in the way of the ball and the goal except the goalkeeper.

7. If a player touches the ball with his hand, a free kick or penalty is given at the spot of the foul.

8. If the ball leaves the area of play from the sides, the team that did not touch it last gets to throw the ball into play, which must be done with the player’s hands over his head and both legs on the ground.

9. If the ball leaves the field of play from the goal lines, and the last player to touch the ball is from the attacking team, the ball is given to the goalkeeper to kick from the 6 yard box

10. If the ball leaves the field of play from the goal lines, and the last player to touch the ball is from the defending team, the ball is kicked in by the attacking team from the corner closest to the point at which it was kicked out.

11. A goalkeeper must only catch the ball if he is in his 18 yard box. 12. A goalkeeper must not catch the ball if his teammate passed the ball

intentionally to him with his foot. 13. An extremely malicious foul can lead to a yellow card or a warning card. An

extremely malicious foul can lead to a red card, where the player is removed from the field of play. Two yellow cards lead to a red card.

These rules may be altered slightly depending on the space and context of the game. Usually, infractions on clothing and back passes are usually forgiven in tournaments like Just for Kicks as they are out of the teams’ hands.

Positions and Formations of Football Positions: In football, there are four types of players:

Forwards: these are players who play in the front most part of the field. Their main job is the score goals. They receive the balls from the mid fielders and try to either shoot, or dodge their way to scoring a goal. They are usually very fast and agile and have powerful shots.

Midfielders: as the name suggests, they play in the centre of the field. Their job is to take the ball from the defenders and give it to the forwards. They have to have a lot of stamina so they can run up and down the field the whole match. They are categorised by having very good passing and stamina, and the ability to play as defence and as forwards.

Defenders: they are players who play near their goals, stopping forwards from taking shots or getting ahead. They are usually extremely big and strong, to be able to tackle very well. They need to pass the ball to the midfielders to start the attack.

Goalkeepers: they are the only players in the game allowed to use their hands, but only in the D or 18 yard box. They have to dive and stop the ball from going into the goal. They are usually very tall, strong and flexible.

In general, when teaching the children, there is a tendency that the children don’t want to be defenders. They prefer either being forwards or midfielders. As a result, one must set the formations by oneself to prevent the blind ambition of scoring goals get in the way of the optimum decision. Formations: In football, the players have formations, which they form in order to achieve a certain desired balance between the defence and attack. One must learn the basic formations in order to understand the basic tactics of the game. The formations are written as three numbers, the first one being the number of defenders, then the number of midfielders and lastly the number of forwards.

4-4-2: this is the most basic football formation. The

four midfielders in can vary their position based on their ability. Ones with more attacking potential can go outwards and upwards, like wingers and the more defensively inclined ones can come backwards and inwards, like defenders.

4-3-3: this is a very offensive position as it allows for

an extra attacker. This is beneficial when the team has a strong midfield that can handle an increased load, as there are fewer midfielders. In addition, there are less defensive midfielders as only the centre midfielder plays defensively.

5-3-1: this is a very defensive position as it allows

five defenders to help prevent goals. This formation is used against strong attacking teams. This makes the

defence more crowded and makes the opposition struggle to score. The disadvantage is that the attack relies very strongly on the lone striker.

These formations are for matches with 11 players. Most matches are for fewer players. This leads to the adaptation of these formations to other numbers of players. In addition, the kids tend to not follow their assigned formation. Try to teach them how to stick in their formation well via match practice.

Fitness Components Required in Football

Fitness Component Definition and Importance

Speed Ability to cover a certain distance in short periods of time. Speed is one of the most important components required in Football. It is required by a forward or mid-fielder to dodge defenders, and be able to overtake them with the ball. Defenders, to catch up to the attacker, and prevent them from scoring, also need it. Being able to reach a place quickly can benefit one’s team, for example, by receiving a through ball etc. Most of the kids are not very fast, as a result of poor muscular development.

Cardiovascular Endurance

This is the ability to exercise the entire body for long periods of time. In this sport, this component is required to be able to play the whole 90 minutes. The player should be able to jog, and sprint throughout the match. If a player can sprint whenever required, without excessive tiredness it makes him an efficient player. The children often have fairly good endurance, however, one can hope to reduce their resting heart rate from 74 to below 65.

Muscular Endurance

This is the ability of the muscles to maintain and repeat contractions without getting tired. This is needed in every footballer, so that he is able to kick the ball, and keep running throughout the game. It is required so that he can perform skills repeatedly without his muscles tiring out, and needing rest.

Strength This is the ability of a muscle to exert a force against a resistance. Mainly defenders require it. This is because they need to be strong enough to shoulder push a forward so that they are able to get the ball. It is also required to make a tackle, but it requires correct technique and skill to perform. Again, the low muscular content of the children led to a lack of strength.

Somatotype This is the percentage of fat, muscle or bone in your body. An ideal footballer needs to be am Ecto-Mesomorph. This body type enables, one to be very fast, as well as quite strong. This is needed by a defender to make rough tackles, and by a forward to withstand them. Unfortunately, the majority of underprivileged children is underweight and needs to gain muscle. Most are ectomorphs or too thin and too short.

Agility This is the ability to change position of the body as quickly as possible, while keeping the body in control. This is a very important component in Football. Mainly required by mid-fielders and forwards, it enables you to dodge a defender. Most of the children are small and nimble and have good agility.

Balance Ability to retain centre of mass, above base of support. This skill depends on the play style of different players. This component enables players to stay standing rather than falling from a tackle, which can save you time and effort in a game. The kids, being quite short, had a low centre of mass and did not require extensive training for balance.

Good Timing This is the ability of the body to coincide movements with an external stimulus. In football, it is needed in order to take a shot. The best example for this component is while taking shot on a half volley or while heading the ball. To be able to line up your leg or head with the ball in such a way that it reaches a specific target (a goal or a teammate) requires good timing. The kids had a major problem with timing. This is natural and needs to be worked on.

Skills and Techniques Required for Football

Passing: This skill is required to keep possession of the ball and rotate it among your teammates to build an attack. This is the most important skill required. There are two types of passes:

1) The Short Pass- this is when you want to pass the ball to a player close by to prevent giving possession of the ball away. There are three ways of passing the ball. One can either use the inside part of the foot, between the toe and the heel, use your lace to pass it, or use the outer portion of your foot to pass it to a teammate. It depends on what the angle your teammate is standing at from you, how much time you have to pass the ball, and how much power you need in the pass.

2) The Long Pass- this is when you want to change the side of the field the ball is at, or cross the ball to the centre while attacking. This skill requires power and precision. Accuracy is very important to perform this skill. You can either use your lace, to give a hard grounded pass, or you can use the top portion of the inside of your foot, where your toe is attached to your foot. This flights the ball and doesn’t require much power. It is called ‘skying’ the ball. The ball does not go very hard, and therefore is easy to trap.

Dribbling: Dribbling is a basic skill, which is needed by every Football player. It is the ability to carry the ball past an opponent, or even just to cover ground. To be able to dribble the ball, one must be able to use both their feet, and look up while carrying the ball. Ball control is required for this skill. The ball can be dribbled by doing basic manoeuvres or advanced manoeuvres that require practice and skill to perform. It is important for a player to know how and when to dribble, to effectively cover ground and not lose possession of the ball, and be successful in scoring a goal. Dribbling can be performed with any part of your foot, depending on the situation. A skilful

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player will know how and where to dribble the ball in a tight situation. Most of the kids could dribble, but only with one foot, or kicking the ball too far when dribbling. One must demonstrate how it is done, or show videos to the kids. The aim is to touch the ball softly, and to keep it in control the whole time. Heading: The skill is required by every footballer. It includes the usage of ones forehead to clear the ball, or score in a cross or a corner. This technique is used so that the player does not have to wait for the ball to reach his feet. In Football, players aren’t allowed to lift their leg over a certain height, or else it leads to a foul. Therefore, this skill is required when the ball is crossed, or skied, to win or keep possession to build an attack and score. Most children were too scared to head the ball, as they were afraid they would get hurt.

Trapping: This is a very important skill. It is needed to keep the ball under control and keep possession. There are several different ways to trap the ball. 1) Trapping a soft Pass- The player can place his leg and alter the direction

of the balls movement in his favour. The aim is to touch the ball softly, so that the rebound doesn’t take the ball too far.

2) Trapping a Hard Pass- this requires ball control. To do this, a player can use the inside of his foot to contact the ball, an as it reaches him, he can gently slide his leg backwards to absorb the power in the ball and make it stop. The player should keep his leg stiff, or hard, to trap the ball. His leg should be left loose.

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3) Trapping a High Ball- The chest is mainly used to trap high balls. To easily trap the ball, the player must thrust his chest out, while it is approaching him, and then gently absorb the ball inwards, by talking his chest in. He should also breath out when he contacts the ball, to avoid getting winded. You can also lean backwards to take the pace away from the ball.

Shooting: This skill requires a lot of power, and accuracy. It is the most important skill for forwards. Without being able to shoot, one cannot possible score a goal. This is also the hardest skill to perform under pressure. Many details are required in this skill. At the beginning of the year, the children weren’t able to kick the ball very far, or very hard. They often missed the target completely. There are 3 types of shots. The Lace Shot- this is a powerful shot usually a striker takes when he is in the goalkeeper’s ‘D’. The best way to perform it is to take a straight run-up, and run as fast as possible. It requires a lot of pace, and some time, which is why it is quite had to perform when under pressure. The idea is to pace towards the ball and use the lace of your foot, to strike the centre of the ball as hard as possible. Players

Lace Shot

must often bend their body towards the front to prevent the ball from rising too much. It can also be taken while standing, to surprise the keeper, but this is often not as hard, and the striker may lose balance as well. Timing is also important in this shot. The striker should be able to create enough space to strike the ball as hard as possible.

1) The Side-Foot- this is a shot based on accuracy and finesse. It is used during 1 on 1 situations. It requires placement, and little bit of power. To perform it, the player has to take a slanting run up and tap the ball. It can often be used in free kicks to curve the ball around the wall as it curves the ball to the opposite direction of the leg you shoot with.

2) Half-Volley/ on the Volley- this shot is used when the ball is bouncing or in air. It requires the use of the lace portion. However, the run up has to be at an angle. The leg should also be swung at an angle, away from the body. It is used to clear the ball, or to shoot in the goal. It curves the ball in the direction of the leg you shoot with.

Factors Affecting Performance 1. Lack of Sleep: This is important as to be well rested for the next day; one has to have gotten eight or nine hours of sleep. One must try to encourage one’s students to sleep as for at least 8 to 10 hours the day before practice but is often difficult to monitor or demand. 2. Lifestyle: getting out of one’s comfort zones can cause them to perform poorly. This is why lifestyle is important. It is possible that a student’s home environment is causing them to perform poorly. Resolving issues may be out of none’s hand but it is imperative to speak to the students and try to help them on an emotional level.

Side Foot Shot

Half-Volley

3. Injury: Injuries may cause one to be scared to continue. In addition, an injury hinders performance as it interrupts the functioning of the body. The students are often injured by the poor public grounds. One must be mindful of students who wish to continue despite being injured and disallow them to play if they are injured.

4. Drugs/Smoking/Alcohol: Not only are these unhealthy for the students, but also, they are often prone to poorer sporting performance. Thus, one can advise one’s students not to drink or smoke and try to encourage them as much as possible to stay clean.

5. Safety: Always have them play wearing adequate safety equipment: shin guards, proper clothing and shoes are a must. If the weather conditions are too poor, or the ground is too rocky, one must be cautious and despite the fact that the students often do not wear shin pads, one must enforce it. In addition, overly aggressive behaviour must be stopped immediately.

6. Motivation: Encouragement from teammates and others always tends to boost one’s performance. One must create an atmosphere where the students feel comfortable and highly motivated to train. This can be done by giving constant encouragement.

7. Stress: Being under pressure affects different people differently. However, majority of people do not work well under stress and the stress of a big performance causes them to perform poorly. However, football is a game wherein one finds themselves under pressure in many situations. One must give the students drills to that deal with this, such that in a match, they aren’t underprepared. Stretching, after the practice is done, offers a cool down, as well as a good relaxation method.

Diet:

Keeping in mind that the adjustments for the diet of an underprivileged child may not be great in number, a diet was drawn up, so that the children could increase their weight and muscle, such that they tended towards Ecto-Mesomorphs rather than Ectomorphs. The diet is cost effective, as well as nutritious. The bullet points show options of different healthy meals.

Breakfast:

2-3 eggs with toast with butter

Roti with ghee.

Cereal with nuts,fruit and milk

Poha

Upma

Glass of milk

A banana. Lunch:

Roti

Rice

Dal

Non veg dish

Vegetables

Khichdi

They can include in meals: rajmah, channa, chawli, mixed pulses too. Soybean or soy nuggets are a very good source of protein and fat for vegetarians. Add sesame and flaxseed to meal as they provide calcium and iron.Calcium is essential for growing bones andIron is essential for producing blood . Meat is the best source of iron. For vegetarians, include channa, dates, watermelons and green leafy vegetables. Dinner:

Egg with roti

Bread and peanut butter

Sandwiches

Popcorn

Potato tikki

Mashed potato

Corn on the cob

Add ‘paneer’ or a glass of milk to the dinner as it is essential to have a lot of protein. Before a match: (at least 2 hours before)

Toast or roti with jam or honey And banana Juice Lemonade

During a match:

Lemonade with salt and sugar.

Electoral is the best form of rehydration.

A banana After a match a full meal is required within one and a half hours of the match getting over. Hydrate well through the day. Drink water. Adequate fluid intake is the single most important recommendation for all types of exercise.

Principles of Training:

Specificity: The training must be specific to the sport or activity one is training for. In

this case, it must be training the leg, arm and back muscles in both the aerobic and the

anaerobic zone. In addition, it must target to achieve improvement in cardiovascular

endurance, muscular endurance, strength, power, speed of reaction, balance,

somatotype, flexibility, speed, agility, coordination, timing and the basic skills of football

mention earlier.

Progression: the training has to keep augmenting in difficulty such that the athlete is

able to improve his performance. In the training program for football, possible ways to

increase the level of the difficulty is by increasing reps of exercise, duration and type of

training

Overload: the principle of overload dictates that the athlete must overload himself to

improve performance. This can be done in 4 ways:

Increasing frequency: by increasing the number of reps per unit time, one can

overload oneself.

Intensity: by increasing the work to be done, one can overload oneself

Time: by extending the duration of the task, overload is possible

Type: by varying the type of exercise to something more challenging, overload is

possible

Reversibility: Muscle atrophy will occur if rest days are too long. By exercising the

principle of reversibility, the athlete ensures that his performance does not deter after

rest days. The training is ideally done three times a week, as it is fairly rigorous and

would lead to injuries if it were more often. This allows the players to get adequate rest

before each session

Tedium Avoidance: to make sure that the athlete is not bored or tired of the program,

the program must be devised in a way that it is not too monotonous and provides the

athlete with enough excitement. This is done by having matches, which the kids tend to

like or involving newer activities. It is possible to make teams and have competitions,

which keeps the kids motivated, and in addition teaches them team spirit.

Further Training Guidelines:

Goal Setting: It’s important for making a successful training program. This means that

there is a definite target to work towards when one is making a training program.

These goals must be:

Specific to the sport and athlete

Measurable (must provide quantitative data)

Agreed on by the coach and the children

Realistic so that they do not lose interest halfway through

Time-phased, so that there are checkpoints and break-ups in the 4-month

program

Exciting, to keep to interest level of the athletes high

Recorded, to make sure they’re followed correctly

Keeping these in mind, a few basic goals are made, of which, first and foremost was to

win the Just for Kicks tournament. It is recommended to take a video recorded ‘test’ of

the children every two months or so, wherein the tests for fitness and skills (page ) are

all demonstrated, such that definite goals can be outlined. This can also be used to get a

feel of the improvement over a course of time. In addition, the children love to be video

recorded and photographed, which is a boost to the team morale.

Making Teams: In the course of the training program, it is natural to play many

matches, as they are enjoyed by the children, as well as a brilliant learning opportunity

for them. The matches can be short, but one must be mindful not to lose too much time

in making teams. In addition, one mustn’t have two captains choosing teams, which

demoralises the children chosen last. Thus, one can choose teams at random, but the

preferred method is to manually choose defenders, attackers and midfielders for each

team and swap around in the course of the match to see what the best combination is.

Towards the tournament season, it would be advised to choose your best attackers and

the best defenders and the best goalkeeper in opposing teams. If one is coaching two

teams simultaneously, one can try to have one team play the other, having the

goalkeepers switching, so that the better keeper in the poorer team.

Aggression: Teaching one’s team to play tough is important, but it is vital that they are not overly aggressive, in a way that they start to foul, or approach the game with

malicious intent. The key is to teach them to channel their aggression into fair, clean tackles and to leave their aggression on the field. This is done by teaching them the rules thoroughly and enforcing them strictly. Punish people that foul regularly and have a zero tolerance policy for fighting, where both parties are punished. Try to make your students use their aggression to further their training, but within the laws of the game.

Program Scheduling

Before starting the training program, It is recommended to conduct a series of

warm-up exercises everyday to make sure the payers do not get injured. This

includes 70-80% stretching of most muscles involved. It also includes a light 4 or 5

minute Jog.

To cool down at the end of the session, conduct cool-down exercises, which

typically comprise of a 5 to 10 minute walk and 100-110% stretching of the muscles

exercised.

In the program, the principles of training and goal-settings have been followed as

well.

The exercises chosen: Jogging, shuttle runs, cone running, line walking, Sit ups,

Squats, Push Ups, shooting, trapping and passing drills are all specific to football as

they exercise the leg and back muscles aerobically and anaerobically, improving

cardiovascular endurance, muscular endurance, strength, power, speed of reaction,

balance, somatotype, flexibility, speed, agility, coordination, timing and the basic

skills of football.

The principle of overload has been used. It is advised to overload the students via

time, frequency and intensity by increasing the duration of the exercise, as well as

increasing the number of repetitions periodically. Progression was carried out in a

similar manner as shown above. (Progressing the number or repetitions, distance

jogged, et cetera.)

Make sure that muscle atrophy did not occur by having predominantly active rest

days. This is demonstrated by not resting too often so as to harm the children’s

performance. On the other hand, one must also make sure that the children do not

overwork themselves and it is recommended to discourage too much physical

exertion outside of the program

Tedium avoidance was achieved by having interesting and varied activities that built

skills required for football. This includes competitions, matches, handball matches,

engaging oneself, testing with cameras and doing new drills. This is important for a

young student group. This made sure they aren’t bored of the program and so that

they looked forward to doing something new every session.

Tapering off was another thing included in the program. To reduce soreness before

the season began, the last few weeks had relatively less intense training. This made

sure they weren’t injured or fatigued before the competition began.

Debriefing: Debriefing: it is absolutely essential to talk to the team after a

practice is over. Spend 5 to 10 minutes at least explaining to the team what you

felt was good, what needed improvement, what is going to be done in the next

session, how the progress is so far. Commend individuals who have put in an

exemplary effort. Try to introduce a new idea or tactic at the end of the day. In

addition, one must talk about values and one must try to inculcate them through

these talks. One can bring out a new value through the talk via explaining the

importance of various part of the game, such as teamwork. This debriefing

should let the players have something to think about, something that gives the

session meaning apart from just the football aspect of it.

Breaks and Water: Giving a large number of breaks during a practice is ill

advised. A maximum of two breaks should be given per hour of teaching. This is

because breaks allow the body to become stiff again, which is bad during a

practice. Allow many water breaks to allow students to cool down and

recuperate. Water may not be close by and water breaks may be a waste of time

and so one may consider cutting water breaks down to just once per session.

This can be increased in the hot summer months.

4-Month Training Program:

This is a design for a program that entails between 3 to 5 hours a week of training, 4

weeks a month for 6 months. The time allotted for each week in these activities is

around 2 to 3 hours, as time is used for warm up, cool down and debriefing.

Month 1: Week Activity What it Improves

1 Jogging, 2 kilometres

Sprints, 8 x 20 meters

20 push ups

20 squats

20 sit ups

Passing Drills, 30 minutes

Trapping drills, 30 minutes

Stamina Speed Strength, Somatotype Strength, Somatotype Strength, Somatotype Passing Trapping

2 Jogging, 2.5 kilometres

Cone Running, 8 x 15 meters

25 sit ups

25 push ups

25 squats

Shooting Drills, 30 minutes

Match, 30 minutes

Stamina Agility Strength, Somatotype Strength, Somatotype Strength, Somatotype Shooting, passing Overall development



30 sit ups

30 push ups

30 squats

Line walking, 10 minutes

Handball Match, 20 minutes

Match, 30 minutes

Stamina Speed Strength, Somatotype Strength, Somatotype Strength, Somatotype Balance Overall Development Overall Development


Cone running, 10 x 15 meters

30 sit ups

30 push ups

30 squats




Stamina Speed Strength, Somatotype Strength, Somatotype Strength, Somatotype Passing Trapping Shooting

Month 2:

Week Activity What it Improves



40 push ups

40 squats

40 sit ups



Match, 20 minutes

Stamina Speed Strength, Somatotype Strength, Somatotype Strength, Somatotype Passing Trapping Overall Development



45 sit ups

45 push ups

45 squats


Match, 30 minutes




50 sit ups

50 push ups



Match, 30 minutes

Stamina Speed Strength, Somatotype Strength, Somatotype Balance Overall Development Overall Development



50 push ups

50 squats




Tests for skills and Fitness, 30 minutes

Stamina Speed Strength, Somatotype Strength, Somatotype Strength, Somatotype Passing Trapping Shooting Test

Month 3:




50 squats

50 sit ups


Match, 50 minutes

Stamina Speed Strength, Somatotype Strength, Somatotype Passing Overall Development



Stamina Agility Strength, Somatotype

50 sit ups

50 push ups


Match, 50 minutes

Strength, Somatotype Shooting, passing Overall development



50 sit ups

50 push ups



Match, 30 minutes




60 push ups

60 squats


Match, 60 minutes

Stamina Speed Strength, Somatotype Strength, Somatotype Passing Trapping Overall development

Month 4:




60 push ups

60 sit ups


Match, 60 minutes

Stamina Speed Strength, Somatotype Strength, Somatotype Passing Overall Development



45 sit ups

45 push ups

45 squats


Match, 30 minutes




40 sit ups

40 push ups



Match, 30 minutes


4 Jogging, 1.5 kilometre


Stamina Speed

20 push ups

20 squats

Match, 30 minutes

Tests for skills and Fitness, 30 minutes

Strength, Somatotype Strength, Somatotype Overall Development Test

One must use this as a guideline to form one’s own daily training routine for the week

by mixing and matching the various exercises to meet the group’s needs. A good way to

keep in check with the guide is to make sure one finishes each of the exercises

mentioned for that week twice during the course of the week. Try to find time for team

building games as well. For the understanding of the readers, listed below is a

comprehensive instruction for each of the exercises mentioned above.

Exercise Description

Jogging Begin running around a fixed length of track. Instruct

the children to jog slowly, and as a group. To build

teamwork and cohesion, one can insist that the team

runs together. Do not vary the pace. After the jogging is

complete, instruct the children to walk around the field

for 2-3 minutes, to allow their body to recuperate

Sprints (shuttle runs) Place two cones 10 meters apart. Have the team form a

horizontal line. Blow the whistle and make the children

run simultaneously back and forth. One can keep them

in sets of 3 and vary them by incorporating backwards

running and sideways running.

Cone Running Place 7 cones in a straight line, approximately a meter

apart. Make the kids run around each cone all the way

to the end and back. To save time, 2 lines might be a

good idea.

Push ups Have the

children lie

down in this

position:

Then slowly

have them bend

their arms while

supporting their

own weight

while not

arching their knees or backs and back up again.

Squats: Place the feet parallel to the shoulders. Keeping the

back straight, bend the knees until the thighs are 90°

with the shins and come back up again.

Sit ups: Break them off into pairs. Have one child stand lightly

on the feet of the other, who has his legs folded in. he

them must bring his body up to try to touch his head to

his knees and back down again. The hands can remain

on the head or chest.

Passing Drills: Short Passes: Place two cones 5-10 meters apart. Form

two vertical lines. The first player will pass the ball to

the player in front of him, then sprint to the back of the

line in front of him. The other player now traps the ball

and repeats this.

Long Passes: Place two cones 20-30 meters apart and

make 4 groups. Have each group have some members at

each cone. Then, have each team pass the ball to his

teammate at the other end and jog to him after passing.

Once they have mastered long passing on the ground,

move on to aerial passing.

This can be varied to include dribbling as well.

Trapping Drills: Make 3 squares with cones and three teams. Each team

has one player in the centre, who traps the ball, without

letting the ball leave the square. The other teammates

stand around the square throwing the ball to him at a

variety of speeds and positions.

Shooting Drills: Have the keeper stand in the goal. If there are multiple

keepers, have them switch every few shots. Place two

cones 20 meters from the goal. Form two lines at each

cone. The ball is passed from one player at the first

cone, to in front of the second player, who is at the

second cone, who then shoots the ball. Change the

positions so that the players have to shoot with both

legs.

Another alternative is to form a circle, shoot, and head

the ball at the goalkeeper, who must save or deflect it.

Line Walking Make a 5-meter line with a stick or chalk and have the

players first walk, then jog and finally run over the line

without losing balance.

Handball This is a game to improve team coordination. Two

teams are formed and the teams are allowed to use

their hands to pass. However, only the head is used to

score goals. This allows the players to coordinate their

passes and practice their heading.

Matches They can be of several varieties. Namely:

One on One drill: this is where the players break off into

pairs, where one is an attacker and the other is a

defender. The attacker stands 10 meters away from the

defender and has to try to use his dribbling and cutting

to get around the defender. The defender has to tackle

the attacker without fouling him. Make a small area

with cones for which the ball must not exceed.

Two ball game: this is a match of regular football but

the only change is two balls are used instead of one, to

improve awareness.

Dog and the Bone Football: teams decide their own

numbers. The coach then calls a number or set of

numbers aloud. Those players come onto the small area

chosen and try to score in a short match.

Single Goal Matches: this is when two teams are made

and there is only a single goal. The team attacking

concentrates on only attacking, whereas the defending

team focuses on tackling and retaining possession of

the ball.

Match of Football: Closer to the tournament, one must

start to play games with the same rules as the

tournament. Stop the game periodically to give advice.

Matches: Before the season starts, one can have a few preliminary matches with local teams. The

advantages include:

Setting a final line-up

Seeing how the team deals with pressure

Seeing the level of the players as compared to others

Dealing with different levels of aggression

Teaching the players how to substitute effectively

Find each player’s optimum position

Learn skills from the other team

Learn how to be gracious in both victory and loss

However, these practice matches may lead to injuries, thus, one must be careful to not

overexert the players or play against teams known for being very rough. In addition,

one must not organise practice games in the 48 hours before a match.

For practice games, it is important to substitute many players in a variety of positions,

to see where the optimum team chemistry lies. It is also imperative to do this to make

sure the players are not exhausted or injured. Recording game tape may be a good idea.

For the tournament games, a good warm up of around 20 minutes before each match is

required to avoid injury and for optimal performance. Do not encourage too much

unsupervised playing and excitement before games. Encourage the team to play their

natural game. Game tactics will be discussed later.

For the game, make sure:

There is plenty of water and glucose

Enough rest time between two matches

During the rest time, the players should not run around, but only warm up 20

minutes prior to the start of their game

It is good to allow the players a few minutes on the field before the game to pass

around and get familiar with the conditions.

Do not pressurise the players as they are already under a lot of stress

The substitute players often come up to you asking to be put in the game. This is

natural, however, it must not be encouraged. By explaining that this is not

acceptable beforehand, this may stop this from happening

Make sure the players are courteous to the opponent, by shaking hands after the

match and picking them up if they are tackled.

The players are respectful to the referee at all times.

Often in tournaments like this, the players may start swearing and fighting with

each other, including certain players getting extremely offended, et cetera. It is

absolutely important to make sure your team does not indulge in such

behaviour, but at the same time, knows how to deal with being cursed on the

field. It is important to talk to them extensively about this

Talk to the players at half time and at the end of the match

At half time, take the players into the shade and make them lie down so as to

recuperate well.

Be particular about shin guards and shoes on the game day. Nothing is worse

than sustaining an injury.

The boys often eat heavy heals after the match, which is not ideal, if the next

match is soon. Make sure that unless the next match is two hours later or more,

the boys should only have a light snack

It may be advisable to film the matches for later review.

Carry chocolates or sweets to reward the boys for putting up a good game. It is a

good energy source as well as a morale booster.

In the matches, try to be as calm and cool as possible. Let the team captains do their jobs. Be firm, but gentle, as they are extremely tensed. Lastly, it is important to trust one’s instincts.

Match Tactics and Strategies:

Football, for the most part is a thinking game, where every move is thought out. While it may seem difficult at first to teach them complex tactics, which require forethought and planning, one must remember that with regular match practice in the training session, they become accustomed to this.

1. Passing tactics: it is a good idea to not encourage the players to dribble the ball too much. Passing and quick football is a better alternative, as it allows for easier goals to be scored. The basic passing tactic is to make passes to get ahead. A defender would pass to a free player, who passes it to another free player and finally would pass it to a forward, who will take a shot at goal. The main idea of this is to pass accurate passes to players who are not marked (near) by the opponents. The last pass, to the forward can be a through pass, which allows him to take an easy shot. Planning these tactics before a match could be extremely beneficial.

2. Winging: the centre of a football ground is generally more crowded than the sides. Thus, it is a good idea to try to pass the ball down the sides of the field to the forwards. When this is done, other players move towards the goal, anticipating a cross, which is a pass made by the forward on the wings to the players near the goal, who can then score a goal. It may also be done if a player decides to run down the wing, instead of making a long pass down the wing.

3. Man Marking: when one’s team is in the lead, man marking is a very good way to make sure the other team does not score. It basically comprises of the team players

each choosing a player to mark, or stand behind, making passing to that player extremely difficult. This would limit the opposition to taking long shots and not being able to score easily.

4. Crowding the box: when the opponent is attacking, it is a good idea to get as many players in the D as possible to restrict the opposition’s options and shots. The tactic is used to make sure teams with poor long passing cannot score easily.

5. Long shots: when a team has a strong defence, and the team is losing, by taking many shots from far range, it increases the chance of a shot going in. Often teams do not have very good keepers and this is especially useful against teams like that.

6. Long Balls: this tactic works well with quick forwards. It relies on the fact that the defenders can kick the ball straight to the forwards, in compromising positions for the defence. To use this, the forwards must be exceptionally quick and the defenders must be adept at long aerial passes. This works well against a slow short defence

7. Quick short passes (tiki-taka): this is a Spanish technique, which relies on making short quick passes to get ahead. This is used against teams that are slower than you and often rely on through balls and one on ones to score goal, rather than shooting. It is used when players are good at passing and are very quick and agile.

8. Upward Pressure: when a team is losing, and there isn’t much time to spare, they can use a technique wherein the players surge forward in great numbers, increasing the passing and shooting options. This is a risky tactic if the players do not fall back, or come back fast enough. It is effective when a team has fast, strong players.

One must teach the tactics that suit one’s team by practising them in match practices. One must then use the required components, for example speed and strength and work on them with one’s team. It is important to learn various offensive and defensive tactics that suit the team in various circumstances and for different types of opponents. Thus, one can play matches with the defence in one team and the offence in another, or single goal matches.

Inculcating Values:

When teaching the underprivileged, one isn’t solely trying to teach them to play football, but also to be better individuals, with better values. Thus, listed here below is a set of values one inculcates through this training program and how this is done:

Honesty

Honesty is an important value for the children, as it teaches them not to lie, cheat or deceive. It is a value that is taught in the training program via a strict punishment method for cheating. Often, when running rounds, or facing challenging exercises, the children will cheat by taking shortcuts. On can punish the children by making them run more rounds. Furthermore, one can explain the importance of honesty to the children in the after match briefing. Another way to teach honesty via the training schedule is to teach the players that cheating in a match is wrong. This can be done by stopping a match, or punishing the whole team when someone cheats. This will condition the players to not be dishonest in football and even in life. One can see if one’s team is being honest by testing them in practice matches, by intentionally making incorrect calls as a referee, and judging whether the players chose to inform you that you are incorrect, despite it harming their team’s motives.

Teamwork

Teamwork is the ability to work well with the people around you to achieve a common goal. This is vital in life, and equally important in football. Football is a team sport, and there are countless examples of how the teamwork aspect is brought out in the training program. Firstly, the children are encouraged to do each activity as a team, which builds a sense of togetherness. This is extended to punishments as well, where if a team member infringes the rule, the entire team is punished. Furthermore, in all the drills, there is a requirement for working as a group to achieve perfect passing, for example. In addition, most drills require another player to work with him, for example, in the shooting drill, the shooter requires a player to pass the ball to him well to be able to take a good shot. Lastly, the matches teach the team how to function as a team extremely well. Often, a good sense of teamwork leads to being able to pass well, have better coordination, and also be able to work with a group of people in facets other than football. One can see teamwork by keeping a note of how often the boys complain about each other, but a more reliable test for teamwork is to see how coordinated the boys are while passing to one another.

Discipline

To succeed in life, one must be able to be disciplined and able to follow instructions without breaking the rules. The discipline aspect has been touched upon earlier, but to teach discipline, one must show zero tolerance for breaking the rules of conduct in a practice. It is suggested to have different levels of punishment. For minor offences, make the child do a front roll on the floor. Increase the number for more serious infractions. For more severe punishments, make the players run laps of the field. Lastly, for worse infractions, make the player sit out for the remainder of the practice. This level system is done to show the players that for varying levels of misconduct, there are varying levels of punishment. This makes the children understand that there is a price to be paid for breaking rules and leads to them being more disciplined members of society. By seeing the number of infractions the boys make to the rules as a team, one can get an accurate understanding of how disciplined the team is

Morality

Morality is the understanding of right and wrong. It is moral people that are respected and revered by society. Football is a game wherein morality plays a big part. In football, morality is seen by not cheating, being respectful and using the correct amount of aggression. This is taught in the training program by discouraging cheating, as mentioned above, and also by teaching the children the correct way to tackle, such that in matches, the players use the correct amount of aggression. Furthermore, morality is taught to by explaining to the players the importance of playing fair. Lastly, it is important to teach players to apologise after fouling, and picking the fallen players up, no matter which team they are in. The morality taught via the training program is directly translated to being better and more ethical members of society. One can test the morality in the game by observing the children when someone

Sportsmanship

Sportsmanship is the attitude where a sport or activity will be enjoyed for its own sake, with proper consideration for fairness, ethics, respect, and a sense of fellowship with one's competitors. This is brought about in the debriefing, where the importance of this must be stressed on. One must insist on seeing sportsmanship in the mathches. Sportsmanship makes the players more inclined to becoming chivalrous and understanding people. By seeing the children’s attitude to victory and defeat, one can judge their level of sportsmanship.

Fairness

In life, being a fair and just human is important for the development of one’s character. It is a quality that attracts respect. In short, fairness is the ability to make impartial and unbiased decisions. In the training program, when matches are played, one must often let the children themselves make the decisions, instead of acting like a referee. This allows them to make unbiased and fair decisions. Thus, when confronted with a decision in real life, they have the ability to quickly evaluate and judge a situation fairly. One can see if one’s team is being fair by testing them in practice matches, by letting them make their own decisions and seeing if they choose to be fair or not

Resolving Conflict

The ability to resolve conflict is extremely important for everyone, as one has to know how to diffuse a high tension situation to one that can be resolved easily. This is even more useful when one has to deal with bullies and adversaries on a regular basis. In the training program, teamwork is emphasised. This means that all conflict between teammates must be dealt with. If this is not done, the children will receive a punishment. Thus, the children learn to resolve conflict amongst themselves without causing a scene. The conflict resolving skill is vital in real life to help alleviate them from the difficulty of an on-going conflict, as well as gain the respect of their peers for doing so. One can see the amount of conflict in a team, and this is a good indicator of how well your team resolves conflict.

Patience

Patience is a virtue that is extremely difficult to teach young people, who, by nature are impulsive and full of energy. However, it is an extremely important value as in life, as certain things must be waited for. Thus, in the training program, by teaching them tactics for matches, patience is taught. This happens because tactics often work, but require several trials to be successful. This means trying again and again until the effort actually bears fruit. In life, the children will need to be patient and after having understood that the fruit of one’s effort may not come immediately, the children are inclined to be more patient in aspects such as studies, work, et cetera. In addition, the players must be committed to the sport and the training program and have patience for a long time period, such that the gradual changes occur slowly but steadily. During the matches, by seeing how impatient one’s team is to get a chance to play, one can judge the level of patience in the team.

Dealing with Pressure

Football, comparatively, is a short game, even more so when it is played with fewer players. This means that all the action is fast paced. As a result, there is a lot of pressure in the game. The game is on time, and often, a team has to score or defend in a very limited time limit. This pressure affects the members in different ways. Thus, to teach the children pressure, the program has several drills that must be performed under time pressure. In addition, the practice matches simulate the pressure of the actual matches. Thus, the children are able to cope with pressure better in all facets, like exams, for instance. The ability to deal with pressure is seen when the children are able to maintain their cool even in extenuating circumstances and especially in matches where they are losing.

Leadership

In life, it is important to be able to take charge of a situation. Leadership is effectively and efficiently taking control of a situation such that the most is made out of it. By letting everyone have a chance to be the captain, one can let everyone build on his leadership skills. This allows the players to learn how to make decisions affecting the whole team and not themselves. Furthermore, this skill is valuable in all aspects of life, in that one can learn how to handle small teams in the workplace, at school and even take charge of an arbitrary situation one encounters. By giving each member of the team a few leadership opportunities, one can test this by judging the effectiveness of his leadership

Responsibility

Responsibility is the ability to be accountable for something or someone. This means that one is able to take care of the things one is in charge of. This is vital in life and responsible people are often put in positions of authority. In the training program, by giving the children responsibility of the equipment, one is imbibing in them this value. To further this, one must allow the children themselves to run the training session when one cannot make it. This makes them responsible for their own training and as a result, they become far for responsible people. This is useful as in life, they will tend to take on the challenge of taking authority and others will look upon responsibility and this trait favourably. By giving each member of the team a few leadership opportunities, one can test how responsible he is.

Punctuality

Being on time is important in the fast paced world we live in. the early bird gets the worm. This value is taught via a harsh punishment of being late. For every five minutes the

student is late, make them run an extra 500 meters. This means that if practice starts at sharp 7am, nobody should be later than 7:05, else he is to be punished. This sense of punctuality is carried forward in their day-to-day life making the children have a better sense of timing. In the attendance register, one can mark someone late and keep a written track of the people who are punctual and unpunctual.

Healthy Living

In life, keeping fit and healthy is important. It allows one to have a positive outlook, an outlet for stress, and fewer medical problems. It is known that sportive people have a better social life, better mental health, and better physical attributes. The training program is a rigorous exercise schedule that promotes better physical fitness, i.e. Strength, speed, stamina, suppleness and somatotype, but also fitness specific to the game: agility, balance, coordination, fast reactions and timing. It also teaches them the skillset required to play an internationally acclaimed sport. As a result, the children learn to be better members of society, have a better sense of commitment and have more fruitful social interaction. In addition, a need to remain fit remains with them throughout as a result of this love for the game. This prevents injury, illness and maintains their health their whole life.

Extenuating Circumstances In the course of the training, one may find oneself dealing with unexpected situations. Listed here below are some of the challenges one might face and the various ways to get around these difficulties.

Rain

During the rains, practice can be held. The children usually have high immunity and do not get sick. One should ask them to change after a practice into dry clothes. If the rain is too heavy, and play seems unsafe, conduct strength exercises such as push-ups, sit ups and squats in the shade. In addition, one can go over game tactics in the shade or play team-building games. If the ground is completely flooded and play is not possible, find a dry patch to conduct drills and strength training. Usually, the rains are in the beginning of the training season and as a result, one does not need extensive match practice during this time so avoid matches and match drills in the rain. This is because it might lead to injury very easily. Make sure that the players wash their eyes after every practice in the rainy season, as it is very common to get extremely unpleasant eye infections in the rain. If the children do not bring towels to practice to dry themselves, consider getting a few from home so that they do not fall sick.

Poor ground conditions

The grounds, which the underprivileged have access to, are often public grounds. This means that they are usually badly maintained, have poor grass cover and have many stones. The ground is a giant liability in terms of injuries. Although the children are usually adept at dodging the stones, it is often a good idea to choose a place where there are fewer rocks in addition, ask the goalkeepers to brush away the rocks near the goals. These rocks will cause major injury to the goalkeeper. There is a chance that there will be other grounds in the area and try to see if those are more suitable, if the current ground is in extremely poor shape.

Bullies

While playing in public places, often, the children face bullies, usually much older children, in the nearby area. They try to bully the children out of equipment, space, food or even money. Often, there is not too much that can be done, as they are usually in a large group. One can try to play the mediator; to make sure none of the children gets hurt. One has to prevent the children from making rash decisions. Treat the situation as a learning experience such that the children learn patience, discipline, teamwork and resolving conflict. In no circumstance must you engage in physical violence or encourage that the children do the same. One must not swear at the bullies. Try to protect the team’s space and equipment by making the bullies go away. If a child is hit in such a conflict, make sure he is not injured. Console him if he is distraught. Try to get the team’s morale up after an incident such as this.

Fights

It is not uncommon that the children fight among themselves. However, this is unacceptable. One must have a zero tolerance policy for fighting. When two children fight, try to resolve the issue with a hug or a handshake, and pair the two up for activities.

Furthermore, one must punish the fighting with a round of the field for each of the players, irrespective of who is wrong or who is right. The lesson to be learnt is that the players must respect each other and be a closely-knit unit and that fighting amongst each other is going against the value of teamwork. Furthermore, fighting is disruptive to the practice. If there is swearing at one another, the players must both get additional punishments, so as to condition them against poor conduct.

Age

Despite their grade, the children may be older than one thinks. Their small frames may mislead one to believing they are much younger than they actually are. The children may lose their respect for a coach if they are to realise he or she is just a few years older than he is. This leaves the coach with a dilemma whether one should tell the children or not one’s age, which is a decision one has to make. The pros of not telling them is maintaining the respect they have, and the authority they give, however, it is immoral to hide one’s age from them.

Loss in the families

It is possible that there will be a loss in the family or some devastating incident to one of the children. Usually, one is told by the other children that something like this has happened. In a situation like this, there is not much that can be done. However, small things make a difference. Try to make the child feel special by actions like making him the captain for the day, making him the striker, not giving him punishments, letting him get away with a little mischief. One’s role as a coach extends far beyond just a trainer for football, and one must try one’s best to make him feel comfortable. Allow him to open up and express his emotions.

Cancelling training sessions

It is natural to be busy on a few days. This may lead to cancellation of training sessions. As a result, the training will be incomplete. Firstly, one must try to reschedule any sessions one has missed. Secondly, one must find a way to communicate to the children that the practice is being cancelled. One can do it through their school, if it is early in the day, but it is a good idea to take down a few of their phone numbers, and to give them your phone number, thus to allow a means of communication to be set up. In addition, if one is cancelling a session, one can try to speak to the team captain or a few senior members of the team to conduct the session in your place. One must go for class if one has not cancelled in advance, as this is a form of breaking the player’s trust and is an extremely bad practice if one just doesn’t show up. Furthermore, being punctual is important, to inculcate this value in them.

Over-familiarity

Over-familiarity is a problem that is a little uncomfortable for most to discuss. It is when the players take liberties that one, as a coach doesn’t appreciate. These are things like: drinking from one’s water bottle without permission, riding one’s bike and changing the gears without permission, et cetera. It is a genuine fascination for the things around them that the children have that leads them to taking liberties like this. However, it is something that makes most coaches uncomfortable. Thus, it is advised to explain oneself honestly and calmly to the children. If it is repeated, one can then take action. Make sure that the

children do not feel hurt by what is said about over-familiarity, as this can be detrimental to the team’s morale.

How to Deal with Injuries:

In the course of training, it is very possible that one of the players is injured and with the children, they tend to not think of the consequences of playing with an injury. They often do not sanitise the injury properly and this is a major problem. Thus, given below is a short guide on the methods to treat the injuries.

There are two fundamental types of injuries:

Acute injuries caused by a single incident, for example a cut or fracture. Chronic injuries are when there is an injury over a long span of time, for example a

worn out knee cartilage. Acute injuries: there are several types again. Outlined are ways to treat some of them: 1) Cuts: these are common injuries where the skin tears, for a small cut, one must simply clean and disinfect the wound, after which one must place a medicinal cream and cotton bandage over the wound. For deep cuts, one must tie a tourniquet (a tight cotton cloth) over the cut to prevent excessive bleeding. 2) Bruising: bruising is when blood vessels under the skin rupture, leaving a blue-black mark on the skin. This is common in a contact sport like football and is the injury is often painful. Apply ice to the bruise and the injury should heal in a few days. 3) Sprain: This is common at the ankle, due to poor ground conditions, which is a common occurrence. It is when the ankle twists abnormally while running. The player often feels extreme pain and is unable to put weight on the ankle. Put a crepe bandage such that movement is restricted at the ankle. Prevent application of weight on the ankle. The injury heals in a few days at least and two weeks at most 4) Muscle Pulls: This occurs when there is overextension of a muscle and as a result, it is injured. It is seen by pain and an inability to move the muscle. One must apply ice to the wound regularly and take rest until the injury heals, which is usually in a week or two. 5) Ligament Tears: this is when the ligaments, or fibres that hold bones together, tear. This is extremely painful. The player cannot move the part injured and the injured part is often swollen and bruised. One must wrap it in bandage with extreme care, so as to not cause further damage and clean the wound, if there are cuts and scratches. Take the player to a doctor or hospital as soon as possible. It usually takes a month to heal. 6) Fractures: This is when a bone breaks. It is coupled with extreme pain, high swelling and bruising. It is a serious injury and there are many types. Clean the wound with care and wrap it with a bandage to now allow movement. Take the player to the hospital for an x-ray. This is a serious injury and rest must be given for a few months.

For injuries such as fractures and ligament tears, which show symptoms such as swelling and bruising, one must follow the RICE treatment: Rest the injured area as exerting to will damage it further Ice compresses the swelling and aids the healing process Compress the wound to reduce swelling without causing too much pain Elevate the injured area to reduce the blood flow, thus reducing swelling 7) Heat strokes and Dehydration: Heat strokes and dehydration are seen in extremely hot conditions, which is extremely common. Often, water is far away and adequate water supplies are not carried. Make sure that water breaks are taken and that the players wear caps in the hot summer months. If a player does suffer the following symptoms: fainting, dry skin, lethargy, low energy levels, thirst, dizziness, shortness of breath and headaches, there is a chance he is either dehydrated or having a heat stroke. One must take him into the shade, replace his t-shirt with a wet towel and slowly make him drink room temperature water. 8) Fatigue: After a heavy workout, extreme tiredness, or fatigue may occur. One must make sure that players are given adequate rest and breaks, as they aren’t used to this level of training. Furthermore, one should recommend sugar and salt intake after a practice to replenish the glucose and mineral loss during the practice. In addition, one must keep an eye out for the players seeming exceptionally tired and offer them a break. 9) In a situation where the player suddenly falls to the floor or faints, one must perform a treatment called DR. ABC: Danger: one must check one’s surroundings to make sure that it is not dangerous to tend to the injured player. Response: tap the player on the shoulder to see if there is a response. Airway: tap the player on the chin to clear his airway, to make sure it is not blocked by his own tongue Breathing: place a wet finger under the nose of the player to check if he is breathing. Circulation: place a finger on the wrist or neck of the player to check for a pulse, to make sure the player has a pulse Take the player to the hospital irrespective if he feels fine after waking up. 10) Nosebleeds: in hot temperature, or under impact of the ball, the children might get nosebleeds. This is common. To deal with nosebleeds, one must tilt the head back and apply ice at the top of the nose. Chronic Injuries: when it comes to chronic injuries, the best course of action is to consult a medical specialist, as it is a far more complicated matter. Do not allow the

player to practice and take part in matches until he is completely healed, as this will aggravate the injury further.

List of Equipment Required:

The facilities and budget for a program such as this are not very high, thus, it was designed in a way that it is low cost and manageable with the facilities at hand. This did not affect the rigour and level of the program. The following is the minimum required equipment required for a good level of practice:

Serial Number

Name of Product Quantity Approx. Cost of one (INR)

1 Footballs (Size 5)

Try to get balls from companies such as Nivia, Vector X, Cosco or Reebok, as they are very good quality and also cheap

4 300-700

2 Football Shoes (ask them for their shoe sizes)

Recommended. Nivia Encounter is of good quality and are also cheap. Vector X and Reebok are also good options

One pair for each team member

400-800

3 Whistle

Keeping a whistle is important for giving instructions, as one will realise that one starts to lose one’s voice while coaching a team.

1 50

4 Cones

These are important for most drills, as markers and to make goals. Usually, having colourful cones is a good idea as they are easily visible. Getting some small and some big may be a good idea but is not essential.

15 20-100

5 Gloves

Gloves are essential for keepers to prevent them getting injured and to catch the ball easily. Buying high-end goalkeeping gloves are expensive. Nivia Web Goalkeeping gloves are good quality and cheap.

1 or 2 pairs depending on the number of keepers.

200-500

6 Shin Pads

Shin Pads are a must. They offer protection for the shins, which are sensitive while playing football. Cosco or Nivia are good brands.

One pair per player

50-300

7 Bibs

Bibs are not a must, but can be used to mark different teams but can be replaced by having one team tucking in their shirt and the other having it tucked out. The bibs are

One for every two players

50-150

also difficult to store and often smell unpleasant.

8 Jersey

Having a jersey made for your team is unnecessary but possibly good for morale. It is an effort to design a jersey and have it made. It is expensive especially with customised names.

One for every player

300-700

9 Notebook

Having a notebook with attendance, performance tests results and notes in it is a good idea if it is properly maintained.

1 10-40

10 Ball Pump

This is not essential, as one can borrow one every few weeks, but it is recommended that one buys this as the balls often lose their air in the poor ground conditions. Most pumps are of good quality but be careful not to lose the pins, which is easy.

1 100-300

11 First Aid Kit

Absolutely essential in case of emergency. They are often very expensive and large, so buying a travel one is often cheaper and smaller.

1 500-100

12 Long Measure Tape

Needed for the fitness tests and goal sizes

1 300-600

13 Video Camera

Not essential, one’s phone camera is more than sufficient. Use it only if one possesses it already.

1 4000-7000

14 Stopwatch

It is useful, as it gives an accurate time span for matches and also for fitness tests.

1 100-300

Total For a group of 20 and assuming the minimum price for each and removing the unnecessary expenditures

--- 13,000

Equipment is often very expensive and as a result, the above are alternatives that are not too flashy, but at the same time is very durable and good quality. The school, such as cones and balls, already offers parts of the equipment. However, these may not be of satisfactory quality.

Check with the players as to what equipment is there. Ask the goalkeepers for their glove size, and the rest of the players their shoe sizes. Get gloves and shoes on a returnable policy, as they nay not fit. The shin pads must not be too large or too small, as they may be uncomfortable if too large, or may not offer enough protection if too small.

Every coach has to deal with the dilemma of whether to tell the players the costs of the shoes, gloves, et cetera, and this is up to the discretion of the coach

One may choose to allow one’s students to take responsibility of all the equipment, except the whistle. This taught them discipline as well as responsibility. However, the students may lose the equipment bought. One must deal with this in a strict manner thus enforcing the values of responsibility.

If keeping the equipment at the school or with the students is not possible, then one must take part of it home, which may be made easier by deflating the footballs or keeping the equipment in one’s car or bag permanently.

It is possible to be sponsored by a local business if the cause is explained properly. This will mean that most of the costs will be taken care of. Contact local businesses reputed for sponsoring small teams or doing charitable work to ask for the sponsorship.

Encourage the students to treat all the equipment with care and respect.

Tests for Fitness and Skills:

One must conduct these tests at the beginning of the tenure, every two months after that and right before the season begins. One must keep a log of the score a child gets in the notebook to chart the child’s progress.

Speed: 30 meter shuttle

Set up two cones, 30 meters apart. Ask the child to sprint as fast as he can once you blow the whistle from the first come to the second cone. Start the stopwatch as soon as he takes off and stop it as he crosses the finish line. The fastest way to do this is to have the students line up behind the first cone and go one by one. Each student must have three tries so that the value is accurate. Make sure that the

Strength: Jump test

To measure the explosive strength in the student’s legs, which is what is important for football, find a wall. Mark the student’s height, with his arm outstretched upwards. Ask the student to jump as high as he can. Make a mark where the tip of his finger reaches while he jumps. Measure the distance between the two marks. This is to be recorded. Do three trials for each student for accuracy. Make sure the wall is not sharp or dangerous.

Stamina: Cooper Test

Have the students run continuously for 12 minutes around the field at a steady speed. Measure their pulse after they complete this. The lower the pulse, the fitter the student has become. Make sure the track has not too many obstacles. All the children can run at once for reduced time taken. Teaching the students to take their own pulse may be difficult. Ask them to count for 20 seconds. Multiply the value by 3 for the pulse (beats per minute)

Agility: Illinois test

The set up for the agility test is shown below.

The student must attempt to finish this course in a minimum amount of time. Measure the time taken three times for the most accurate results. Place it on a flat surface for minimum injuries and best results.

Fast reactions: Drop Ruler Test Place a ruler between a students index finger and thumb such that the 0cm mark is at the thumb. The student must not hold it tightly and it is held by an examiner. The student must clasp

the ruler when the examiner lets go. The lesser the number of centimetres that have gone by the faster the reactions of the student are.

Passing:

Place two cones 10 meters apart. Have half the team stand one side and the other on the other side. The ball must be passed back and forth. After passing the ball, the player must run to the other side. When each player has passed the ball five times, mark how many of those five passes were accurate. Now repeat this with a 25-meter distance. Give each player a score on 10 depending on the number of passes completed.

Trapping: Make a 2-meter side square. In the square, have the player stand and try to trap the ball without it leaving the square. Of the 10 attempts, try to have a variety of low and high opportunities to trap. This score must be added up, where a point is given if the ball is trapped and no point if it is not and the total must be calculated on 10.

Shooting: shots scored

There must be a cone 20 meters away from the goal. There must be another cone 25 meters from the goal. The players must line up at the second cone. The goalkeeper must stand in the goal. He will roll the ball to the player, who shoots it from between the 20 and 25-meter cone. If the shot is one target, award one point and if it goes in the goal, award 2 points.

Match: observation:

Observe the children play a match. This will give you an idea of each player’s strengths and weaknesses. This will give you a good indication of whether they do well in which position or formation, et cetera. This must be marked out of 20 on their teamwork, performance and attitude.

Overall, one can see that the test gives you a comprehensive numerical way of quantifying improvement. One should not be surprised if there is a great disparity in the skill levels and must not put too much pressure on the children for these tests.

Helpful Links and Books:

1) PE to 16: Sally Fountain and Linda Goodwin. This is good for injuries, making your own training program, factors affecting fitness, tests for fitness and diet.

2) Rules of the Game according to FIFA (2014): http://www.fifa.com/mm/document/footballdevelopment/refereeing/81/42/36/log2013en_neutral.pdf

3) An introduction to football: http://www.haydenfootball.co.uk/ 4) Diet on how to gain weight for football: http://www.labrada.com/blog/diets-

nutrition/hugo-rivera-on-how-to-gain-weight-for-football/ 5) On Football Tactics: http://performance.fourfourtwo.com/tactics

Bibliography:

1) PE to 16: Sally Fountain and Linda Goodwin. This is good for injuries, making your own training program, factors affecting fitness, tests for fitness and diet.

2) FIFA: www.grassroots.fifa.com

3) FIFA (2014): http://www.fifa.com/mm/document/footballdevelopment/refereeing/81/42/36/log2013en_neutral.pdf

4) Labra: http://www.labrada.com/blog/diets-nutrition/hugo-rivera-on-how-to-gain-weight-for-football/

5) On Football Tactics: http://performance.fourfourtwo.com/tactics

6) Hayden Football: www.haydenfootball.co.uk

7) Flipkart: www.flipkart.co.in

8) Sahni Sports: www.snapdeal.co.in

9) Online Expert: www.onlineexpert.com

10) InfoPlease: www.infoplease.com

11) Main Football Rules: www.football-bible.com

12) InfoPlease: www.infoplease.com

13) Rules of football: www.rulesoffootball.co.uk

14) Football: Rules and Regulations: www.ducksters.com

http://www.fifa.com/mm/document/footballdevelopment/refereeing/81/42/36/log2013en_neutral.pdf


http://www.haydenfootball.co.uk/

http://www.labrada.com/blog/diets-nutrition/hugo-rivera-on-how-to-gain-weight-for-football/


http://performance.fourfourtwo.com/tactics

http://www.grassroots.fifa.com/





http://performance.fourfourtwo.com/tactics

http://www.haydenfootball.co.uk/

http://www.flipkart.co.in/

http://www.snapdeal.co.in/

http://www.onlineexpert.com/

http://www.infoplease.com/

http://www.football-bible.com/

http://www.infoplease.com/

http://www.rulesoffootball.co.uk/

http://www.ducksters.com/

Acknowledgements:

Aditya Chheda, whose advice on football and training proved invaluable,

Amit Koli, for supporting me fully in my attempt to teach,

Radhika Toshnial, whose help with the diet section was vital,

Shikha Jain, without whom formatting the manual would not be possible,

Teach for India, for giving me the opportunity to teach the students,

Just For Kicks, for providing a tournament and foundation to the training program.

a beginner's guide to teaching foot ball to the underprivileged final

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