CHENNAI: A team of 17 seasoned players and three coaches from SRS — a leading football club in Germany — visited the Chennai Higher Secondary School, MGR Nagar last week to give tips to aspiring players.
The students of this school are part of a programme ‘Odi Vilayadu’ organised by Vatsalyam, a local NGO that has been offering soccer coaching to a group of 45 students from the Corporation schools in MGR Nagar & Kanniappa Nagar The players from Germany and coaches with Grade 3 certification awarded by UEFA & FIFA were in the city recently on an invitation from Live Sports Academy, a Chennai-based institution committed to promoting soccer among school children.
The students were given demonstrations and shown techniques by the players. Their limited proficiency in English was not a barrier since they shared a common language — football.
Felix, a UEFA coach originally from Kenya expressed appreciation for the Corporation of Chennai for creating a worldclass football ground with astroturf and floodlights in this school.
“Sports is no hindrance to academic pursuit as wrongly perceived by some parents and teachers. It is actually a powerful aid, which plays a major role in moulding and motivating young minds,” said Alex Zoeller, a veteran of many soccer tournaments and a UEFA certified coach.
“While the game teaches them the importance of discipline, team work, concentration and fitness, the 15-minute post-practice sessions seem to have had a salutary impact. We encourage children to talk and express themselves freely,” said Balachandran S.