CHENNAI: A major change that sports-related coaching could witness after normalcy resumes is increased focus on one-on-one training, feel mentors in India. Former India batsman Pravin Amre, who has been coaching the likes of Ajinkya Rahane and Shreyas Iyer, remarked that social-distancing norms could lead to a spurt in personalised coaches.
“The experience of one-to-one coaching is rewarding and requires a lot of hard work,” said Amre from Mumbai, where his coaching institute Cricket India Academy is based. “The current situation in the country due to the virus is uncertain. Social distancing will have to be followed for a while. I think personal coaching will become the norm as more and more players will go for it.”
“With a personal coach, players can talk freely about their game and problems. We can schedule sessions in a way that will help them gradually iron out flaws. Plus, they can concentrate on improving skill-sets without worrying about anything else. We can give out player-specific drills.”
Former Tamil Nadu batsman Vidyut Sivaramakrishnan, who has been a sought-after personal coach in Chennai for the past six years, believes that such a trend could take shape in Tamil Nadu in the future.
“Keeping the situation in mind, and the impact the virus will have in the coming months, more parents will opt for personal coaching to keep their children safe. I am doing online coaching right now. Hopefully by next month, we will be able to start coaching outdoors.”
Apart from the individualised aspect, Vidyut also remarked that personalised coaching will not have venue constraints as compared to group-mentoring, which requires bigger spaces.“Even if it rains, sessions can happen at an indoor facility. Weather won’t really be a factor. Also, personal coaching is very effective. It can add a lot more value and help players understand the finer points of the game. Focus here is much better than in a group session, where time is a major constraint.”
Vidyut himself had been handling 30-odd players — between the age of 10 to 26 — at his academy. “The time you allocate to every player is important. It is more about quality than quantity. There are many benefits of personal coaching.”