Children in Goa can now enroll for football coaching online

While

children

are stuck at home due to the pandemic,

Forca Goa Foundation

has worked on an ‘At Home Coaching Program’ that can help children to learn

football

skills and get feedback from licensed coaches while staying safe at home. After conducting a survey with parents of children from its various initiatives, the foundation picked ‘WhatsApp’ as the platform on which the program would run as it is easily accessible and widely used.

Each child who enrolls in the program will have a specific coach assigned to her or him. The sessions will include videos demonstrating exercises and challenges that the players are expected to practice and send a recording back to their allotted coach. Based on these recordings, the coach will provide individual feedback to each player. The player will have access to the coach to help resolve specific questions on the drills. The participating children will also receive a Fairtrade football when they enroll for the program.

The focus is to provide football training to maintain an active lifestyle, learn football skills, as well as help children, learn basics about good nutrition, care for the environment and equality in sports. The health and safety of children is the first priority for the foundation in this situation and while the foundation encourages children to stay home, they feel it is important that every child maintains an active lifestyle.

Besides football drills, the three-month-long program also includes videos and activities on nutrition, waste management and gender equality that have been carefully curated by the foundation’s team and its knowledge partners who are experts in their respective fields. Nutritionist Wellishia will guide the young athletes towards adopting healthy eating habits and Abigail Fernandes from Saahas, will give the children an understanding on how we can generate less waste and the importance of waste management. Waste has been a major environmental and health issue in Goa and the foundation hopes to educate young children to become more conscious and aware citizens. The program is open to boys and girls from 6 to 12 years of age.