Teachers' Day: A Goal For Children바카라�s Sports

A goal in football is a successful culmination of a move. But someti­mes, a goal signifies a start. About a decade ago, Priya Gopalen and Sandhya Rajan were looking for a football coaching scheme for their sons in Chennai. They were unhappy with what they found. So they empowered themselves and, in 2013, started their own programme, named Great Goals.

Great Goals offers lessons in football, basketball and multi-sport ABC (Agility, Balance, Coordination). As of now, it operates at seven centres in Chennai and works with three schools. It also organises tournaments and projects for village kids near Ranipet, Tamil Nadu. 바카라�Parents juggle multiple things in a day to bring their child for sports training. In return there has to be value in it for them,바카라� says Sandhya. 바카라�We felt there was a lack of programmes that offered that value.바카라�

How is Great Goals different? For one, it follows organisational best practices. The coaches have a plan for each sess­ion, they are trained in first aid and life support. A field report is filed after every class, which mentions injuries or incidents. 바카라�The child feels safe and everyone around the child is contributing towards an ecosystem which is fostering enjoyment of sport. We have many systems in place, such as experts coming to talk to our coaches about child safety,바카라� says Priya. The fees range from Rs 1,500-Rs 5,000 per month, but needy students are granted full or partial relief. 바카라�If you want to play, we will make sure you play,바카라� says Sandhya. Great Goals provides much-needed encouragement for girls바카라� spo­rts. Says Priya, 바카라�We are not just teaching girls how to play these games, but also opening their minds, society바카라�s minds. Once, one girl came 45 minutes early for her class. When we asked her, she said, 바카라�This is my happy place바카라�.바카라� Priya is an urban sustainability consultant and a partner and director in Onload Gears and CanFan Pvt. Ltd. Sandhya was a teacher and serves on the boards of India Cements Ltd. and Easy Access Fin­an­cial Services Ltd.

Initially, some people expressed cynicism that Great Goals wouldn바카라�t sustain. But now, it is on the cusp of its 10th anniv­ersary, drawing motivation from seeing the difference sport is making to the lives of girls and boys. 바카라�Our sons are 19 and they stopped playing four years ago,바카라� says San­dhya. 바카라�People assumed that when they grew out of it, the company would die a natural death. But we바카라�ve seen how much we바카라�ve impacted children바카라�s lives. There have been downs and challenges. But giving kids ways to play keeps us going.바카라�

(This appeared in the print edition as "A Goal For Children바카라�s Sports")

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