RFYC Newsletter - 2022/23

N E W S L E T T E R

2022/2023 Season

Coach's Note

Sandro Salami Head of Youth

Dear parents and guardians,

What a season it's been! Through many highs, and a few lows, we have learned and grown in the 2022/23 season.

This being the first full season after covid, our schedule has been packed. With games in local leagues as well as international tournaments and exposure trips, this season has seen all our players take meaningful strides in their development.

Our U-14s had a strong showing in the Double Pass Development League, finishing runners up, while our U-15s performed admirably in the MFA-YPL this season, finishing 3rd. In between, they even travelled to Malaysia for the Supermokh Cup. The experience was a great learning experience for all involved.

Meanwhile, our U-16s and U-17s did a tour of the north east, travelling to Assam and Shillong respectively.

The trip gave the boys a taste of what football in different cultures, even within our country can be like.

And Our U-19s have had a packed season. From finishing runners up in the MFA Super Division and qualifying for next season's Elite division, to traveling to Japan for the Sanix Cup, the U-19s have had varied experiences on the pitch this season

And over the coming week, they will be participating in the Premier League's Next Gen Cup, where some of the top teams from England will send their youth teams to Mumbai to compete against 4 ISL and ILeague teams

We are really excited about the opportunity, and look forward to it!

Counsellor's Note

Padma Rewari Head of Child Welfare and Education

Dear parents and guardians,

I sincerely hope that this year has been good to you.

As I write this note to you, I reflect on the season gone by, and I'm filled with pride and joy when I think about the growth we have seen in our Young Champs, both on and off the pitch.

Sandro has already covered the activities on-field, so let me catch you up on what we've done off it

Our U-15s and U-14s have settled into life at the academy really well, and managed to bring new energy and excitement to the whole group!

But I am most proud to report that on the academic front, our boys have really stepped up this year!

All of our Xth grade boys have passed, some with really high marks in certain subjects!

Meanwhile, the 12th standard boys did extremely well in their boards, with Aarush and Avaneesh Kamath both securing over 90%!

Prantik Saha topped the school in Skills specialisation with a score of 88%.

Our focus on ensuring the boys take their academics as seriously as their training has started to bear fruit, and it is my hope that we will see similar results in the future as well (if not better)!

On to a New Adventure

Durva Vahia

Head of Performance

Dear parents and guardians,

As I write this note, I am filled with nostalgia and excitement.

After almost 5 years at the Academy, I would like to share that I will be transitioning from Young Champs to the Reliance Foundation Youth Sports as the Performance Manager for their Athletics programme

From starting as the sole Sports Scientist to leading the Performance department, the journey has been nothing short of incredible. I am grateful to the Academy for creating space for me to innovate, grow, and develop over the years. I can proudly say that, with best practices from around the world, our department's impact has become commonplace across all verticals at the academy.

As I move to athletics, I will take all these memories with me as motivation to push my boundaries. As the Athletes push for podium finishes, World Championships and ultimately

Olympics, I am excited to find their ceilings and help them break them.

On reflection, the best part of my time at the academy has been the on-field sessions with the players. The laughs, tears, jokes, frustration but mostly, the happiness, is something I will carry with me for the rest of my life. No matter the mood, weather or day, being on the pitch with the players always made me smile and I will miss them the most. I am grateful and consider myself lucky to have been a small part of their journeys and will be following them closely as they continue on their path to professional football.

Before I sign off, I want to take a moment to thank you, parents, for trusting me with your children. It is a responsibility I am honoured to have fulfilled. I am proud to see how much the boys have grown from the time they enter to the time they leave the academy I have no doubt that their journeys will be phenomenal and I will always be rooting for them and cheering them on, no matter where I am.