MONTHLY NEWSLETTER
October 2021
Coach's Note Sandro Salami Head of Youth
Greetings, parents and guardians! October has been a month of consolidation for us at RFYC. While we wait for clearance on playing tournaments, our coaches and boys are training hard in preparation for when the call does come. In the meanwhile, we watch on with pride as our graduates make a name for themselves in the various clubs they have joined. As pointed out last month, Nemil played in the Durand Cup for FC Goa, and helped them win the whole thing with some excellent performances and eye-catching goals. Closer home, Harsh Palande has been selected for India's u-16 team. He is currently at a training camp with the national team!
Salman Faris from the u-18s has been selected to play for the Kerala State team, and is the first ever RFYC player to participate in this prestigious tournament! As the boys prepare for their exams, we are aware of the need for an increased focus on their academics, and measures are being taken to ensure they get adequate time to prepare. Starting from this month, we have a special addition for you! We will be bringing a special peek behind the curtain, with a Goal of the Month, Save of the Month, and Moment of the Month, through which you can have a look at some of the best bits from the training pitch! We hope you enjoy viewing them as much as we did putting them together!
Counsellor's Note Padma Rewari Head of Child Welfare and Education
Dear parents and guardians, As exam season comes around, the boys have all been hard at work preparing to give their terminals and board exams. The board year students (Xth and XIIth) from CBSE have just finished their pre-boards, and the other years have completed their terminal exams. We are faced with a unique situation, wherein, for the first time ever, the students in their board years will have to sit for exams in two installments! The first half of the boards begins in November, with a set of exams with multiple choice questions which will account for 40% of the total grade. These exams will include multiple choice questions for each subject, and will last for about 90 minutes each.
The second set of exams, due to be conducted in April/May 2022, will account for 60% of the grade. These exams will be purely theory exams. We are still waiting on details about the duration, number of questions, etc. and will provide an update as and when we get them! The NIOS students, on the other hand, still have only one set of exams, which will be conducted in April/May 2022, but they too have been hard at work preparing for their exams.
Garba Night at RCP When the pandemic hit and everything shut down, life as we knew it changed. From training on the pitch to working out at home, from meeting up with friends at school to online classes, everything changed. As frontline workers battled the virus, we did our bit and stayed indoors in an attempt to flatten the curve. And after a long battle, we can almost see the light at the end of the tunnel. And as that light gets ever closer, the RF family took the chance to hold a small celebration and worship to thank God for bringing us through this tough time.
On the occasion of Navratri, the RFYC players and staff headed to Reliance Corporate park for a small pooja and to let our hair down, just a little bit. The staff and players all got together to play and dance the 'Garba' in traditional Gujarati fashion! The event was massively popular with the boys, with this being the first time some of them were exposed to a different cultural tradition. Padma 'mom' was the star of the show, leading the players and staff through the steps and the dance and ensuring everyone had a whale of a time!
Spotlight
Alwinson Bareh U- 15 Midfielder
Tell us a little about yourself. I am Alwinson Bareh from Rymabi village Meghalaya. I started playing football when I was 5 years old. My family has always supported me. My mom used to be my coach when I trained at home, she is the one who helped me to become a better player. I started my journey at Shillong Lajong FC when I was 10 year old, and in 2017 we went to china for BRICS competition. My mother always wanted me to play at professional club. She always believed that one day I will make it. Today I am here in Reliance Foundation Young Champs and I am very happy to play for the academy!
My mom is the one who helped me become a better player.
Nemil has been making waves at FC Goa. How has it impacted you, to see one of your seniors playing at the top level in India? Nemil is one of my favourite player at Young Champs. He is very good with the ball, and he makes fast decisions. His success at FC Goa makes me believe that one day I will be like Nemil and play for an ISL team and Indian team. My dream is to play for Indian team!
My aim is to win u-15 I League this season and any other competition that our team participates in.
Who is your football idol? My favourite football player is Kalvin Phillips and Kevin de Bruyne. With Phillips, like, he is good in defending and he is aware of the opponent when to tackle the ball and he is beast in CDM . KdB is very good with the ball his passing is very good and he is aware of the goal like when to shoot or pass the ball.
If you were a player in FIFA or PES, what would your rating be and which club would you be playing for? For me, the rate I would like 64 as for now, and in the future if I play well, the rating will be much higher! If I was there in FIFA or PES, I would like to play for Manchester City as they are my favourite club, and in the games, Man City would be my card club.
Spotlight Jignesh Antala
Goalkeeping Coach & Academy Operations Manager
Tell us a little about yourself. Hi, I am Jignesh Antala and I am working on a dual role in the academy as a Goalkeeping Coach and Academy Operations Manager for RFYC. After playing for different clubs in the Mumbai Football League, I started my career in the fitness industry and later on found my interest in coaching youth players. Before joining RFYC, I was working with the Academy (Kandivali) before I joined RFYC in June I have completed my AFC GK upskill myself in a specialized
Level 1 course and coaching position.
Future Stars Football 2015. am planning to further
You specialise in Goalkeeping. How has the position evolved over the past few years?
The goalkeeper was introduced in football in 1871, and back then, where the 'keeper could catch the ball anywhere on the pitch! During those times, GKs used to majorly stay inside the 6 yard box only. Back then, throwing the ball was more common compared to today, where using the legs has become more important than ever before. lThe GK may also be used as a Sweeper Keeper, who also plays as a last defender in the team. Specific position rules have also been changing - eg. Back pass to the goalkeeper from an outfield player and goalkeeper being able to catch the ball, to the latest change during the goal kick where his own teammates are allowed to receive the ball inside the 18 yard box. Also the recent evolving changes which we see in modern football is the physicality which matters when it comes to playing as a goalkeeper.
You've been at RFYC from the very beginning. How has the journey been so far? A pilot project which began with 24 children and 5 staff now has 65 children and 22 full time staff members! 6 years on, looking back on this journey makes me feel nostalgic about all the ups and downs in the journey at RFYC. For me, three words - Football, Youth, and project.
Coaching attracted me towards the
.
Watching the boys grow from 12 year old children to 18 year old men is a matter of personal pride for me. Some of those players have gone from being players to coaches as well, and some of our players we see playing on our TVs now! Being in the dual role at the academy, I feel connected to not only players but also their familes as well! Lastly, the journey has created lot of good memories with everyone - players, parents, and staff at the academy and school.
What does a typical day at the Academy look like for you? I06:30 am - Gym Session for players 08:00am - Breakfast with the players 08:30am - Gym session for me 09:30am - Daily staff Meeting
10:30am - Coaches Meeting 01:00pm - Lunch with the players 04:00 pm - Group 1 Football Training (U14 and U15 group) 05:15pm - Group 2 Football Training (U16 and U18 group) 07:30pm - Dinner with the players 09:00pm - Dinner for me And repeat the next day
Watching the players grow from children to men is a matter of great pride for me!
What advice would you give anyone looking to get into your field? My advice to all coaches/parents would be to make the players aware about the GK position which is extremely specific and requires specialized training especially at a young age for the players to develop themselves. And lastly, keep working hard and don't stop learning to achieve your dream.
We'd love to hear from you. Please write to us at contact@rfyounchamps.org