RFYC Newsletter September 2022

M O N T H L Y

N E W S L E T T E R

Coach's Note

Sandro Salami Head of Youth

Dear parents and guardians,

Happy Navratri to all of you! As we enter the festive period, spirits are high at the Academy.

The month of September has been probably the first time things have felt like they used to before everything changed due to the pandemic.

Our boys are back at school, are teams have been playing matches, and we even hosted our first game in two years at RCP this month!

The U 14s and U 15s played Total Football Academy, coming out victorious, while the U 19s hosted Ultras FC in a close contest where we came out 1 - 0 winners!

Looking forward, with the boys having completed their exams (more on that in Padma's note), we enter October with an aim to continue our momentum and start playing even higher level opponents as often as possible.

The U 19s travel to Goa for a training/mini tournament, where they will play against some of the best teams in the state, while the U 15s travel t Malaysia for the Malaysia Cup, which will be a big test for them.

We, of course, look forward to all challenges, and I am sure that, no matter the score line, these experiences will be a positive step in the journey for our boys to develop into elite players.

Counsellor's Note

Padma Rewari

Head of Child Welfare and Education

Dear parents and guardians,

I hope you're all well. Let me start this note off by wishing all of you a very happy Navratri!

May this festive month bring love, light, happiness and prosperity for us all.

September has been a busy, busy month for us here at Beverly,

After the schools reopened, following the short Ganesh Chaturthi break, it was straight into exam season, and boys from all grades were busy in preparation.

Along with training, it can often be a difficult time for the players, but the coaches here we understanding enough and gave the boys time off to study when needed.

The weather playing spoil sport was also a blessing in disguise for us, as training having to be cancelled meant the boys could use the free time to study.

The last 10 days of September saw the boys sit for their exams, and they all report being satisfied with how most of their papers went.

We wait for the final results, but, I'm pleased to say that the boys' education is going smoothly so far. Fingers crossed that it stays this way for the rest of the year!

Away from the classroom, we have had multiple life skill sessions with the boys, from Personal Finance for the seniors, to Social Media training and cyber bullying for the younger children.

Teachers Day 2022

Teachers are probably the most important people in our lives after our parents.

They are the people who guide us and shape our minds in the foundational years of our lives. And at Young Champs, we are always grateful to our teachers, who go out of their way to ensure we receive a quality education, and develop not only as football players, but as human beings as well.

On Teachers' Day this year, the school going boys participated in the Teachers Day events organised by school, and the homeschooling and NIOS boys took the opportunity to

celebrate and thank their tutors!

But most of all, everyone at the Academy takes this opportunity to appreciate and to thank our very own Padma 'mom' for everything she does for us! She is a counsellor, a friend, a teacher, and a mother, all wrapped in one amazing human being.

We thank you, Padma ma'am for your tireless and round the clock efforts. But most of all, we thank you for always being there for us, through good times and bad!

We love you.

NathanRodrigues

Tellusalittleaboutyourself.

II am Nathan Rodrigues from Goa. I've been at RFYC since I was 14. I am an introverted person, but I believe my greatest strength is that I can face any given challenge on the spot calmly.

I believe I have a lot of inner strength and positivity. That is what gets me through the tough times

It has been a very tough journey for me. After a good start, I didn't got a chance to play the RFDL, for which I had worked very hard.

Suffering a long term injury at such a crucial point in my development was scary, but, thankfully I am on my way back now.

Whatareyourgoalsforthisseason?

So my main goal is to get back on the pitch stronger, to work very hard, and be more consistent throughout the season. I look forward to giving my best in every training session and every match and to achieve my ultimate goal To get a good contract

IfyouwereaplayerinFIFAorPES,whatwouldyourratingbe,andwhichclub wouldyoubeplayingfor?

If I was ever on FIFA/PES, I would be playing for Manchester City as a Defender. I'd start off at 79, but I'm sure I'd reach 90 + eventually!

Tellusalittleaboutyourself.

My name is Muskaan Lucknowala. I have completed my Bachelors in Food Nutrition and Dietetics, and I currently intern here as a sports nutritionist.

Since childhood, I've loved sports, especially swimming (I've been a professional swimmer for 8 years now). And fitness is my passion, so when I had to decide what to do with my life, I chose to club the two and become a sports nutritionist!

During my time as a professional swimmer, I realised the importance of nutrition in an athlete's life and the difference it makes to performance.

Howdoesnutritionaffectanathlete?

The link between good health and good nutrition is well established.

Whether you are a competing athlete, a weekend sports player or a dedicated daily exerciser, the foundation of improved performance is a nutritionally adequate diet.

Athletes have different dietary requirements that will help them to perform better, since the food that one consumes can directly relate to how well they recover , their energy levels , immunity, as well as their strength and endurance.

Athletes who learn how to eat correctly by matching their energy and nutrient requirements and stay disciplined with it throughout their sports journey are ultimately the ones who will succeed and can stay on top of their game.

It's very important for all athletes out there to understand that making the right nutrition choices results in athletes with happier , healthier , longer and more successful careers!

When you say nutrition the first thing you’d think of is food. So yes my job here revolves a lot around food! To make sure that our athletes are getting top notch foods that will help them optimize their performance. But apart from just feeding 90 boys we do have a lot more responsibilities.

We are responsible for making the players diet in such a way that it helps them to perform better and better everyday. We take weekly consultations with the players, especially the ones that are on modified diets such as weight gain, weight loss, recovery diets

For us to know who needs to be on a modified diet we do monthly girth measurements, check their body composition, and height and weight. We also take their blood reports once in 6 months to know what kind of supplements the players might need or if any specific dietary interventions are required. To ensure that the athletes are eating adequately and following the advice we give during consults , we monitor their food intakes by being present during their meals.

We take education sessions for the players to teach them about why nutrition is important and how the foods they eat can have an affect on their performance.

We do cooking sessions with them too to teach them healthy and easy recipes that they can make on their own once they leave the academy. A part of the job is also to check the kitchen hygiene and cleanliness on a daily basis to ensure that the boys are getting fresh and quality food.

Overall , we do our best to ensure that we are helping to build strong and resilient players!

Whatdoyouaimtoachieveduringyour timeatYC?

I want to make use of the knowledge that I have about nutrition to educate the players about the role nutrition plays in their lives.

I aim to do this by interacting more with the players and having education sessions with them.

I want to improve the players' relationship with food by debunking the myth that healthy food can’t be tasty.

As much as I can, I want to provide them with tasty as well as nutritious recipes such that they don’t feel like they are missing out on foods that other kids their age enjoy!

We'd love to hear from you. Please write to us at contact@rfyounchamps.org