If you’re reading this article, you’re probably wondering whether you’re a ‘coachable’ athlete yourself. In a community that understands the significance of being coached and getting trained by professionals, we’d like to stress upon the idea of being an athlete who is ‘coachable’. It reflects your attitude toward your sport, your coach, your team-mates and by extension, your opponents as well.
“My best skill was that I was coachable. I was a sponge and aggressive to learn“.
Being coachable doesn’t only imply being passionate about your sport. It takes into account all of the following.
ABILITY TO ACCEPT CRITICISM
How do you approach constructive criticism? Do you accept it and channel it positively? Or do you take personal offense and disregard it entirely? Athletes who are receptive to criticism and learn to reinforce it in their performance are much more likely to progress in their careers.
APPETITE FOR LEARNING
In order to be a coachable athlete, you need to be a voracious learner. You need to soak in as much knowledge as you can about your sport. Your receptiveness and approach toward adapting information play a huge role.
INQUISITIVENESS
How likely are you to go beyond your pre-determined course structure and ask questions to gain a deeper understanding of the sport you’re learning? Looking for new techniques, learning by example are some of the ways you can start implementing.
BEING A TEAM PLAYER
Your cohesiveness with your team-mates and your perception toward them is what makes you a better player. Are you the kind of player who’s likely to pass the ball or simply aim toward the goal entirely neglecting your fellow team-mates?
ABILITY TO SELF REFLECT
Your individual ability to introspect and analyze your faults, accepting and working on them, is what makes you a coachable athlete.
In conclusion, being coachable results in an enhanced pace of learning as well as an invariably deeper understanding with your coach. Now that you’re aware of what makes an athlete coachable, are you one?
Badminton may not be as wildly popular as Football in Mumbai but the stellar performances in international events by P.V. Sindhu and Saina Nehwal have made both, them and the sport, a household name. This coupled with the fact that Badminton has a very gentle learning curve has Mumbaikars of all ages wanting to learn the sport. To help you out with that we here at The Coach Crew have compiled a list of the 5 best Badminton academies in Mumbai where you can learn and play the sport.
1 – Prakash Padukone Badminton Academy
Prakash Padukone Badminton Academy (PPBA)is one of the most, if not the most, well known Badminton Academy in India. Founded by the legendary Indian Badminton player – Prakash Padukone who himself was the World #1 in 1980-81. Because of this, his aim with this venture was to train the next generation of badminton athletes that will represent Indian on the global stage.
Founded in 1994, PPBA now has more than 25 years of experience in training some of the best athletes the country has to offer
As a result PPBA has produced multiple National and International level champions
They partnered with TATA in the May of 2009 to open their Center in Mumbai. This center acts as a feeder unit to the Bangalore Elite Centre.
They also have some of the best coaching talent in the industry and have even sent a coach to be India’s National Badminton Coach.
In Oct’18 one of their athletes – Lakshya Sen, won Silver at the Youth Olympics in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Furthermore, the training modules are designed by Prakash Padukone himself and follow rigorous global standards.
Hemant Shuttlers Academy (HSA) has produced multiple district, state and national level champions over the years. It’s center in Matunga East, near Ruia College is renowned throughout Mumbai city.
HSA started out 7 years ago by the current head coach Hemant Suresh Arolkar.
Coach Arolkar has more than 10 years of coaching experience under his belt.
He was a professional badminton athlete himself and had represented Maharashtra in 2010.
Coach Sayali Shailesh Parab represented Mumbai in 2011 and is also a National Badminton.
Athletes from HSA were the 2015Swiss Open Team Winners.
Kshatriya Badminton Academy (KBA) is one of the preeminent badminton academies in Mumbai. They have produced multiple State and National level players over the years. They have 2 centers at Andheri Sports Complex and Lokhandwala Complex. Owned and operated by the Kshatriya family who have all been national level players themselves, they have decades worth of coaching experience between them.
Santosh Kshatriya who founded the academy, has over 25 years of coaching experience.
Coach Kshatriya also coached Aditi Mutatkar – the 2011 National Badminton Champion, who at one time was ranked #27 in the world.
The current head coach – Amit Kshatriya, held the All India Rank of #13 in the Juniors category.
Furthermore, Kshatriya Badminton Academy’s success locally has led them to open up a center abroad in Calgary, Canada.
Shuttle Craze Academy, is a badminton academy to nurture young talent from grass root level in a professional manner. It is registered under the trade mark and patents act & affiliated to the Greater Mumbai Badminton Association (GMBA). The head coach, Mangirish Palekar has great reputation and focuses on all aspects needed for badminton – technique, skill & fitness.
Head Coach Mangirish Palekar has played at the International level himself. He specializes in training and nurturing young talent from the grassroots level himself.
The athletes training under Shuttle Craze have won numerous Inter School as well as State and District level competitions. Young SCA athletes winning at local championships is a routine event.
Nitin Yelave, is one of the most acclaimed Badminton academies in Mumbai. It has 2 centers located at Mumbai Central and Byculla. The academy is widely known for its emphasis on the holistic development of its athletes. Their focus mainly lies in helping athletes grow into national level players who represent the country.
Nitin Yelave, the coach himself, has represented the Raigad district and has been a school champion.
In addition, he also held the 2nd ranking as a team player in BMC Club.
The athletes training under him have represented the academy at a district, state and national level.
Shivam Mirke, an athlete of the academy has attained the 1st rank in the Mumbai Badminton Association for the year 2015-16.
Janhavi Mahale, similarly, has been the winner of U-13 category and U-17 category in several national level Badminton tournaments.
So there you have it – these are our 5 best badminton academies of Mumbai. The badminton coaching these academies provide is truly spectacular. No matter who you end up going for, you can’t go wrong with any of these tried and tested academies.
Do you have any contenders for the best badminton academy in Mumbai? Let us know in the comments below!
If you’d still like more help in your search for a badminton academy or enroll at one of the centers of the academies mentioned above, do reach out to us at +91-8291603380 or write to us at info@thecoachcrew.com.
Alternatively, you click the button below to check out The Coach Crew’s complete listing of badminton academies.
Whether it’s helping you reach your fitness goals or figuring out how to exercise safely with a chronic condition, here are the top 6 advantages private coaching has over group coaching and why it could be one of the best investments you could make in your overall health and well-being.
It’s a known fact that people work harder in the presence of others. Having a coach by your side can provide the encouragement, energy and motivation you need to jump-start your fitness journey. A savvy personal coach can also make exercise effective and fun. And simply working with a coach who you like and respect can be enough to provide you with more gratification from your workouts.
2. Undivided Attention
Everyone is different when it comes to personal fitness. A personal coach is completely focused on you and your every movement. Your unique body mechanics, experience, goals, fitness level, likes and dislikes will guide your coach in creating a plan with set goals that are customised specifically to your needs. The coach doesn’t have an agenda to get through a certain amount of knowledge in an hour, but he adapts the program and devotes time for however long it is needed for a particular weakness of the athlete to resolve.
3. Customised Training Program
Since your coach knows everything about your current fitness levels, grasping power and time-frame he can craft you a regime of exercises and activities that’ll help you achieve your goals in the best way possible. Your coach’s expertise also extends to things like the kind of diet plan you should be following. Moreover, your coach knows what sport you’re training for and can design a fitness program specific to your sport. This will which will improve your performance and reduce your chance of injury during an event/tournament.
4. Consistency & Habit Forming
A trainer can hold you accountable and help you overcome all the excuses you might use to avoid your commitment to exercise. It’s a lot harder to skip the gym when you know someone is waiting for you. Also, with a program that fits, you are more likely to maintain the habit and see results. A coach will help you accomplish these goals and also celebrate the day you reach them.
5. Training with Medical Conditions
Exercise is beneficial for preventing or managing many common chronic conditions such as diabetes, heart disease and hypertension. However, exercising with a medical condition requires additional precautions. A knowledgeable coach with experience training clients with chronic conditions can design a program that ensures your safety and provides a positive exercise experience.
6. Program Flexibility
As mentioned before, working with a private coach not only allows you to customize your program to your fitness level and pace. However, the benefits extend well beyond that. Private coaches work around their client’s schedules, giving them the freedom to choose the time that works the best for them. Furthermore, since they are not bound by other athletes in the group you also get the freedom to decide the venue of your training.
Sports are a great way to get fit and enjoy the process, especially if you have company. We here at The Coach Crew know exactly how hard it is to find a sport, a location or even the motivation to get started, especially in the everlasting hustle bustle of a city like Mumbai. To help you with that The Coach Crew brings you 5 of the healthiest sports in Mumbai.
1. Squash
Squash is a fast-moving, indoor racquet sport, played by two or four players in a four-walled court with a small, hollow rubber ball. Although you need a partner to play squash, many squash centers and clubs offer friendly tournaments. They have games where you can meet and compete with other squash players. Moreover, it’s a game that’s easy to learn and where modified games and equipment exist to suit players of every size and skill level.
Improve Cardiovascular Health– Squash has you running, jumping, leaping, and diving for the ball so your heart and lungs are working at peak efficiency. An intense game of squash will keep your heart rate up at all times. This makes your heart muscle stronger as more blood pumps to the brain and the rest of your body.
Alleviates Stress – Whatever else is grinding your gears, a round of squash can help you “squash out” those negative feelings by taking out all your anger on the court as you slam the ball as hard as you can against the wall.
Certified Healthy – Forbes rated squash #1 healthiest sport in terms of the calorie burnout, aerobic fitness, flexibility, strength and hand to eye coordination.
Calories Burnt – An hour of Squash can burn around 1000Calories.
Apart from being the most important life-saving sport, swimming has many benefits. They include improving lung capacity, keeping a healthy body weight, building muscles and a low stress leisure activity. It also has very low risk of injuries. This makes it one of the healthiest sports you could try out in Mumbai. Plus it’s a perfect way to beat the heat and stay fit in the summers.
Full body workout – Swimming tones muscles and builds strength throughout the body. Not only that but it also improves coordination, balance and posture.
Provides good low-impact therapy for some injuries and conditions – Water supports up to 90 per cent of the body’s weight. So if you’ve sprained an ankle or have a long term injury or illness, swimming is a brilliant way to stay active.
Exercising without the sweat – If you’re somebody who absolutely despises the post workout sweat buildup, swimming can be a great way to avoid the issue.
Swimming builds up bone mass – according to research published in the Journal of Applied Physiology, swimming makes your bones denser and strengthens them.
Reduces Inflammation – Swimming reduces inflammation in the body that can lead to diseases such as atherosclerosis build-up in the heart. Reducing system-wide inflammation leads to lessened disease progression in many other areas as well .
Helps with Asthma – Studies have shown swimming helps to alleviate asthma symptoms. It does this by actually improving the overall condition of the lungs.
Revitalizes your Skin – Salt-water swimming can be a beauty treatment for skin. Swimming regularly in salt water helps the skin retain moisture and detoxify to promote new cell growth.
Increases your lifespan – Researchers at the University of South Carolina studied 40,547 men and women. The results show that those who swam had a 50 percent lower death rate than runners, walkers, or men who didn’t exercise.
Calories Burnt – more than 450 Calories for an hour of swimming.
Famous athletes like Usain Bolt, Mo Farah, etc are living examples of how running is beneficial to our bodies. It requires a lot of physical strength and stamina which pushes cardio and muscular levels up. One could even argue that running was what we were meant to do. Cheetahs are the fastest land animal in the world but did you know we can leave them in the dust? At least, in the long run. No other animal in the world has the endurance to beat humans at running.
Helps Beat Depression – Even a 30-minute run can lift symptoms of depression and improve mood. Spending 30 minutes on a treadmill is enough to lift the mood of someone suffering from major depressive disorder. This is according to a study in the journal of the American College of Sports Medicine
Strengthens Your Knees – Contrary to what many people think, running actually seems to improve knee health. In one eight-year study of 2,637 participants, researchers found that the more people ran, the less likely they were to suffer from knee pain or osteoarthritis
Improves Your Sleep – Running helps young people sleep better and improves their mood and ability to focus. In one study of 51 young people with an average age of 18, those assigned to run were found to sleep better, show signs of improved psychological functioning, and focus better during the day when compared to peers who continued without adding running to their routines. These peers were not totally sedentary and did get some exercise, but didn’t add a regular running regimen.
Running can significantly improve cardiovascular health – But what’s amazing is that people can get big benefits without have to do a lot. Running just five minutes a day could add years to your life. This is according to a study in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.
Increases Stress Resistance – Running changes the brain in ways that make it more resistant to stress. In a review of that research published in Clinical Psychology Review, author Peter Salmon concludes that this “training recruits a process which confers enduring resilience to stress.”
Calories Burnt – Burns about 640 Calories for an hour of running
Apart from being a fun, engaging sport, Basketball helps in building the stamina, hand-eye coordination, agility, flexibility and immense core strength. What makes this an even better candidate for one the healthiest sports to play in Mumbai is the fact that there are tons of basketball courts in the city, making it really accessible.
Builds Bone Strength – The physical demands of this awesome sport help in improving and building bone strength. Any physical activity that involves weight-bearing allows the formation of new bone tissue. This in turn makes the bones stronger. Both the muscles and bones in your body become stronger with basketball as it is a physical activity that involves the tugging and pushing of muscles against bone.
Impulsive Decision-Making and Quick Thinking – Basketball is not only a fast-paced game that requires a lot of physical skill, but also a mind game that requires you to think on your toes. This sport requires heavy focus so you can accurately and quickly process what is happening on the court. Then you make the correct decisions to direct the ball. You also assess the environment around you to make split second decisions based on the actions of other players around you.
Teamwork – Learning how to work together with others is a crucial skill in life that goes far beyond sports. Playing basketball at an early age sets children up for future success in situations. These could be situations that require collaboration, such as group projects in school or meetings at work.
Hand Eye Coordination – Whether you’re grabbing a rebound, dribbling while keeping your eyes on what’s around you, passing to a teammate across the court, or shooting the ball, your brain is working just as hard as the rest of your body.
Agility – Generally, the best youth basketball players have exceptional lateral movement. When children play the sport for several years, they’re bound to improve their agility and flexibility
Calories Burnt – about 558 calories an hour if playing on a half court. Stepping up to a full court game will burn around 747 calories an hour.
Tennis is a sport full of explosive movements and overall physical strength. It burns around 600 Calories in its one hour session and helps in keeping the body fit. Tennis definitely is one of the healthiest sports to play in Mumbai.
Strength and Tone Benefits – Tennis strengthens a number of muscles groups. Running around the court exercises leg muscles, while playing a shot exerts the core and upper body. Your overall muscle workout should be well balanced, although obviously your racket arm will be exercised more than the non-racket one. Core muscle groups strengthened include:
Leg muscles – Glutes, quadriceps, hamstrings and calves.
Core – Back and abdominal muscles, especially the obliques
Upper Body – Chest, shoulders, biceps and triceps
Boosted Brain Power – Think of tennis as a zero calorie brain food! Playing tennis can improve critical thinking, mental alertness, and tactical thinking by making connections in the brain.
Helps Regulate Serotonin –a brain chemical linked to functions such as sleep cycle, appetite, and your emotional state. Having trouble sleeping or keeping your emotions in check?
Fight and Prevent Disease – Tennis helps keep your lipid profile in check, keeping cholesterol low. This can decrease your chance of suffering from stroke, hypertension, and cardiovascular issues.
Builds Confidence – In a recent study, the Southern Connecticut State University tested the psychological benefits of several sports. Among non-athletes, tennis players scored higher in self-esteem, vigor and optimism, while scoring lower for factors such as confusion, tension, anxiety and depression. Regularly playing tennis can help keep you motivated on your professional path. It even helps you overcome obstacles that you may encounter in your personal life.
Calories Burnt – Tennis is a great cardio workout, especially if you’re playing singles. You’re constantly running, pivoting, stretching, and moving every inch of your body. According to the American Dietetic Association, recreational players can burn an estimated 600 to 1,320calories per two-hour singles sessions. Competitive players can burn between 768 to 1,728 calories.
The most popular sport in the world has taken up Mumbai by a storm and with the upcoming FIFA World Cup things are heating up even more. To help you navigate the world of football coaching we here at The Coach Crew have compiled a list of 5 Best Football Academies in Mumbai so that you can get started with your adventure right!
1 – Football School of India
Football School of India was co-founded by a former Indian Football Team Captain and 2 of his most experienced teammates in 2012. They are without a doubt one of the most prominent sporting academies in India. They operate 21 centers in 9 different cities and have over a 1000 active football athletes training with them at any given moment.
In addition to the 21 centers they have throughout the country they also have 2 international campuses in Dubai
Between the 3 founders – Abhishek Yadav, Deepak Mandal & Shanmugan Venkatesh have a combined International Football Experience of 31 years
They have an excellent team of scouts that scour tournaments around the country looking for top talent to train. They have even sent a player to the Indian Football Team for the U-14 FIFA World Cup
FSI participates in various football tournaments across the country, like the prestigious I-League. They even host 2 of their very own tournaments – the Goa Super Cup and the FSI Championship.
Organised a training camp at Herfølge, Denmark for some of their very best players to train with their local team – HB Køge
Premier India Football Academy was founded by Nirvan Shah, a prominent sports figure in Mumbai’s football community for the last 15 years and Anjali Shah, a distinguished member of the AIFF Executive Committee. Being one of the oldest sporting organizations in the city have been training some of the best players the city has to offer for about 16 years now. Here are a few of their highlights
PIFA is an All India Football Federation (AIFA) accredited academy
Their panel includes 4 distinguished international coaches –
A. Sanchez – UEFA Pro, Catalan Football Academy (Spain)
G. Judge – UEFA A, Liverpool, UK
J. Quinn – UEFA A, Liverpool, UK
Nirvan Shah – UEFA B Licenced Coach
Established in 2003, the academy strives to develop talent and trains them to compete at the State & National level circuits
They are the first Indian Football Club to play in a FIFA recognised tournament
PIFA has conducted 37 camps in the last 12 years and has taken over 900 children to International Football clubs in cities like Barcelona, Madrid, Milan, Rome, Dortmund, Manchester, Liverpool, London and Scotland
PIFA’s Corporate Social Responsibility arm – the PIFA Foundation aims to develop football players among underprivileged children, teach them important life skills to make them independent and guide & counsel them to stay off the streets
Soccer School of Excellence is the brainchild of Arpit Singh Bajaj, who left his cushy Wall Street job in NY, and Atul Gupta who partnered with international coach Hugh Kim Lewis to set up an elite football training academy. They might be the new kids on the block but have had a meteoric rise ever since they set up shop in 2012.
They have coaching centers at 9 locations across the city – Navy Nagar, Cuffe Parade, Colaba, Churchgate, Worli, Mahalaxmi, Lower Parel, Oshiwara & Powai
SSE recently crossed the milestone of a 1000 athletes trained
They have their very own Adidas Creators League team – The Mumbai United FC
They’ve held training camps at International Football Clubs like Benfica and FCB Escola at Barcelona
SSE has partnered with an NGOs like Oscar Foundation, Common Goal & Street Football World to get the Spanish Football Legend Juan Mata to Mumbai to train with some of their best athletes
They’ve participated in tournaments like OIS Football League, Monsoon Football League, Total Football League, Youth Football League and host their very own SSE Championship League
They specialize in training kids and have batches for pretty much everybody – Under 5, Under 8, Under 10, Under 12, Under 14, Under 16 & Free Age. They also dabble a bit in Corporate Training.
Footie First is an operation by Mr. P. P. Surender Kumar who serves as the Technical Director and Mr. Ajeya Row who serves as the Academy Director. They along with their elite squad of head coaches are on a mission to develop and nurture world-class football players with strong characters and a mastery over their football skills.
They are the current Indian Super League (3rd Division) Champions
The organisation has 8 centers across Mumbai at locations like Churchgate, Jogeshwari (JVLR), Fort, Versova, Napean Sea Road (PDP), Parel, Worli & Mahalaxmi
They’ve had successful campaigns for tournaments like the Thunderbolt League, MDFA Youth Premier League & the Kickout Football Championship
They partnered with Borussia Dortmund to get their legendary German football player Lothar Matthäus to train with their athletes for a day
They have active training and squads for Toddlers (2.5 to 4 years), Young Children (5 to 12 years), Youth (13 to 18 years) & Adults (18 years & up)
An ambitious startup by the founder and head coach Awais Shaikh, Feugo Tormento is one of the youngest academies on the map. But don’t let their age fool you – they’re one of the fastest growing football organizations out there and have already been accredited by the Western India Football Association (WIFA) .
They have 4 active centers at – Andheri, Versova, Jogeshwari & Juhu with plans to add 6 more in the coming months
Feugo Tormento has had a successful campaign for the Peace Cup having won it. Furthermore, they participated in the Premiership Football League in Palava.
They’ve sent multiple players to I-League and MDFA Elite Division teams and plan to start an I-League Team of their very own
One of their athletes have won the Subroto Cup
They have batches for Under 6, Under 10, Under 12 and Under 15
So there you have it – these are our 5 best football academies for our great city of Mumbai. The football coaching these academies provide is truly spectacular. No matter who you end up going for you can’t go wrong with any of these tried and tested academies.
Do you have any contenders for the best football academy in Mumbai? Let us know in the comments below!
If you’d still like more help in your search for a football academy or would like to enroll at one of the other centers of the academies mentioned above, do reach out to us at +91-8291603380 or write to us at info@thecoachcrew.com.
Alternatively, you click the button below to check out The Coach Crew’s complete listing of football academies.
An Exclusive Q&A With Basketball Legend Shiba Maggon
1. How did you develop a keen interest for a sport like basketball in India at a time when Cricket was the only major sport in the country?
I hail from a sports family. My father and his brother used to play cricket for their college and district. Basketball came into our family by sheer luck. One of my cousins had to go to a local gym at Karnal, for her school basketball matches, and she asked me to pick her up. I went and saw her play and brought her back, I found it boring so told her I wouldn’t go the next day to pick her up. The next day my elder sister, who happened to be 6″1, went to pick her up.
The district Coach showed interest in her because of her stature and asked her to start playing, which she agreed to. Since she was keen on playing she use to drag me along with her. I didn’t like the sport then, so I always used to run to the other fields. It was only when we lost her in an accident I realized what she wanted to do. So after two years introduction to this sport, I finally decided to accomplish what she wanted.
2. Could you describe your journey from being a young kid to the Indian Women’s Basketball Team Captain and give a learning to the young kids in the country wanting to play sports of their choice?
As I mentioned when I had no interest in the sport, I was just killing my time on the field but after I lost her, the zeal to feel her presence around me was more than anything. The more I trained the more I felt she was around, so I changed my schedule completely. I would get up at 3:45 in the morning & start to train by 4, by the time my teammates and Coach Mallhan used to arrive I would be drenched in sweat.
I used to run back, change and train again from 5:30 to 7:15. My school hours were from 8:00 to 12.30, the school I was at (SAI hostel) was very strict, so we had to attend all our classes. After lunch at 1:30 We used to sleep, but wake up around 2:30 due to the noise in our dorms because of the college girls returning. I used to train again from 3:00 to 5:00 in the evening & then practice with my team from 5:00 to 7:00. After dinner at 8:00 we had a study period from 8:30 to 10:30. This was the schedule I followed for 6 years. The only goal in my life was to represent India. I was shortlisted for the Junior India team within 8 months of this schedule but due to some difficult circumstances the Indian team did not go, and it kept on happening for the next 6 years. This time period of 6 years made me like iron.
My wish to play for India became stronger and stronger. In this process, I became one of the best players in the country and continued to be a top player for the next decade and a half. Now, when I look back at my journey it only tells me that the determination I had was stronger than any circumstance or obstacle I faced. My reason to follow the sport I was not interested in was bigger than anything. We all have that one thing in our hearts as to why we start to like something, never let that fade away and you will be a winner.
3. Do you agree with the perception that pursuing a career as a professional athlete forces you to neglect your education
Not at all, I believe that if you cannot balance your studies you cannot be a great player. Of course one can be a good athlete but each game has its own logic and angles to understand. Like in basketball, we have different angles to shoot from, how much force is required to shoot, what should the bio-mechanism be like etc.
Sports are very much like academics, you need to focus and understand your sport’s techniques and apply brains, Although nowadays there are so many social networking sites which take away the concept of time management.
If we can learn to manage our time we can easily balance our academics. The Olympic medalists in the US are doctors, mayors, professors, engineers and even bank managers. They are not offered these jobs, but they manage their time and study. In India, sports is taken as a separate career whereas it goes hand in hand with studies.
4. What were some of the challenges you faced as a female athlete pursuing a career in sports in India?
Honestly, I never faced any challenges. My family was very supportive. I was not good in studies but still, they encouraged me to play. My Coach was my mentor who wanted the best out of me. Initially when I joined the railways I used to train early in the morning at 4 am. People made stories about me, that there was no girl who comes to train & only boys who do, but I did not have the time to react and by my actions they came to know that I have no interest in what they had to say. The most important is your family and if they stand by you, what others think of you doesn’t matter.
Shiba Maggon with the FIBA Asia Cup 2017 India Team
5. How different is it to be a coach from being an athlete? What aspects of both have you enjoyed the most?
Being an athlete was my sister’s choice which was easy as I only had to train myself and I knew what I wanted from myself. Being a Coach was my choice which was very difficult in all the aspects. I started to coach way back around 2005 at a school in Delhi and that was just to make quick money and manage my finances. I’ve coached in 4 different schools which include Modern Barakhamba & DPS Rk Puram. At that point, I was just experiencing school environments. My job was on and off but I understood that I can help players understand the game.
Finally, in 2009 I coached SRCC boys in a basketball tournament and they won. My confidence rose & I knew then, that after I retire I will be a Coach. Becoming a full-fledged Coach was very difficult, each player has a different mind they think differently. Before teaching them I have to find a level at which I can connect with them. Each player has their own capacity for learning I have to break the skill to make it easy or difficult as per their learning capacity. I make them see what they can do and not what they think they can do. I am accountable for the future of my trainees, so I have to always be updated to give them the best coaching & knowledge.
6. How have you honed your skills as a coach over the years? What are some of the tips that you would like to give to all the budding coaches so that they can help develop elite talent throughout the country in order to compete at the highest level?
After becoming Coach I have learnt from my every single one of my failures and successes. I’ve watched other coaches while training and in game situations as to what works for them. I have done many courses to keep me updated about the latest changes. We all have coaches around us, try connecting with them, watch their sessions see what is working for them. Sometimes you can learn a very small detail from a young coach which can help in improving us. I have been shadowing Coaches in the US and have taken some international courses for advanced training. Try attending clinics around you, not only of basketball but for other sports as well, you never know what you might gain from there. We have talent everywhere, athletes who trust us when they come to train with us. We are accountable for their bright future.
7. Any parting words before we wrap up the interview?Please share your genuine thoughts on our young start-up The Coach Crew that has built a bridge between athletes and enthusiasts to find the best coaches near them to get trained in the sports of their choice. Your feedback about our website, the idea or the things we could do in the future would really help us do more for each of our athletes and coaches!
It is a beautiful and unique concept for both coaches and players. For the players who want to learn sports like basketball, your site is an easy step to find a good coach and connect with them. Coaches can get good talent as well, it is kind of scouting site for players. Keep up with the good job!
Warming up and cooling down are the most important aspects of a workout of an athlete, and they’re the ones which are overlooked by the most. They are crucial for your performance, and most athletes don’t understand the opportunity cost of not doing so. The chances of injury increase, efficiency while playing decreases, and the list goes on. In his article we have highlighted some of the key benefits and importance of warm-ups and cool-downs.
Warming up muscles before a workout can be thought of as warming up a car. The car won’t go full throttle before the engine warms up, so you gradually increase your speed. Your body is quite similar, warming up increases the flexibility and temperature of your body, and makes your workout more efficient and a lot safer. A warm-up before a moderate or vigorous intensity workout allows a slow increase in your heart rate and breathing.
Stretching Exercises for Warm-Ups
A good warm-up helps you with
Increasing the flow of blood to the muscles in use, preparing them for the coming workout and it also helps in reducing the chances of your muscles getting sore.
Lubricating your joints, reducing the chance of injuries by bringing elasticity to the tissues.
Increasing blood flow to the heart, conditioning it gradually for increased activity while avoiding a swift increase in blood pressure.
Speeding up the transmission of nerve impulses which Improves your reaction time and coordination.
Delivering increased oxygen and nutrients to your muscles, which in turn helps in reducing shortness of breath.
Increasing your body temperature, which allows you to work out longer and harder while reducing the risk of connective tissue and muscle injuries.
Cooling down after a workout is equally important as warming up. After a workout, your heart is still racing which is a lot faster than normal, your body temperature is higher and your blood vessels are dilated. If you stop too fast, you could feel sick or pass out. A cool-down after physical activity lets your body gradually decrease all this at the end of the episode.
Cool Down Stretching Exercises
A good cool down helps you with
Reducing the buildup of lactic acid, which leads to muscles cramps and stiffness.
Preventing pooling of blood, flowing the blood back to the heart rather than letting it pool in the muscles that have been used in the workout.
Gradually bringing down the heart rate.
Preventing passing out by making sure that the brain continues to receive an adequate supply of oxygen and blood.
Circulating oxygen and blood to the muscles, restoring them to their pre-workout condition.
And there you have it. Hopefully this post gave you an insight into why Warm-Ups and Cool-Downs are so crucial for your workouts. So go ahead and start warming up for your next workout!
The mystery behind what should be included in the young athlete’s diet is never-ending, partly because miracle foods are constantly surfacing, while other foods fall from grace. When it comes to what to include in your child athlete’s meal plan, it’s important to consider the nutritional requirements for growth and development, as well as for athletic performance.
So here are the top 10 foods that should be included in a young athlete’s diet to ensure he/she develops his/her body and mind ideally for any sport they would want to excel at.
All nuts are chock-full of healthy fats, fiber, key proteins, magnesium, antioxidants and vitamin E. They also aid in the reduction of cholesterol in the body. Use them to top yogurt or cereal, or just grab a handful on the way to practice.
Similar to nuts, seeds are full of fiber, healthy fats, magnesium and vitamin E. Eat them like you would eat nuts. They are a great substitute if your athlete is allergic to nuts.
3. Ready-to-Eat Cereal
Cereal is fortified with nutrients such as folic acid, iron, calcium, and vitamins A and E, making hem a good source of nutrients. Have it for breakfast, snack, or dinner in a pinch, but beware of choosing cereal with too much sugar. Cereals with less than 8 or 9 grams of sugar per serving are best.
4. 100% Orange Juice or Orange Fruits and Veggies
Increasingly, you can find calcium and vitamin D – fortified OJ, and it’s a good source of folic acid and vitamin C, too. Don’t guzzle it though! Kids aged 7-18 years should keep a cap on juice — no more than one cup per day, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics. Orange juice can be a significant source of calories when more than a cup is consumed daily.
Including orange colored fruits and vegetables in a growing child’s diet is a good idea as they are usually loaded with vitamins C, E, A, and potassium, which help the immune system stay healthy.
5. Low-Fat Cheese
Cheese is a quick and easy snack, especially when packaged in sticks or blocks. Mix cheese into casseroles, pasta and layer it in sandwiches. Cheese is full of calcium, potassium, and protein – absolutely essential for growing kids.
6. Low-Fat Yogurt
Yogurt is a good source of calcium, vitamin D, potassium and protein. Go for Greek varieties if you are looking for extra protein (though most young athletes don’t need extra protein). Eat yogurt as part of a meal, a snack, or dessert. Yogurt also greatly improves digestion by improving and revitalizing your gut micro-biome.
7. Low-Fat Milk or Soy Milk
Dairy milk is a natural source of calcium, potassium, and protein, and is fortified with vitamin D. If soy milk is your go-to, make sure it is fortified with calcium and vitamin D and shake the carton so the minerals don’t settle to the bottom. Many athletes use flavored milk (chocolate milk) after an intense workout to help their muscles recover.
8. Dark Green Leafy Vegetables
Leafy veggies which are dark green like kale, spinach and collard greens offer iron and calcium. Pair these with foods that are high in vitamin C, such as red peppers, tomatoes or citrus fruit, or serve them with meat to maximize the absorption of iron.
9. Green Beans
Magical and full of fiber, protein, iron, zinc and magnesium—find ways to fit beans into your weekly (or daily) diet. Roast them for a crunchy snack, top a salad or burrito, or throw them in with diced tomatoes for a hearty pasta dish.
10. Eggs
The egg is a powerhouse of disease-fighting nutrients like Vitamins A, D, E, B12. Also present are carotenoids like lutein and zeaxanthin which reduce the risk of age-related macular degeneration, the leading cause of blindness in older adults. Brain development and memory are also enhanced by the choline content of eggs.
Eggs contain selenium and zinc, which help in boosting the immune system of a child. Selenium creates free radicals which help in killing harmful bacteria and zinc helps in maintaining the good cells that fight the microorganisms.
While we all love to improve our tennis game, there are times when the process slows down or becomes stagnant completely. But if you improve your fitness, you will see huge improvements in your game, especially if you focus on your core.
Your core transfers the forces from the ground up to your arm and, ultimately, to your racket. If your core is weak, you lose a lot of power, and you risk overuse injuries.
So here we present you with 7 core exercises for Tennis every player should do to drastically improve their game.
Get down on the ground on your elbows and toes, with your body completely straight. Have your elbows directly below your shoulders and hands in line with the elbows. Hold the plank for 1 minute without dropping your hips. The sign of your strong core is if you can hold the plank for 2 minutes or more with good form. Another variation of the plank is supporting yourself on your hands instead of the elbows.
Of all the core exercises this one looks deceptively simple but is one of the most essential for Tennis. You can also use this to benchmark your increase in core strength.
Get down on the grounds on your hands and toes, keep the body straight, don’t let your belly or hip sink. Slowly lift your left arm and right leg at the same time, keeping them straight and parallel to the ground. Hold the top position for 1 to 2 seconds, then switch sides. Repeat 20 times.
Get into plank positions on the forearms. Twist your hips to the left and gently touch the ground. Make sure both your elbows remain on the ground at all times. Return to the middle position. Twist to the other times. Repeat 20 times.
Get down on the ground on your left side. Stack your feet on each other and support yourself on your left hand, with the shoulder above the hand. Lift the hips up so they are in one line with your hands and shoulders like a plank. Raise your right arm vertically toward the sky. This will stretch your chest and add more difficulty. Make sure to keep shoulders so there’s room in your neck. Hold the plank for 1 minute for each side.
Lie on your back with straight legs and hands supporting your head. Lift your feet slightly off the ground and keep them in the air during the entire set. Bend the left leg and bring the knee towards your chest, while crunching and twisting your upper body to bring your right elbow towards your left knee. Touch them together while extending your right leg forward close to the ground (but not touching). Hold the contraction for one second. Then switch sides to touch the right knee and left elbow. Perform the movement slowly and controlled. Always push the lower back into the ground. Start with 20 repetitions, and work yourself up to 100.
Lie on your back, bend your legs, and bring your knees to your chest. Try to keep your feet close to your glutes during the exercise. Lift your hips off the ground and bring your knees to the chest. Your back should be rounded. Reverse the movement and slowly return to the starting position. Make sure not to swing with your legs to the movement. Repeat 15-20 times.
Lie on the ground on the back, spread your arms to the sides in a T position, pushing your palms to the ground. Lift your legs straight up toward the sky. Keep the 90-degree angle in your hips at all times and your knees straight.
Let the legs slowly drop to the right side until you slowly reach the game. The legs should be parallel with your arms. Don’t relax completely, just slowly touch the ground and reverse the movement without kicking, but using your core. Your feet should stay together and both shoulders and arms on the ground at all the time. Perform up to 20 repetitions. Bend your knees slightly for an easier variation.
If you have never played a game of Football before, you really should give it a try. It is a really fun sport that everybody can play, and can be played pretty much anywhere. And it doesn’t cost much to play either. This ease of accessibility is what makes it the most popular sport in the world. There are so many different benefits of playing football that you will want to play it all day long. Not only is it a fun sport to play that lets you socialize with others, but it is also fantastic for your muscular health, cardiac health, bone strength, your mental state, and so much more.
Running at any intensity for 90 minutes requires a high level of stamina. Therefore, football players often have a tremendous amount of aerobic capacity being able to go from walking to sprinting and have a fast recovery to do it again, and again, and again. Researchers from the Peking University back this up in a study they’ve authored.
2. Improves Cardiovascular Health
This is probably one of the best benefits of playing Football. The average player runs about 8 to 11 kilometers in a full game. The constant walking, jogging and running help keep the player’s heart rate up, providing an excellent cardiovascular exercise. This constant movement helps players strengthen their hearts, resist plaque build-up in the coronary arteries, reduce their blood pressure and burn excess calories.
3. Lowers Body Fat and Improves Muscle Tone
Football is a great sport for burning fat because it works the muscles and your heart in different ways. Football builds more muscle mass and burns more fat by recruiting both slow-twitch and fast-twitch muscle fibers. As a general workout, football playing burns more calories than typical workouts because players are forced to switch between using the aerobic and anaerobic energy pathways.
4. Builds Muscle Strength
Lower body strength is required for kicking, jumping, tackling, twisting and turning. It also forms the foundation for explosive speed. Upper body strength is required for shielding the ball, holding off opponents, throw-ins and also contributes to overall power and explosiveness. Regular football playing builds strength by using the whole body.
5. Increases Bone Strength
In general, bone density decreases as people get older. The repeated weight-bearing loads on the body during a football match are an excellent way to increase the strength of our skeletal frame. Maintaining fitness through football throughout a lifetime is a great way to keep bones strong.
6. Teaches Coordination
Due to shifts between walking, running and sprinting, coordination is key to football. Body coordination is improved through the complex movements like dribbling, turning and passing, which are performed at varying rates of speed and direction. Hand-eye coordination is improved when players either kick the ball or receive a pass from someone. The better the coordination, the better advantage in a match.
7. Promotes Teamwork and Sharing
While fitness goals are generally very personal, we can all benefit from sharing common goals with others who push us towards them. The lessons that players learn on the field translate to the rest of their lives and the camaraderie teammates share in unparalleled. The ability to work with others to reach a common goal is powerful when related to everyday life- in other words, join a team.
8. Increases Cognitive Brain Function
Football helps increase skills in concentration, persistence, and self-discipline because it is a fast-paced game that requires quick decisions on the field. Even when the tempo appears to slow down, players are constantly looking for territorial advantages, trying to position themselves to receive a pass or to defend an area the opponent may attack.
9. Increase Confidence and Self-Esteem, and Helps to Reduce Anxiety
Building physical strength and endurance help build confidence in a player both on and off the field. Confidence and self-esteem not only impact sports performance, but also performance in school, career, family life, and friendships. Also, as with all forms of exercise, the feel-good endorphins released into the body after a match are major stress and anxiety reducers. Several studies point to exercise as being a highly effective treatment for depression and anxiety.
10. Anyone Can Play, Anywhere
Football is not an expensive or prohibitive sport. All that is needed is space and a ball. It is a relatively simple sport to catch onto and is played mostly outdoors, which we already mentioned as being healthy here.
