Former India footballer Aqueel Ansari has a piece of advice for inter-school coaches and parents. The assistant coach of India's U-19 football team is not happy when school coaches and parents boast about victory in one season
Aqueel Ansari watches his son Anwar (right) during the MSSA boys' u-10 match between St Mary's SSC and St Stanislaus at Azad Maidan yesterday
Former India footballer Aqueel Ansari has a piece of advice for inter-school coaches and parents. The assistant coach of India's U-19 football team is not happy when school coaches and parents boast about victory in one season.
Aqueel Ansari watches his son Anwar (right) during the MSSA boys' u-10 match between St Mary's SSC and St Stanislaus at Azad Maidan yesterday. Pic/Bipin Kokate
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"The victories should not go to their head. Coaches and parents have to realise that this trophy is just the first step towards the players' evolution as a footballer. It is a very minute achievement in the long journey. They (coaches and parents) shouldn't hype it up. In fact, the players should be encouraged to play harder and improve," Ansari told mid-day on the sidelines of a Mumbai Schools Sports Association (MSSA) boys' u-10 Division I quarter-final match between St Mary's SSC (Mazgaon) and St Stanislaus High School 'A' (Bandra) at Azad Maidan yesterday. Ansari's son Anwar was part of St Mary's 1-2 loss.
Ansari does not want parents to add burden of academics on their talented children. "There are many talented kids who quit football once they move to higher standards because their parents want the child to focus on academics. If the kid is talented, the parents should encourage him/her to play more," said Ansari.
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