The present and future of sports coaching in India

Vishal Uppal assesses the state of coaching in urban and rural India.

The success of a player primarily depends on coaching. A player needs coaching at every stage. A good coach works on multiple aspects. The fitness, diet, technique, execution and strategy required to play a particular sport is devised by a coach. Successful players have publicly admitted the role of their coaches and their coaching. The standard of coaching has drastically risen in last two decades. Coaching is now available at every level. The gradual rise in quality and availability of coaching can be attributed to multiple factors.

The first factor is inspiring performance of Indian sports fraternity on world stage. Indians players are winning medals and are being ranked in top few in certain sports. India is doing exceptionally good in Cricket, Hockey, Badminton, Tennis, Table Tennis, Boxing, Weightlifting, Wrestling, Shooting, Archery, Gymnastics and Athletics. Children as young as five are aspiring to learn and excel in sports. Parents are now seeking services of coaches to train their kids from elementary level. This has opened avenues for coaches. The coaches who worked only in academic institutions now run their sports coaching classes to supplement their income and train the aspirants. The sportsmen who were not able to make it higher levels are now working as full time elementary coaches.

The second factor is availability of sporting infrastructure. The boom in sectors such as Information Technology has brought people in IT hubs. This led to development of condominium complexes. These housing complexes are equipped with basic infrastructure that is helping children work on their basic skills. A good housing complex has swimming pool, badminton court, squash court, volleyball court and many other based on the how premium is the complex. In addition, municipalities in Tier A and Tier B cities in India have developed sports facilities that provide skating rinks, large grounds for hosting cricket and soccer tournaments and indoor halls for practicing badminton and table tennis. These facilities also host summer and winter camps for coaching players. In addition, big sports equipment merchandisers have opened courts in and around malls in Metropolitan cities. Decathlon stores in India have provided courts for practicing basketball, hockey, skating and other popular sports. 

The veteran wrestlers in village gymnasiums are training entrants to compete at village, district and state level. Most wrestling champions are a gift of traditional training methodology where the teacher and pupil share a deep bond. As emphasis on sports is increasing, the villages are churning out sportsmen trained in traditional sports.

The good part is opening up of specialist training academies. These academies are being opened by retired sports personalities and are contributing by training men and women in competitive sports. Some of these academies are meant for training the learners for international level. The Gopichand Badminton Academy in Hyderabad is headed by Pullela Gopichand. The academy has produced current and former world number one shuttlers; P V Sindhu and Saina Nehwal. The cricket academies like National Cricket Academy headed by Anil Kumble; Vengsarkar Cricket Academy founded by Dilip Vengsarkar; Sehwag Cricket Academy run by Virender Sehwag and many other similar academies are imparting quality coaching in Cricket. However, India is still dependent on foreign coaches and academies in foreign countries for specialized coaching in hockey, tennis, archery and shooting. But as former players are hosting camps and venturing into coaching, the dependence will reduce in coming years.

The future of sports coaching in India is on rise and young men and women can definitely get into it. It is a sunshine sector as Indians are keen to get into sporting careers. The coaching profession has scope for making sustainable income; it also presents an opportunity to serve community and nation and finally it is a profession that brings job satisfaction. It is thrilling to see your students grow and win.

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The good things are finally pouring for gender diverse sports persons. Positive steps by sporting bodies are helping transgender and gender diverse people participate in competitive sports.

Vishal Uppal explores the gender identity/expression issues and how anti-discrimination policies are breaking stereotyping, and discrimination based on gender identity.

The August brought good news for transgender and gender diverse cricketers when Cricket Australia announced its inclusivity policy. An Elite Cricket Policy and Guidelines for Community Cricket will facilitate support for players who elect to participate in cricket in line with their gender identity. It excludes the criteria of identification of sex at the time of birth.

The one positive step will help create the inclusive environment that will be free from gender stereotyping, harassment and discrimination for gender nonconforming players at entry level. Such measures also sensitize players, coaches, volunteers and support staff to forego biases based on gender identity.

A similar step was taken by National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) of USA in 2011. The association adopted bylaws to accommodate transgendered athletes. The eligibility criteria for participation were made simpler. However, the complications are still there for athletes using the hormones. An athlete on hormone has to take medical clearance and NCAA approval before being allowed to compete. So if an athlete is on testosterone regimen then discrimination is still there as complexity is there for female-to-male (FTM) athlete to be included in female category or male category. It will take time when we may see a category for athletes under sex transition.

The eligibility requirements adopted by international and local athletic foundations are the same.  The sportsperson who is legally and hormonally female is allowed to compete in women’s events. A trans-woman is allowed to compete as female athlete after one year of beginning testosterone suppression treatment. The evolution of eligibility criteria will see transformation as complex issues will surface for consideration and resolution.

As anti-discrimination policies to accommodate transgendered people by employers and government bodies are coming to force, we will see a trickle-down effect in all sports governing bodies and acceptance will come for their inclusion in common shower areas, changing areas and toilet areas.

There is great deal of acceptance that needs to come from public for LGBTQ sports persons. I strongly believe that sport is one of the disciplines that will widen the acceptance of gender diverse and people with different sexual preference in other spheres. 

There have been notable transgender and LGBTQ people in sports.

You can explore the list at

 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transgender_people_in_sports

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_LGBT_sportspeople

The transgender and gender diverse sports persons are equally strong and equipped. They are participating in every sport from professional golfing to professional boxing. Most of us know about Renee Richards who coached Martina Navratilova in Tennis or Fallon Fox who displayed her mettle in mixed martial arts. Heidi Krieger who was a shot putter from East Germany competed as woman and later transitioned to man as she was given too much steroids by her coaches without her knowledge. Sometimes, things are accidental but inclusive anti-discriminatory policies can help gender diverse players compete on equal footing with regular players.

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