Getting a 'kick' out of training kids

This football camp with kids conducted by Stadium Soccer School at GKVK grounds, teems with excitement as they wait for their coach Ose Aibangee.

For them, Aibangee is a big deal. He has coached at the youth academies at Arsenal, Tottenham Hotspurs, Manchester United and Leyton Orient and now he is in the City for the first time to train boys and girls aged between 6-16.

Speaking to Deccan Herald, Aibangee says that he prefers coaching children more than adults. “I enjoy what I do and prefer working with children. It harder than adults as you are actually teaching them and not just training. So it could be more demanding and more challenging. You have to keep them from getting it wrong from a young age, so there is more responsibility.”

Aibangee feels that the kids here are no different in their enthusiasm, but lack tutoring and that is where he comes in. “The coaches here are good with children. What I am trying to introduce is the way they respond and communicate and techniques which are used in England. So it is not only expert help for coaches, but I am also trying to establish groups where the good players are separated, so that they can play along with the best.” he says.

Though the camp will go on for a month, he is here for only a week. But in the meanwhile, he intends to spot the good ones and form them into a separate group. He says that is the best way to improve.

He finds assessment of the skills on a comparative basis very difficult as he is used to the training the best kids. “When I work in England, I work with a professional football club, so I work with the best players in the region.

Here the programme has some very good players and a lot of players are just recreational. But I can see a lot of potential.” he admits.

Having come here this time, Aibangee plans to visit again and keep up with the training of the good players. But it is not just football that draws him to countries as far and wide as America, Canada, Tanzania, Ghana, Nigeria, Holland and South Africa.

He firmly believes that the different cultures would benefit from seeing different ways of working.

But finally, what gets the kids crazy about having him around? Answers to questions like what team he supports and how many players has he seen! Of course, there is always, “Have you seen Wayne Rooney?”