Over the course of the past four years in the Hero Indian Super League (ISL), the role of a coach has been crucial in the development of clubs and in establishing a footballing philosophy within the team. The coaches have put years of hard work and effort into formulating a specifically tailored blueprint, which they have tied to imbibe in their strategy to pave the way towards success.

From Jamshedpur’s pragmatic approach, where the team relies on its defensive solidarity to Bengaluru’s attacking philosophy, largely comprising of possession and free-flowing football, various clubs in the Hero ISL have been able to carve an identity for themselves and this has been largely down to the work put in by the coaches.

Aside from team building, coaches have also played a fundamental role in player development, giving rise to recognizable talent over the years. Even some of India’s biggest footballing heroes including Sunil Chhetri and Gurpreet Singh Sandhu have cited the impact that various coaches have had on their individual development.

Masterclass and Convention for coaches

To boost the development of the coaching setup in India, the Association of Indian Football Coaches (AIFC) in collaboration with the All India Football Federation (AIFF) is organising a coaching convention which will take place from July 23 to 26 in Navi Mumbai. The event will consist of two parts: a conference on July 23 and 24 and a Masterclass on July 25 and 26. The conference will witness various footballing personalities give presentations on topics ranging from player and grassroots development to fitness and conditioning.

A panel of expert speakers

The Masterclass session, which will comprise of a number of theoretical and practical coaching sessions, will be conducted by Dr. Ryland Morgans and Tom Byer. Morgans is an expert in fitness and conditioning of professional athletes and has served as a performance head for a number of elite clubs in England including Everton and Liverpool. Tom Byer, on the other hand, is a renowned grassroots football expert, most famous for his work in developing the grassroots system in Japan. The Masterclass session will see participation from several Indian coaches of the Hero ISL.