Bhaichung Bhutia Football Schools India profit from Feyenoord Academy visit

Nearly 60 players of the Bhaichung Bhutia Football Schools in India paid a weeklong visit to the Feyenoord Academy this May. Players in four different age categories lived the life of academy players for a week as they played matches against international opponents, trained with Feyenoord Academy coaches and interacted with their Dutch peers. They ended the week with a contract ceremony in Feyenoord’s official press room, becoming real ‘Feyenoorders’.

For BBFS it was their second visit to Rotterdam after the maiden trip in 2013. ‘They are probably the best football school in India and we were very happy to see them return to our academy, like St Louis Scott Gallagher USA did earlier this year’, says Gido Vader, manager of international relations at Feyenoord. ‘To get a high return rate means we are doing a good job. Yet, every day we strive to do an even better job the next time.’

Vivek Rawat, BBFS’s U15 Head Coach expressed his satisfaction after the camp. ‘Varkenoord is at the pinnacle of grassroots development in world football. Interacting with their coaches gave us an insight into the process that helps in the growth of a young footballer. In this enriching experience we focused on quick decision making particularly in positional rotation & substitutions especially when the game is running in high tempo. On behalf of the team in India, we would like to thank Melvin Boel and his team of coaches.’

‘The team building exercises that we underwent during the training camp were extraordinarily helpful’, added BBFS U-15 Team Captain Siddhant Rao. ‘It helped the team bond and each member had a wonderful experience. Playing against the youth teams of Feyenoord proved to be really helpful and at the same time was a lot of fun. The coaches at Feyenoord were really kind and helpful as they focused on each and every one of us individually and taught us with specific tips and tricks.’

Harish Kumar was one of the parents that travelled with the group. He was impressed by the experience that his son Kshitij (U13) came away with. ‘A visit to Feyenoord Academy was enough for me to get convinced how they produce world class footballers. At Feyenoord apart from developing footballing ability, they pay equal attention in overall development of individuals. The coaches were easily accessible to parents and were interested in giving feedback to parents. The curriculum was well designed to understand the capability of players - what needs to be done to identify world class talent and most importantly how to go about the process. Feyenoord has kept the science of football so simple that they keep the passion in individual live to go to the next level which makes them as one of the best academies in the world. Overall it was one great experience that every passionate soccer individual must go through.’

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