Friction Amongst teammates Football, like all sports, celebrates the winner, the team that wins, and the 11 members who played on that day are hailed as the champions. We want players to channel their intensity and physical skills as they chase the glory of victory…but where do you draw the line?

I always tell every team that it’s a team sport and it takes 11 of you to win, not 10+1, 11 as a whole need to play, think and act together while maintaining decorum and team spirit in order to score. Every coach has witnessed the passion for football get out of hand on the field, recently I witnessed a maverick trainer tease a strong defender, and receive an elbow his way. We halted the game to address the issue because the slightest sign of friction must be addressed and resolved for a team to function as a whole.

AS the players grow up, each will find his/her own way to handle pressure whether it is meditation/yoga/therapy or something else but in our training session, we imbibe the idea of respect and boundaries. Whether the team wins a match or not, the players will be better off for learning an important life lesson.