In June 2014, Tejas R started Sparky Football, an NGO, in Bangalore.
He is 23 and so passionate about football that he dropped out of college to pursue it. But Tejas R is not looking to make it big as a footballer. Instead, this freestyle football champ is using his skills to create social change in India. In June 2014, Tejas started Sparky Football, an NGO, in Bangalore. Here’s an exclusive chat with the youngster who wants everyone to adhere to his motto ‘Make Your Wounds Proud’.
How did you get interested in freestyle football?
In 2012, I watched the Indian football team lose to Bayern Munich and the loss affected me deeply. A nation playing against a club and still losing was an embarrassment. This became my motivation to drop out of engineering college and pursue my true passion, football.
It’s my strong belief that the country’s football future lies in children. Having always had a strong inclination towards coaching and a love for kids, becoming a football coach seemed the best way I could follow my passion. But it wasn’t a smooth journey. I was rejected as a coach and seen as unfit for teaching kids. My profile was that of a college drop-out with no prior experience in football coaching. So I was forced to find employment at night to make ends meet. Having an interest in freestyle football, I started to practice and created an exclusive brand image in the city through football and for football.
You're 23. What inspired you to start Sparky Football?
Coaching in an established set up didn’t appeal to me. I didn’t feel like I was making a difference. Also, my principles behind teaching football to kids didn’t coincide with the principles of the organisations I previously worked at. They looked at football as a recreational activity, while football has always meant something more than just a sport for me - it’s an art. My goal was to convey this message to my students. I began travelling around the city, researching and documenting the ways kids from all walks of life played football. I began creating my own unique football curriculums to convey this philosophy of mine. I believe that this philosophy has to be nurtured and developed by incorporating it in the fundamental levels of the game (such as while tying one's shoelace) all the way up to teaching them how to score a goal. I started to conduct football workshops in schools and academies. I also focused on the emotional quotient involved while playing the game and incorporated this into the curriculum as well. This would instill life skills and values, such as trust, confidence, bravery, compassion, humility into the students, in an innovative manner. It’s essential that my students are trained not just to be good footballers, but also be good people. I decided to pursue a degree in Psychology, which provided me theoretical knowledge on understanding, appreciating and enhancing positive human behaviour, especially in children.
My own personal journey of struggle and success, led me to think about the other people in society who are suffering and how I could make a difference in their lives through football. For instance, I became a football clown and visited slums and hospitals using my football freestyle tricks to make kids smile. I realised that my purpose was to work with the underprivileged and to provide them with equal opportunities. Using football as a tool to train these kids, not just about the sport but about various other life skills, brought me great satisfaction.
How do you think this sport helps the underprivileged?
For me, football is a tool to make a difference. I use football as a teaching module to educate (especially the underprivileged) the importance of critical life skills and holistic development. My students at Sparky are not just talented footballers, they are groomed to have impeccable character and a strong sense of responsibility towards themselves and society – this is what I hope to instill in kids worldwide.
My motto – Make Your Wounds Proud - demonstrates my organisation's purpose. To rise above the odds, be a proud example to others and demonstrate that it’s not the past that makes you, but your choices and your decisions.
What do want Sparky Football to achieve in the long run?
My dream for the future is to make this a way of life, a choice, for kids worldwide, to be an inspiration and to create a legacy. It is my goal to see the kids I train set an example and lead the way in this journey of using football to create a long-lasting social impact.
How can people help you in this endeavour?
People can help us with football gear, and if interested, they can donate money, as Sparky Football is self-funded. So far, we have performed freestyle football and worked in call centres to run the show successfully.
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