‘SAI centres offer good coaching’

I am in 11th standard and have no good options to continue playing football. What should I do? I have played the game for five years for my school.
—Nitin Paranjpe.
If you have played football for five years for your school, your basics should be good enough to get admission in one of the 80 colleges that play football in Mumbai like Anjuman, Thakur, Somaiyas, National, Podar, Bhavans etc. You may go to Xavier’s ground in Parel, find a suitable fourth division team and give your trials. Surely, you will find a team to play for.

Please tell me how to make my shoots powerful? I am unable to kick the ball higher and farther.
—Amey Raut
To kick powerfully, keep your head down and body over the ball and shoot. If you want to shoot higher then keep your head up and upper body away from the ball while shooting. You need a lot of practice.

I get transferred every two years. So, arranging coaching for my son is difficult. Please tell me what are the coaching with study facilities provided by any state or central govt/sports bodies?
—Budha
The Sports Authority of India has its centres in Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata, etc. They offer some good coaching with study facilities. Also, you can let your sonjoin any of the 14 I-league football teams Under-19 youth programmes.

I stay in Dombivli. I want to know if there is good football club nearby that can teach me all that is needed.
—Rohit Joshi
How old are you? At what level do you want to play? There are more than 25 teams in the Thane District League to choose from.
At the age of 20, will any club give me a chance to play for them? If yes, which clubs? Also, suggest some clubs near Mulund and Thane.

How much would it cost me to train with local clubs or the ones abroad?
—Emaan Marathe
You are lucky you can choose between both Mumbai and Thane districts league, which together have more than 300 teams playing. You may get the list of teams from these two associations and choose for trials. For training abroad, you may contact PIFA in Mumbai.

Henry Menezes, former India goalkeeper and manager of now disbanded Mahindra United replies to our readers’ queries about the game and its facilities in Mumbai.