The catharsis that causes the decay of Indian sports begins in THE SCHOOLS. Mercilessly loaded with `whimsical desires' of their parents and teachers - THE CHILDREN - are Denied the very basic right to play - IN THE NAME OF EDUCATION!
ARE YOU VIOLATING THE FUNDAMENTAL RIGHTS OF THE CHILDREN TO PLAY
THIS is an extract from DECLARATION OF THE RIGHTS OF THE CHILD AS ADOPTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF U.N.O. India is a signatory to this historic document.
Principle 7 The child is entitled to receive education, which shall be free and compulsory, at least in the elementary stages. He shall be given an education which will promote his general culture and enable him, on a basis of equal opportunity, to develop his abilities, his individual judgement, and his sense of moral and social responsibility, and to become a useful member of society. The best interests of the child shall be the guiding principle of those responsible for his education and guidance; that responsibility lies in the first place with his parents. The child shall have full opportunity for play and recreation, which should be directed to the same purposes as education; society and the public authorities shall endeavour to promote the enjoyment of this right.
Read this as many times as you wish to - then go and stand in front of the mirror and ask yourself whether you are violating this fundamental right of your own child/student. I wish to repeat
The child shall have full opportunity for play and recreation, which should be directed to the same purposes as education; society and the public authorities shall endeavour to promote the enjoyment of this right.
THINK ABOUT IT BEFORE YOU GO TO SLEEP - now you cannot run away from your responsibility!
Thursday, June 23, 2011
Thursday, May 26, 2011
JUST BECAUSE YOU PLAY BASKETBALL - DONOT GO OVER-BOARD!
There are many who are `impressed' with my grass root promotion of basketball. Some of them call themselves as `LIVING THE GAME' - and are unable to concentrate on their studies. They do great dis-service to the game.
Just because you play basketball - do not go over-board! Have a balanced life. Team Sports in India [other than cricket]haven't been a rewarding career. Hence it is important to build your career [I am not staying STOP PLAYING or STOP PRACTICING] which is rewarding - and also sustain your interest for the game in a balanced way. It is because of unbalanced attitude of some of the players - the game gets a bad name.
The OBNOXITY [foolish desire] of MUST PLAY under 13 - 16 - 18 in state or national level is another fraud on majority of the children. Not every one will get into the team - Not every player selected in the team IS THE BEST PLAYER - so try your level best and leave it at that. ASK AN EXPERIENCED COACH and you will get enough information about `what would happen if you make it to the state/national level. NOTHING WILL HAPPEN. Other than bloating your EGO - and maybe a certificate or a medal here and there - NOTHING WILL HAPPEN. You won't get the moon, surely. Even, for example, if somehow you get into the Indian team itself - WHAT WOULD HAPPEN.
ASK AN INDIAN BASKETBALL PLAYER - I am not answering that one - as it would annoy many people.
YOUR CAREER IS THE SINGLE MOST IMPORTANT THING - and let no one tell you otherwise. My only concern is why SPORTS cannot go along - that's all. So go and study hard - AND PLAY HARD!
Just because you play basketball - do not go over-board! Have a balanced life. Team Sports in India [other than cricket]haven't been a rewarding career. Hence it is important to build your career [I am not staying STOP PLAYING or STOP PRACTICING] which is rewarding - and also sustain your interest for the game in a balanced way. It is because of unbalanced attitude of some of the players - the game gets a bad name.
The OBNOXITY [foolish desire] of MUST PLAY under 13 - 16 - 18 in state or national level is another fraud on majority of the children. Not every one will get into the team - Not every player selected in the team IS THE BEST PLAYER - so try your level best and leave it at that. ASK AN EXPERIENCED COACH and you will get enough information about `what would happen if you make it to the state/national level. NOTHING WILL HAPPEN. Other than bloating your EGO - and maybe a certificate or a medal here and there - NOTHING WILL HAPPEN. You won't get the moon, surely. Even, for example, if somehow you get into the Indian team itself - WHAT WOULD HAPPEN.
ASK AN INDIAN BASKETBALL PLAYER - I am not answering that one - as it would annoy many people.
YOUR CAREER IS THE SINGLE MOST IMPORTANT THING - and let no one tell you otherwise. My only concern is why SPORTS cannot go along - that's all. So go and study hard - AND PLAY HARD!
Sunday, April 3, 2011
I HAVE OFTEN THOUGHT OF GIVING UP - BUT SOMEHOW I CAN'T
Promoting the game of basketball for the last THIRTY ODD YEARS has taken its toll on me. The rewards have been NON-EXISTENT - other than the warm smiles of my students. And when I see lakhs of crores being looted in the name of `PROMOTING SPORTS' - I feel cheated. Some of the elite schools have built beautiful courts on which hardly ten to fifteen people play the game. Almost all publicly accessible basketball courts are abused by all and sundry - no maintenance is done.
BUT THE WORST THING is the lack of MOTIVATED COACHES. There are plenty who `coach' but they have other agendas on their mind. I have seen it all and I shudder with fear for the children who are `guided' by such coaches. AND THAT IS ONE REASON I have continued coaching - in the hope that at least I could help few children get the right type of education from this game.
The clubs take their coaches for granted - there is hardly any motivation - the parents send their children to `while away their holidays' - those few who have learnt few skills - refused to learn more - and are on a EGOISTIC FLIGHT to a dark hell. They hate everyone and are not the role models that they should be.
I HAVE BEEN TEACHING LESSER AND LESSER OF BASKETBALL and more and more of ATTITUDE - because that helps in promoting the game in a right way. There are many who donot agree with me. I couldn't care less. This is my way - and I am not ready to give up yet. But some time when I am alone - I FEEL the need of GOOD BASKETBALL COACHES to be of primary importance - especially for the younger children who need this game as much as the GAME NEEDS THEM!
BUT THE WORST THING is the lack of MOTIVATED COACHES. There are plenty who `coach' but they have other agendas on their mind. I have seen it all and I shudder with fear for the children who are `guided' by such coaches. AND THAT IS ONE REASON I have continued coaching - in the hope that at least I could help few children get the right type of education from this game.
The clubs take their coaches for granted - there is hardly any motivation - the parents send their children to `while away their holidays' - those few who have learnt few skills - refused to learn more - and are on a EGOISTIC FLIGHT to a dark hell. They hate everyone and are not the role models that they should be.
I HAVE BEEN TEACHING LESSER AND LESSER OF BASKETBALL and more and more of ATTITUDE - because that helps in promoting the game in a right way. There are many who donot agree with me. I couldn't care less. This is my way - and I am not ready to give up yet. But some time when I am alone - I FEEL the need of GOOD BASKETBALL COACHES to be of primary importance - especially for the younger children who need this game as much as the GAME NEEDS THEM!
Saturday, February 5, 2011
A JOURNEY - LINE NONE BEFORE!
In two days, I lived a life-time. When I set out at 1 am from Bangalore in my SCORPIO, I knew we both [scorpio and me] could take whatever was dished out to us by way of dirty mud and jelly filled roads - BUT EVEN THEN I WAS SURPRISED! It brought out the best in both of us. MAPS TELL LIES. National highways marked boldly can suddenly have ditches as big as moon craters [OK OK - a little smaller] and you can expect to hear the suspension almost scraping the bottom. AND SUDDENLY out of nowhere, small village roads - open up with garlands in hand - where you can hit as high as 130 Kms.
A LIFETIME indeed! I saw a girl child of 7 years full of dusty hair but with a wide smile which I will carry in my memory for the rest of my life. She looked at me - as if challenging me - WILL YOU CHANGE MY LIFE? And I knew I wouldn't be able to. The stifling albatross that hangs around us `middle class' will not allow me to take a stick [ make that SCORPIO ]and walk [drive] away into the big wide world - however so much I may want to. I HAD FAILED YET AGAIN.
But I will try - till my last breath - I WILL TRY. The dusty, rocky and barren country-side interspread with boulders forming into hillocks - it is a KARNATAKA where even after one hundred years nothing will change. Oh No, there will be changes - mining for natural resources will keep destroying land, people and all living things whose habitat it has been since time began. A GREED OF FEW - is stripping away any chance that may be there - the living world of animals and plants is heading up a nozzle of extinction.
THAT MY VEHICLE - MY SCORPIO - went through all this with me seems we will yet again venture out - even to more remote places. We will together build memories - so that when I sit with people I love - I can share my PAINS and PLEASURES with them. And, of course, the dress rehearsal for my INDIA DRIVING keeps going on. Travelling from Bangalore to Chandigarh seems to be a very real possibility now. AT 58, what more could I ask?
A LIFETIME indeed! I saw a girl child of 7 years full of dusty hair but with a wide smile which I will carry in my memory for the rest of my life. She looked at me - as if challenging me - WILL YOU CHANGE MY LIFE? And I knew I wouldn't be able to. The stifling albatross that hangs around us `middle class' will not allow me to take a stick [ make that SCORPIO ]and walk [drive] away into the big wide world - however so much I may want to. I HAD FAILED YET AGAIN.
But I will try - till my last breath - I WILL TRY. The dusty, rocky and barren country-side interspread with boulders forming into hillocks - it is a KARNATAKA where even after one hundred years nothing will change. Oh No, there will be changes - mining for natural resources will keep destroying land, people and all living things whose habitat it has been since time began. A GREED OF FEW - is stripping away any chance that may be there - the living world of animals and plants is heading up a nozzle of extinction.
THAT MY VEHICLE - MY SCORPIO - went through all this with me seems we will yet again venture out - even to more remote places. We will together build memories - so that when I sit with people I love - I can share my PAINS and PLEASURES with them. And, of course, the dress rehearsal for my INDIA DRIVING keeps going on. Travelling from Bangalore to Chandigarh seems to be a very real possibility now. AT 58, what more could I ask?
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
ASK YOURSELF - WHAT CAN YOU DO FOR INDIA'S FUTURE?
As a young man, I was often angry that my country was so backward in sports. I used to talk endlessly with my friends about it. Reading the news, watching TV - commenting was our main profession. One day, my wife asked me - YOU TALK SO MUCH, why don't you actually do something. She set me on a journey from which I have never come back. The beginning was very humble - two badminton rackets and a shuttlecock. EVEN TODAY, my efforts are very humble. But I AM ANGRY. There are so many of us - who comment so much on sports - talk endlessly - but never get up from the chair and DO SOMETHING.
YOU CAN DO A LOT. Just go to the playground every day - walk, jog or run. Make someone catch you - IT IS SO JOYOUS! Collect a small group of children - make them play. Give them the JOY they so richly deserve.
I saw an old man exercising in the basketball court. I asked him, if I could join him. WELCOME, he said. Over a period of few days - others joined us. We made a rule - NO ONE WILL TALK during exercise. Today, the group is almost 50 strong and almost FIVE YEARS old.
YOU WILL HAVE MANY REASONS TO - NOT GO TO PLAYGROUND - throw all those reasons in the waste basket. India's future depends on your going to the playground and nothing shall stop you from doing it. The right to comment on others' successes and failures can only then be rightfully yours.
YOU CAN DO A LOT. Just go to the playground every day - walk, jog or run. Make someone catch you - IT IS SO JOYOUS! Collect a small group of children - make them play. Give them the JOY they so richly deserve.
I saw an old man exercising in the basketball court. I asked him, if I could join him. WELCOME, he said. Over a period of few days - others joined us. We made a rule - NO ONE WILL TALK during exercise. Today, the group is almost 50 strong and almost FIVE YEARS old.
YOU WILL HAVE MANY REASONS TO - NOT GO TO PLAYGROUND - throw all those reasons in the waste basket. India's future depends on your going to the playground and nothing shall stop you from doing it. The right to comment on others' successes and failures can only then be rightfully yours.
I SHALL LEAVE NO STONE UNTURNED TO SEE MY COUNTRY AS A SUPER SPORTS POWER!
Never mind the impossibility of the task - I shall walk one step at a time. India shall see my experiment of SELF SUSTAINING SPORTS EDUCATION PROGRAMME incorporated in the educational system of a large school.
SPORTS EDUCATION FOR EACH CHILD - UNITS - GROUPS - COMMANDS
A unit of ten children will be mentored by a 7th standard student [FULLY TRAINED FOR THIS ROLE]. A group of ten units [100 students] would be mentored by a 10th standard student [FULLY TRAINED FOR THIS ROLE]. FORTY FOUR GROUP INCHARGES will provide SPORTS EDUCATION to 4400 students. FOUR SPORTS COMMANDERS [SENIOR VOLUNTEERS - EITHER TEACHERS OR EX-STUDENTS OR PROFESSIONAL COACHES OR ? ?]will control ELEVEN GROUPS [1100 students]. The number taken by me is for a specific school in Bangalore. This can be varied according to our choice.
DEVELOPING HAND AND EYE CO-ORDINATION from early child-hood through various fun games. The brighter ones are put on tougher variables. The brightest are pushed to highest levels. Competitions are regularly held to ensure sustained interest.
THE SKIPPING ROPE REVOLUTION - A simple skipping rope can provide endless joy and very high level of fitness. I have seen more than ONE HUNDRED different drills done with the skipping rope. This can be substituted by other materials - small or big balls, rings, batons etc to create enhanced interest.
THE GAMES PERIOD - Proper allocation of at least ONE GAMES PERIOD every day FOR EVERY CHILD in which specific skill enhancement is to be done. This can be complimented by providing weekend activities for different groups at different times. Those who are seriously interested in pursuing for competitive level - they can use extra time on Sundays or holidays.
CHILD DRIVEN PROGRAMME - When a child enjoys the games period - the learning will be enhanced. Initial teething problems must be squarely sorted out. A change in the mindset THAT IT CAN BE DONE must be driven home.
THE ACADEMIC TEACHERS must understand the SPORTS EDUCATION PROGRAMME because without their support it will not succeed. They must be made to understand that SPORTS enhances intelligence and increases focus.
REGULAR EXERCISE would give enormous benefits to the health of the children and we may yet see PARENTS DEMANDING SPORTS FOR THEIR CHILDREN.
These are very sketchy details. An elaborate project report which will mention the minutest details would be prepared very shortly for receiving FEEDBACK and INPUTS.
IF THE MIND IS WILLING THE SKY IS THE LIMIT. I had once conducted an enthralling basketball learning programme for 1300 children. Only recently I conducted a THREE DAY basketball learning programme at J.N.V. LEPAKSHI for 600 students. THIS CAN BE REPLICATED FOR ANY GAME - and by having variety of games - the children have a choice to adopt the game they love.
SPORTS EDUCATION FOR EACH CHILD - UNITS - GROUPS - COMMANDS
A unit of ten children will be mentored by a 7th standard student [FULLY TRAINED FOR THIS ROLE]. A group of ten units [100 students] would be mentored by a 10th standard student [FULLY TRAINED FOR THIS ROLE]. FORTY FOUR GROUP INCHARGES will provide SPORTS EDUCATION to 4400 students. FOUR SPORTS COMMANDERS [SENIOR VOLUNTEERS - EITHER TEACHERS OR EX-STUDENTS OR PROFESSIONAL COACHES OR ? ?]will control ELEVEN GROUPS [1100 students]. The number taken by me is for a specific school in Bangalore. This can be varied according to our choice.
DEVELOPING HAND AND EYE CO-ORDINATION from early child-hood through various fun games. The brighter ones are put on tougher variables. The brightest are pushed to highest levels. Competitions are regularly held to ensure sustained interest.
THE SKIPPING ROPE REVOLUTION - A simple skipping rope can provide endless joy and very high level of fitness. I have seen more than ONE HUNDRED different drills done with the skipping rope. This can be substituted by other materials - small or big balls, rings, batons etc to create enhanced interest.
THE GAMES PERIOD - Proper allocation of at least ONE GAMES PERIOD every day FOR EVERY CHILD in which specific skill enhancement is to be done. This can be complimented by providing weekend activities for different groups at different times. Those who are seriously interested in pursuing for competitive level - they can use extra time on Sundays or holidays.
CHILD DRIVEN PROGRAMME - When a child enjoys the games period - the learning will be enhanced. Initial teething problems must be squarely sorted out. A change in the mindset THAT IT CAN BE DONE must be driven home.
THE ACADEMIC TEACHERS must understand the SPORTS EDUCATION PROGRAMME because without their support it will not succeed. They must be made to understand that SPORTS enhances intelligence and increases focus.
REGULAR EXERCISE would give enormous benefits to the health of the children and we may yet see PARENTS DEMANDING SPORTS FOR THEIR CHILDREN.
These are very sketchy details. An elaborate project report which will mention the minutest details would be prepared very shortly for receiving FEEDBACK and INPUTS.
IF THE MIND IS WILLING THE SKY IS THE LIMIT. I had once conducted an enthralling basketball learning programme for 1300 children. Only recently I conducted a THREE DAY basketball learning programme at J.N.V. LEPAKSHI for 600 students. THIS CAN BE REPLICATED FOR ANY GAME - and by having variety of games - the children have a choice to adopt the game they love.
Friday, July 30, 2010
YOU ARE INVITED - MY DEAR FRIEND - TO A WEEKEND OF GRASS ROOT BASKETBALL
This is a personal invitation from me to you - MY DEAR BASKETBALL FRIENDS! Come and spend a weekend with me to know SUMPOORNA BASKETBALL SCHOOL - the Indian Basketball Initiative. Join me in the basketball court which is full of teeming young children holding, dribbling and shooting the BASKETBALL in full joy. Their enthusiasm - their smiles - THEIR INNOCENCE will rub on to you. YOU SUDDENLY UNDERSTAND WHY THE GAME WAS INVENTED BY DR. NAISMITH.
Our weekend will begin on saturday afternoon. We will visit a school - WHICH HAS NEVER HAD A COACH - waited upon by 100 plus students. Tremendous excitement builds up as we make smaller groups. GIVE ME THE BALL - GIVE ME THE BALL - and get out of my way - THEY PROCLAIM. And we do just that. Let them, by touching - by dribbling [in whatever way] satisfy their urge. AND IN THE CROWD enter a few skilled players - dribbling in a more purposeful way. The new enthusiasts of the ball WONDER at this dribbling. Some try to copy - while others just observe. EMBEDDED LEARNING STARTS TO HAPPEN. There is a purpose to their dribbling now. We slowly have their attention.
Later in the day, one lesson at a time - the purpose and methods of dribbling are hurriedly explained - AND THE DRILLS BEGIN NOW - inter spread with various humorous relays. It is an extra-ordinary mixture of FUN - DO WHAT YOU PLEASE - LEARNING; conventional coaches beat a hasty retreat shaking their heads NO NO - this is no way to learn basketball. I CAN ONLY SMILE! MAYBE I WILL EVEN LAUGH ALOUD because you would see what has happened in half a day.
Subliminal learning is much much faster. I have evolved these methods over the last 25 years. I learnt my basketball in a similar way - since there were no coaches to teach us the game. We had to learn it by ourselves. Our passion for the game - our desire to improve our basics and skills came by and by. These children will also slowly pick up the finer points of the game. THE GAME WILL COME TO THEM!
Then my friend, on SUNDAY morning - we will probably visit another basketball court where another one hundred plus will be waiting in different coloured uniforms to play the S.A.B.A.L [sumpoorna annual basketball league] tournament. The teams are picked up and the games begin. One or two rounds of matches are played according to the selection made by me. In the afternoon begins the PLAY-OFFS. By 5pm the finals are over. The referee, the table officials - ALL ARE STUDENTS THEMSELVES. I just sit or stand and wonder - and maybe you would wonder too. Isn't this the finest way of promoting grass root basketball.
SO TELL ME WHEN YOU ARE COMING. I REALLY HOPE YOU WOULD COME - to talk to these future basketball players of India. They are always eager to meet GREAT BASKETBALL PLAYERS LIKE YOU.
Our weekend will begin on saturday afternoon. We will visit a school - WHICH HAS NEVER HAD A COACH - waited upon by 100 plus students. Tremendous excitement builds up as we make smaller groups. GIVE ME THE BALL - GIVE ME THE BALL - and get out of my way - THEY PROCLAIM. And we do just that. Let them, by touching - by dribbling [in whatever way] satisfy their urge. AND IN THE CROWD enter a few skilled players - dribbling in a more purposeful way. The new enthusiasts of the ball WONDER at this dribbling. Some try to copy - while others just observe. EMBEDDED LEARNING STARTS TO HAPPEN. There is a purpose to their dribbling now. We slowly have their attention.
Later in the day, one lesson at a time - the purpose and methods of dribbling are hurriedly explained - AND THE DRILLS BEGIN NOW - inter spread with various humorous relays. It is an extra-ordinary mixture of FUN - DO WHAT YOU PLEASE - LEARNING; conventional coaches beat a hasty retreat shaking their heads NO NO - this is no way to learn basketball. I CAN ONLY SMILE! MAYBE I WILL EVEN LAUGH ALOUD because you would see what has happened in half a day.
Subliminal learning is much much faster. I have evolved these methods over the last 25 years. I learnt my basketball in a similar way - since there were no coaches to teach us the game. We had to learn it by ourselves. Our passion for the game - our desire to improve our basics and skills came by and by. These children will also slowly pick up the finer points of the game. THE GAME WILL COME TO THEM!
Then my friend, on SUNDAY morning - we will probably visit another basketball court where another one hundred plus will be waiting in different coloured uniforms to play the S.A.B.A.L [sumpoorna annual basketball league] tournament. The teams are picked up and the games begin. One or two rounds of matches are played according to the selection made by me. In the afternoon begins the PLAY-OFFS. By 5pm the finals are over. The referee, the table officials - ALL ARE STUDENTS THEMSELVES. I just sit or stand and wonder - and maybe you would wonder too. Isn't this the finest way of promoting grass root basketball.
SO TELL ME WHEN YOU ARE COMING. I REALLY HOPE YOU WOULD COME - to talk to these future basketball players of India. They are always eager to meet GREAT BASKETBALL PLAYERS LIKE YOU.
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