Coaching is not just about coaching, says Merzban Patel
Hockey India
Hockey coach Merzban Patel, who has been named for the prestigious Dronacharya Award, has said that the job of a coach is not just restricted to coaching and it includes the task of motivating youngsters. Patel has also added that he was not expecting to be conferred with the award so early.
After guiding international hockey players like Adrian D'souza, Viren Rasquinha, Devinder Walmiki and Yuvraj Walmiki, Merzban Patel he will be conferred with the prestigious Dronacharya Award in New Delhi next week. Along with him, kabaddi coach Rambir Singh Khokhar, who was with PKL team Haryana Steelers last year, and cricket coach Sanjay Bhardwaj will also be presented the award next week. The 69-year-old, who is popularly known as ‘Bawa’ has referred that the job of a coach is not just coaching.
"Coaching is not (just) about coaching. More than coaching it is the gap of the tongue (referring to communication) that is required, how you motive the boys, their parents. Parents are pillars behind the boys who are coming up," Patel told PTI.
"You have to be after them like our own son. You have to go after them, (asking) why you have not come for practice. You have to ask parents where have they have gone. A coach should have that type of discipline.”
He also talked about his success Mantra in becoming a top-level grass-root hockey coach in spite of not playing the sport at a top-level. The coach concluded by saying that the award has come a little earlier than it was expected.
"I have not played big hockey. I am a gully hockey player. For me to take out (produce) so many players, this is the secret (of my success) - reducing the gap between the tongue, motivation, contact with the parent, contact with boys, imparting other values in life apart from hockey and keep seeing that the players follow the practice and do not stop after SSC (exam)," Bawa added.
"Dronacharya Award is (like) icing on the cake. But I have got numerous awards so this has not come as a big surprise because one or the other day I had to get it. The criteria was strong, so today or tomorrow it had to come, but it came a little earlier than I expected (it). It is a very big occasion.”
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