NSL’s first female coach aims to make impact

Jay Asser 04:05 06/10/2016
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  • Back for some more: Abu Dhabi Indian School (red).

    The Emirates Islamic National School League for football is back this weekend, featuring some of the best young talent Abu Dhabi has to offer through returning teams and newcomers.

    Five schools will be in action across four games, but the tastiest match-up pits the capital’s top two under-14 squads from last year as Abu Dhabi Indian School (ADIS) meet Al Yasmina School.

    ADIS were flawless in the tournament’s inaugural group stage campaign, winning all seven matches with a massive goal-difference of 29 to finish on top of the standings. However, with the team suffering some significant losses as several boys have gone back to India, coach Dr SB Dey is cautiously optimistic of repeating the feat this season.

    “Every coach expects for his school the same performance or better performance, but it is a new group, a new lot. I can’t predict,” he said. “Since it’s a new group, let’s hope for the best, but we didn’t have much practice because we had a lot of internal activities that just got over two days earlier. In between there were too many holidays as well. But in the end, I feel our boys will perform well.”

    As for Dey’s U-16 side, which finished third last year, they’ll face an immediate challenge with having to play twice in less than a three-hour span.

    “We’re concerned about the climate conditions,” Dey said. “If it’s early morning or early afternoon, there will be a hot sun. As it is, our team will be playing two matches in the same day.”

    The second opponent for ADIS U-16s will be new boys Al Raha, who will get their first experience in the NSL. Leading the U-16 and U-14 squad – who are on a bye this week – is coach Desiree Small, who may be an unfamiliar sight on a sideline normally occupied by males, but has been a staple presence for her school.

    “I started coaching these guys when they were under-11 here at Raha,” Small said. “When I first started, being a female coach was interesting because the boys weren’t used to having a female as a coach and a lot of them were apprehensive. Over the years, probably because I’m really committed to them and they know that, they’ve come to know me and trust me.”

    While they will be fresh faces, Small has high hopes for the U-16 side, saying: “Our team is pretty strong this year. We started practicing pretty much the first week of school and have some new standout players that are joining us now.”

    Small also believes the NSL will be a great opportunity for her boys to get more experience, especially against different teams and styles.

    She added: “Right now, they pretty much always play on AstroTurf and against school sides that are always the same, so it will be good to be exposed to different schools.”

    The NSL would like to thank all their partners Emirates Islamic, Go Sport, Global Village, Umbro and Daman for their support. For more information visit www.nsl360.com or contact [email protected] or +971 52 244 3906.

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