Dream Sports Foundation has launched a new vertical for upskilling and education for stakeholders in the sporting ecosystem. The program aims to enable athletes, coaches and others in the sporting ecosystem with additional skills to achieve a dual target:
1. Ensuring a steady stream of subject matter experts, skilled coaches, trainers and support staff
2. Creating a path for employment to incentivise Indians to think of sports as a career option.
Commenting on the launch, Bhavit Sheth, COO & Co-Founder, Dream11 & Dream Sports, “At Dream Sports Foundation, we help create a sporting ecosystem that nurtures more future champions. As part of this endeavor, we support elite athletes as well as identify new talent and provide them with a platform to succeed. As India aims to become a sporting superpower, there is a need to create world class subject matter experts for coaching and sports science. This is where, we believe, our new focus area for upskilling and education will play a big role.”
The upskilling and education initiative will create courses across a calendar year, with support from various partners to benefit current or former athletes, coaches, physical fitness, sports science professionals, and support staff. The pilot project has been launched, in collaboration with the International Institute of Sports & Management (IISM), for 160 beneficiaries under 2 modules in Mumbai-
1. Two groups of 30 coaches each nominated by Maharashtra Olympic Association
2. Two cohorts of 50 PE teachers each nominated by Mumbai Sports School Association (MSSA).
“We want to arm our coaches and support staff with skills in advanced methodologies, sports science, and technology which in turn will help in improving athlete performances. We believe that Sports Coaching is not a static profession and needs continual up-skilling and education. So we wish to help coaches and other stakeholders develop diverse skill sets and be better equipped to guide athletes through career transitions, offering valuable insights beyond the playing field,” said Mr Nilesh Kulkarni, Founder and Director of IISM.