Barcelona
A few months ago my client at Conscient Football and I were discussing options for an "Exposure Trip" we were planning for a group of Delhi based youth footballers. The obvious locations came up; Manchester, London, Milan, Madrid, Munich, etc... But then Barcelona was mentioned and it was obvious that the meeting was over right then and there. There were no other options. Barcelona is located in the country that just won the most recent FIFA World Cup, is home to the best football club in the world and home to the best football player in the world. Why would we take the players anywhere else???
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So fast forward to May 12th. I'm at Indira Gandhi airport in Delhi with 3 other staff members meeting with 27 sets of parents and assuring them that their little princes will be fine. I'm holding passports, collecting forms, smiling widely, shaking hands and doing my best to exude confidence and responsibility. Somehow we get the 27 players through security and customs and onto the plane.
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I took so much away from this trip. First of all I realized that Indian parents do have plenty of disposable income to spend of their children's footballing interests. Because it was a unique trip to Barcelona, the 27 sets of parents had no problem spending thousands of dollars for their kids to go on this "football trip" which goes against the existing perception that Indian parents won't spend too much money for their kids football. The difference is if you offer something that is unique and quality they will pay for it.
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I also got that Indian youth don't lack in skill and strength as much as they do in on and off the field maturity. Most of the players who went on this trip stated many times that they want to be professional players, however when it came to acting like a professional on and off the pitch, it was hard to see that passion. Now I know that they are just kids or young adults, but if you compared a 15 year old Indian player with a 15 year old European it is easy to see the difference in respect, focus and commitment. I attribute a lot of this to poor coaching and unstructured football environments in India. 2 things my client at Conscient Football and I are working on transforming.
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Overall the trip was one of the best experiences of my life. I got to coach with Barcelona coaches, play every day, translate for the coaches on the field, get to know a group of 27 Indian footballers and experience the beauty of the Catalan Capital. I feel blessed that I get to have these types of experiences.
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So fast forward to May 12th. I'm at Indira Gandhi airport in Delhi with 3 other staff members meeting with 27 sets of parents and assuring them that their little princes will be fine. I'm holding passports, collecting forms, smiling widely, shaking hands and doing my best to exude confidence and responsibility. Somehow we get the 27 players through security and customs and onto the plane. 
The 7 days were extraordinary. We had 6 training sessions with former FC Barcelona players, played one friendly match against a local club, saw the FC Barcelona senior team play at Camp Nou, saw the Junior team play, watched the La Liga Victory parade at Camp Nou, went sightseeing, ate well and just had a whole lot of fun.
I took so much away from this trip. First of all I realized that Indian parents do have plenty of disposable income to spend of their children's footballing interests. Because it was a unique trip to Barcelona, the 27 sets of parents had no problem spending thousands of dollars for their kids to go on this "football trip" which goes against the existing perception that Indian parents won't spend too much money for their kids football. The difference is if you offer something that is unique and quality they will pay for it. 
I also got that Indian youth don't lack in skill and strength as much as they do in on and off the field maturity. Most of the players who went on this trip stated many times that they want to be professional players, however when it came to acting like a professional on and off the pitch, it was hard to see that passion. Now I know that they are just kids or young adults, but if you compared a 15 year old Indian player with a 15 year old European it is easy to see the difference in respect, focus and commitment. I attribute a lot of this to poor coaching and unstructured football environments in India. 2 things my client at Conscient Football and I are working on transforming. 
Overall the trip was one of the best experiences of my life. I got to coach with Barcelona coaches, play every day, translate for the coaches on the field, get to know a group of 27 Indian footballers and experience the beauty of the Catalan Capital. I feel blessed that I get to have these types of experiences. Oh and we had an overnight Exposure Trip closing back in Delhi that happened to fall on the same night as the Champions League final. It could not have been more perfect watching FC Barcelona outclass Manchester United in India with 27 newly developed FC Barcelona supporters.
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