Dubai
One of the first academies to set up shop at Dubai Sports World is the IFA Sport Football Academy. Last year, they included basketball in their roster of activities and given the response, IFA plans to introduce more sports in the future.
Their stock sport has always been football though, as they boast the largest football coaching academy in the UAE. Established eight years ago, it has grown exponentially, and operates in over 20 locations throughout the UAE.
Jim Reilly, director of IFA Sport, told XPRESS: “We have nearly 600 kids for football and about 250 for basketball at Dubai Sports World. We are a known brand, having been in operation for eight years now, so the response has always been great.”
IFA is focused on the fundamentals of the sport, with an emphasis on players learning through fun. The players are put through a professional coaching syllabus designed to give children the foundations to train and compete at the highest level. Run by FA and UEFA qualified coaches which includes ex West Ham, Norwich and Rangers star Dale Gordon, the sessions focus on developing technical ability and tactical knowledge of football using the latest coaching techniques and equipment from around the world.
“The infrastructure at DSW is excellent and we train kids from as young as four years to 16 years here. We use four-five pitches for football and two courts for basketball. We have three coaches for basketball and six for football. We make sure that there are no more than 14 kids per coach during a session,” Reilly added.
Not surprisingly, the football sessions have attracted a good turnout of Emirati kids. “Football is a passion among Emiratis and hence it’s no surprise the kids come out in numbers. Interestingly, however, we don’t have many Filipinos at the basketball coaching since they have their own clubs and leagues and the youngsters are more inclined to practice and play competitively amongst themselves,” he said.
The IFA sessions will run till August 30, through Sunday to Thursday in two session, from 9am to 12pm and 1pm to 4pm.
