Footballing Weekly: Singapore Coaching Medallion winner Isa Halim reveals how he gets maximum effort from young players
Ex-Lions midfielder also believes parents are important stakeholders that need to be engaged amid the development of young footballers
SINGAPORE — What does being a football coach to youngsters in Singapore entail?
Former national midfielder Isa Halim, now a head coach for the Woodlands branch of the ActiveSG Football Academy as well as coach for the Singapore Sports School (SSP) football team, believes in convincing his players to put in the necessary effort in training to become better.
"The approach is key in developing these young players," said the 37-year-old, who was part of the Lions squad which clinched the 2007 and 2012 AFF Championships under coach Raddy Avramovic, as well as the LionsXII team that won the 2013 Malaysia Super League title.
"Whenever I have new players, I always ask them, 'What is your goal?' Some may say they want to play in Europe, others may say they want to play in the national team. So the ambition is there.
"But once I lay out the training plan for them, I'll ask them again, 'How much are you willing to sacrifice to get to your goal?' That's when they will understand the amount of effort they have to put in, and they will be more receptive to our coaches' efforts to push them."
Guided S'pore Sports School to first national title since 2018
After hanging up his playing boots in 2017, Isa made the switch to coaching, and guided SSP to winning last year's B Division boys’ League One championship final - the school's first national title since 2018.
The former defensive midfielder was duly recognised for his coaching achievements in November last year, being one of three Singapore coaches to be awarded the Singapore Coaching Medallion at the International Council for Coaching Excellence Global Coach Conference at Marina Bay Sands.
"Receiving the award is a great recognition, propelling me to work even harder to inspire athletes and other coaches. I extend special thanks to the ActiveSG football academy for providing the platform that kickstarted my coaching journey, and the Singapore Sports School football academy for trusting me as a young coach," he said.
Crucial to convince parents about kids' potential
More than ever, not only do football coaches like Isa have to get the players to buy in to their training levels, but they also have to convince the players' parents about the potential of their kids.
"We recognise that parents are also important stakeholders in a player's growth and development," Isa said. "Different parents have different expectations, but what is important is that we as coaches have to engage them actively, explain their kids' progress and have them teach their kids how to manage their time between football and studies.
"With the Unleash the Roar! national football project, we have full-time coaches in the Singapore Football Academies at the schools, and they are better able to devote their time in developing kids with good potential. And hopefully we can eventually build up a solid base of young players that could represent Singapore."
Check out Yahoo Southeast Asia's "Footballing Weekly" podcast show with Isa, as he chats with co-hosts Neil Humphreys and Chia Han Keong about the challenges and satisfaction in coaching young footballers in Singapore.
Follow the new EPL season with all segments of this week's "Footballing Weekly" show on YouTube. If you wish the hear the show in its entirety, visit the show's Spotify and Acast pages.
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