29 April,2025 07:58 AM IST | Mumbai | Rufus Vedanayagam
Kids at MSSA’s Free Sumer Camp undertake mental conditioning exercises during a session with sports psychologists at the Parsi Ambulance Services, Marine Lines, yesterday. Pics/Sayyed Sameer Abedi
While the Mumbai Schools Sports Association (MSSA) has been organising their Free Summer Camp for school kids for over 50 years, this time the event focussed on the mental aspect of sport besides the physical needs.
MSSA has roped in renowned sports psychologist Mugdha Bavare in a bid to offer the children a holistic experience that focuses on the mental aspects of all sports.
In asssociation with Dream Sports, the camp (April 16 to 30) at Azad Maidan has 305 boys and girls between the age group of eight and 14 honing their skills in football, basketball and tennis.
"We believe in the power of grassroot development. By encouraging both boys and girls to participate in this camp, we are not just creating players, we are also building the future of sport. We strongly believe that the young minds need to be trained well too and that's the reason we brought in Ms Bavare," MSSA football secretary Sebastian Fernandes told mid-day.
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On Monday, after their practice sessions on the ground, the kids had an interactive session with Bavare's team members Rasika Kalgutkar and Kiran Salunkhe. The duo addressed the kids about the importance of mental well-being. They also made the kids do simple exercises like balancing on one foot for a minute, practising deep breathing and meditation.
"It's still early for these kids to learn about the deeper impact of sports psychology. That learning happens at a senior or elite level. But here, we are basically trying to develop the mindset of these kids at a younger age with basic ethics.
"The idea currently is to build a strong which will get stronger as they grow. The one-leg balancing act increases focus and helps build concentration. Deep breathing and meditation enhance calmness of the mind," said Kalgutkar, going on to explain how sports psychologists can help athletes.
"There will come a stage in the lives of these children when they will win medals on major platforms. Some players may lose focus after achieving glory while others may miss out due to injury or some other reason. Overall, competing at higher levels always impacts the minds of players. We [psychologists] try to understand their joy or setback and accordingly motivate the player or look for a solution. At the end of the day, an athlete's career is very short and needs to be handled with care," explained Kalgutkar.
The parents also came away impressed with what they saw at the MSSA camp.
"I am quite surprised. I didn't know my son [Lavish Chirag of Thakur Public School, Kandivli] was so talented. This camp has been very exciting for our kids and even the facilities provided have been great throughout. Also, the mental training aspect that is being done this time is extremely interesting," said a parent, Pooja Chirag.
