Thakur Vidya Mandir coach Seema Pandya trains kids to stay connected with the game she loves but could not pursue due to injury

Clad in a cotton salwar kameez when Seema Pandya walks onto the Mumbai School Sports Association ground, she comes across as any other demure parent. But once she dons the mantle of coach, she's a real taskmaster.

Hailing from Rajasthan, the 32-year-old Thakur Vidya Mandir (Kandivli) football coach is living her dream of staying connected with the sport through coaching after her playing career was cut short by injury.



"In 1990 while representing Nagpur University, I fractured my right leg during training in Kolkata. Since, then doctors have advised me not to play, but I wanted to stay connected with football and so I decided to train kids," the Malad resident told MiD DAY. She has her limitations though. "A rod has been inserted in my leg following my injury, and due to that I cannot train continuously for long hours. I must take a break every now and then," she said Pandya joined Thakur as Physical Education teacher four years ago, but particularly focuses on training the institute's U-12, U-14, U-16 boys and U-16 girls football teams.

"During the time I joined Thakur, they were looking for a football coach and on seeing my certificates the authorities offered me the coach's role, which I happily accepted," said Pandya, who also trains her six-year-old son Madhav.

Pandya is a no nonsense coach, say her wards. "We are very comfortable playing under her, she is very supportive but stern at the same time," said Thakur Vidya Mandir captain Aadil Shaikh. His teammate Rohit More added: "Sometime we do play pranks on her which she takes very sportingly. But on the field she is as strict as they come."u00a0

Pandya didn't have a great day yesterday as far as results were concerned as her U-14 team drew 0-0 against Hansraj Morarji, while her U-16 team lost 0-1 to Don Bosco (Borivli). "It's just a bad day in the office," she said as she packed her kit bag and moved on with her boys.