Once, community-based sport programs played a crucial role in honing the athletic skills of a person. This mentality towards sport has changed over time to a more serious approach, rather than just a mere entertainment option, reflecting in the generation of skillful athletes that represent the country. Coaches and sports consultancies today not only assist with improving participants' athletic abilities, but also contribute towards shaping their overall abilities, both mentally and physically.

Eric Benny is an ex-football player who decided to use his experience and knowledge to enter football management and its ecosystem. He played a big hand in reforming Indian Arrows, which came post his stint as the General Manager of the National team at the Guangzhou Asian Games in 2010 and the 2012 London Olympic qualifiers. This success led him to shift focus towards youth football talent and grassroots-level training, where he envisioned creating a revolution in Indian football. This also gave rise to Eric Benny Sports Management (EBSM), an ecosystem for football education that was founded at the beginning of the decade.

EBSM insists on educating students at least till the under-graduation level. This helps them to have an educational background to fall back upon to financially sustain themselves post-retirement or in case of any unfortunate incident that leads the end of the player's career. "We ensure to bring in the best coaches for our student-athletes to acquire prime mentoring and training methods. Our Technical Director is a UEFA A-license holder from Germany, who has more than 15 years of experience in coaching at the highest level, thanks to his association with FC Bayern Munich", says Eric Benny, Founder & CEO, EBSM.

By following a professional and inclusive set-up, the employees are given clearly-defined roles and responsibilities in EBSM, maintaining a proper structure and chain of command inside the organization. Employees are also given the freedom to give inputs with regards to any new program or business plan that helps the company create an all-inclusive environment.



Most parents who have joined hands with EBSM and travelled out-side India, have an idea of the process involved in procuring a travel visa and getting the right message across to immigration. The EBSM team has not left any stone unturned in ensuring that all the necessary criteria are met for clients who are travelling. EBSM is also set out to create a football revolution in India, working on building an effective grassroots ecosystem in its home state of Madhya Pradesh, and educating parents about the sport and its viability as a career.

EBSM is set out to create a football revolution in India, by building an effective grassroots ecosystem

As EBSM concedes, it involves providing the best infrastructure, education, and accommodation services, and ends with fulfilling the dream of creating a team that plays in the I-League. "We are a renowned organization in Central and Western India, but have been making a conscious effort to penetrate the Southern and Northeastern markets, as there are so many student-athletes who have the talent to make a mark. In fact, most of our scouting season this year has been concentrated in the South of India," expresses Eric Benny. EBSM is certain to give the youth a platform to shine and make a mark on the sport field.