NRAI's National Coaches Course Concludes, Boosts Shooting Sports in India

The course involved 33 coaches from five states, including a notable group of 19 from Jharkhand.

The course was designed as a comprehensive and intensive training program that blended technical expertise with sports science, coaching methods, and practical skills, offering a well-rounded learning experience for all participants.

The technical sessions were conducted by Olympian and Indian Team Coach Sanjeev Rajput, along with Vidya Jadav. They covered key topics such as weapon handling, shooting techniques, error correction, and competition readiness, offering coaches valuable insights from top-level experience and international standards.

A major strength of the program was its integration of Sports Science, offering expert-led sessions that equipped coaches with practical tools to improve athlete performance.

Nanaki Chadha's Sports Psychology session emphasised the mental aspects of performance and well-being. Coaches learned about performance profiling, goal setting, managing anxiety, boosting confidence, and communicating effectively with athletes, all while fostering psychologically safe training spaces.

Charvi Bajaj's Nutrition module offered insights into fueling strategies, hydration, and recovery, helping coaches understand the direct impact of nutrition on consistency and performance.

During the Strength & Conditioning session, Vijendra Pal Singh focused on stability, posture, muscular endurance, and fatigue management. He also shared practical routines for warm-up and cool-down exercises designed specifically for shooting athletes.

P N Vineel Kumar's Human Anatomy sessions offered coaches a comprehensive insight into the human body in the context of shooting performance. The training extended beyond fundamentals to include biomechanics, muscle activation, posture, and joint stability. Coaches learned how various body systems influence accuracy, balance, and endurance, allowing them to recognise technical errors caused by physical constraints and enhance athlete performance through increased body awareness.

Salil Srivastava's Communication Skills session emphasised the development of strong coach-athlete relationships through clear, organised, and empathetic communication. It covered active listening, giving constructive feedback, resolving conflicts, and motivation strategies, all aimed at fostering a positive, high-performance training atmosphere. The session also illustrated how effective communication boosts athlete confidence, accelerates learning, and ensures consistent performance.

The course ended with a formal exam to evaluate participants' understanding. In the next phase, coaches have been given a practical field project involving working with athletes, and they are expected to submit a presentation within the next two months.

The second phase of the course will take place again in Jamshedpur, where participants will showcase their work and advance their development through the NRAI education pathway. Once they successfully complete both phases, participants will receive an official NRAI certificate.

JSRA president Shri Diwakar Singh stated that these sessions will be held regularly in Jharkhand to continually improve the quality of coaches in the region.

This initiative embodies NRAI's ongoing goal of cultivating comprehensive, scientifically educated coaches who can improve performance across all levels and promote the overall growth of shooting sports in India.

- IANS