The passion of a youth football scout in Nghe An
(Baonghean.vn) - With 17 years of experience in youth football training, Mr. Tran Minh Chau - in charge of the Song Lam Nghe An Youth Football Center in Yen Thanh district has led the district's youth football teams to impressive achievements, and at the same time, introduced many outstanding faces to the Song Lam Nghe An Club.
"Pass on" the love of football
Born in 1982, in a family of two brothers in block 1, Yen Thanh town, Tran Minh Chau was passionate about many sports since childhood, especially football. Although his parents, who were workers and civil servants, did not want their son to pursue a career in sports because they were afraid he would not be healthy enough, after graduating from high school in 2000, Tran Minh Chau insisted on taking the entrance exams to sports schools and was admitted to the Central College of Physical Education and Sports 3 (now Da Nang University of Physical Education and Sports), majoring in football.
In 2003, after graduating from college, Tran Minh Chau returned to his hometown and became a physical education teacher at Cong Thanh 1 Primary School. And this was also the beginning of his relationship with children's football. Inspired by his passion for football, in addition to class time, Tran Minh Chau opened an additional football class to improve the skills of students with the same passion.
During this time, he was also regularly assigned to referee football tournaments at the commune and district levels, and was invited by the district's Cultural - Sports Center to collaborate as a scout for participating district football teams.Youth - Children Football Tournament - Nghe An Newspaper Cup.
In 2006, after signing a contract to work as a collaborator in charge of youth training for Song Lam Nghe An Club in Yen Thanh District, Tran Minh Chau resigned from his job at Cong Thanh 1 Primary School to focus entirely on coaching children's football. Since then, the image of a young football coach wearing shorts, a T-shirt, a whistle around his neck, enthusiastically on the field in the district instructing the district's talented players on techniques and tactics has become familiar.
“The nature of football coaching for young players is very difficult, because this is the age when they start to come into contact with and get used to the ball, so it is required to teach them basic techniques correctly right from the start. This job requires patience, meticulousness and carefulness, so there are times when you have to be very strict, but you also have to be close and intimate like a father, an older brother, a friend to guide and “pass on” the love of football to your students.”
Mr. Tran Minh Chau - In charge of Song Lam Nghe An Youth Football Center in Yen Thanh district
Yen Thanh district is very large, so finding talented football players is quite difficult. In order not to miss out on the talents of the district's football, Tran Minh Chau has traveled many times to communes in remote areas of the district such as Minh Thanh, My Thanh, Quang Thanh, Thinh Thanh, Kim Thanh, Lang Thanh, Ma Thanh...; some trips lasted a whole week. Whenever he heard information that there was a talented young player somewhere in the district, he did not hesitate to start his motorbike and go.
“He is like someone who has ‘itchy feet’. When he comes home, he hears a phone call from somewhere saying ‘this kid plays really well’ and he leaves right away,” said Ms. Le Thi Duyen, wife of Mr. Tran Minh Chau.
Previously, the investment budget for sports was limited, so sometimes meals for football team players were only 10,000 - 15,000 VND/meal. Besides, although the amateur youth football class of Yen Thanh district was named "SLNA Youth Football Center in Yen Thanh", there was still no official training ground, so teachers and students had to move around to practice at the district stadium, sometimes renting fields from schools or other private stadiums in Yen Thanh town and neighboring communes.
Impressive achievements
Despite the difficulties, the passion for football has helped Tran Minh Chau and his students overcome the difficulties in training. Every time he takes his students to participate in the Nghe An Newspaper Cup Youth - Children Football Tournament or other provincial tournaments, Tran Minh Chau is both a coach and a "nanny" taking care of the young players in all aspects.
The teams he leads, with different generations of players, are always united like a family, aiming for victory. Typical examples include the impressive achievements of winning the Youth - Children's Football Championship of Nghe An Newspaper Cup in both youth and children's age groups in 2011 and 2018; First prize in the Phu Dong Sports Festival of Nghe An province in primary school football, Champion of HUDA Cup of Nghe An province...
During the process of searching, selecting and training, Tran Minh Chau introduced many excellent players for Song Lam Nghe An Club to continue training and shine in professional tournaments such as Vo Duc Anh (Top scorer of the 2022 National U9 tournament), Nguyen Tien Hoang (typical player of the 2023 National U9 tournament), Vuong Van Tung (best player of the 2022 National U15 tournament), Nguyen Duc Tram (best player of the 2022 National U13 tournament)... and especially Phan Van Duc and Pham Xuan Manh - 2 players who shined at the 2018 Asian U23 tournament and other international tournaments.
In addition to men's football, Tran Minh Chau also works as a coach and youth trainer for women's football training centers across the country such as: Than Quang Ninh, Phong Phu Ha Nam, Hanoi, Thai Nguyen... Currently, in the national youth team, there are many players who were his students such as: Hong Xinh (U17), Ngoc Anh, Thuy Linh, Anh Duong (National U15)...
Until now, no one knows how many generations of young players of the district have been "winged" by Tran Minh Chau to fly far away. We only know that the Certificates of Merit and Certificates of Merit from all levels and sectors in the province given to the district's youth and children's football teams over the years have filled his small room, including the Certificate of Merit from the Minister, Chairman of the Sports and Physical Training Committee for his many achievements in contributing to the building and development of the sports and physical training movement.
In addition to coaching children's football, Tran Minh Chau also takes on additional coaching work for agencies and businesses participating in grassroots football tournaments in the district. And at the end of October, he is the head coach of the Yen Thanh football team participating in the 8-team football tournament of Nghe An province to celebrate the establishment of the Nghe An Football Federation.
Every time the former students return to their hometown, they go to the training ground with their childhood teacher to reminisce about the past. At such times, they see Tran Minh Chau pondering, worrying, wishing for the facilities for the Song Lam Nghe An Youth Football Search and Training Center in Yen Thanh district to be improved, wishing for a dedicated successor to continue leading the youth football movement of the district, so that the young football teams of the rice hometown of Yen Thanh can maintain their position in provincial football tournaments./.