When we observed the growing popularity of football in Bangalore, my friend and I sensed a sporting opportunity in and among Bangalore's biggest schools.
And thus, The Pro-School League was born - Bangalore's first football league for schools.
And it challenged the orthodoxy like never before. School managements were apprehensive of committing to a tournament over several weeks. They were weary of a logistical burden.
So we negotiated. Six schools agreed to join the league with three of them hosting games; a landmark for sporting progress at the school-level.
We treated the league like as a professional enterprise with proper medical emergency facilities on stand by, pre-match and post-match interviews of coaches, man of the match interviews with players, and a multi-media arsenal to capture images and clips of on-field action.
The Pro School League was meant to drive a cultural shift in how schools see football. With rave reviews from coaches and students alike, we think we might've made a difference, even if lack of funding closed the door on more editions.
