Having played various sports as a child and teenager, as well as watching my nine-year old explore different sports, including rugby and football, I sincerely believe that participating in sports can have immense benefits for a child growing up. At my son’s football sessions, the coaches are fair but don’t allow for messing around. They expect discipline, the desire to work hard, the understanding that it is about team work and having fun. I have seen introverted and/or shy children, including my boy, come into their own on the training field and, in talking to other parents, we see it carry...
Xiaomi’s Mi 5 Smartphone In Africa
The ‘affordable’ smartphone space is becoming extremely cluttered with most manufacturers looking at how to tap into the rapidly growing smartphone market, particularly in the developing world. Growing off the back of high sales in their home market, Chinese technology companies are expanding globally, in an attempt to break the dominance of manufacturers like Apple and Samsung. According to IT research and advisory company Gartner Inc, the three Chinese companies, Huawei, Oppo, and Xiaomi jumped into the top five, the first quarter of 2016. While Xiaomi, which was founded by entrepreneur...
Youth Development hits the NXT LVL
Lionel Messi started playing in his hometown team Club Atletico Newell’s Old Boys youth system at the age of 8. At 13, he moved, with his entire family to Spain where he trained and played at La Masia, Barcelona’s youth academy. Steven Gerrard joined Liverpool’s academy at 9. Cristiano Ronaldo signed with Sporting Club of Lisbon at 12. Andrea Pirlo made his Serie A debut for Brescia at the age of 16. Paul Pogba started playing for a club near his hometown in France at the age of 6, spending 7 seasons there. As with most sports, youth development in football is something that needs to take...