LADDER CUP – ROAD TO LiFFA

The goal of LiFFAis to offer an opportunity for maximal development of talent in youth through training and nurturing of their talents in football, in the junior, cadet and senior categories. Most of the players are usually identified through LADDER Cup (Latin Arch Diocese Elite Recruitment) competitions and Parish Club’s playing arenas. The selection for the academy is a yearlong process that takes place throughout the coastal region through extensive scouting, regular short term zonal visits by the technical team of LiFFA, tournaments, decentralized camps and centralized residential camps. TheLADDER CUP is at the core of this selection process. LADDER CUP can be quoted as a kids festival more than a selection trials for the academy. Which in turn changes the attitude of the children participating, it is more about success than winning. And thereby the children play with joy and enjoyment rather than being under pressure to be selected. The tournament is conducted in a single venue over a span of 10 days. More than 1000 young players along with their parents, coaches and football fans pour into the venue which creates a truly festive atmosphere. This tournament becomes one of the greatest platform for children of such a young age to interact with more than a thousand players and people who have got a thousand interpretations of the universal game of football.

The Ladder Cup is conducted exclusively for Parish Clubs lying in the coastal region of Trivandrum and Kanyakumari coming under the Latin Archdiocese of Trivandrum, for identifying the recruits for the next academic year i.e, the ladder cup is conducted among 7th graders for recruiting players to their 8th grade. The 10 day long tournament has more than 50 teams participating in it. And more than 1000 young players from the region represent these 50 teams with each representing their own native parish clubs and academies.Moreover, the objective is to establish as an exchange visit program between the LiFFA, regional academies and training centers for coaches and players all over Trivandrum.

In the first stage of this selection process the best 150 players are identified from amongst these 1000 young cadres by the qualified technical team of LiFFA. Frequent short term residential camps are conducted for these selected players in their respective zones. And these camps are used to further reduce these 150 players to 50 for the next stage of this selection process. A 10 day residential camp during summer vacation is provided for these 50 players under the direct guidance of LiFFA technical team along with all the amenities and facilities of LiFFA and the best 25 players are selected to the academy. The final outcome of this is the 25 players who are brought into the academy.The success of LiFFA can be attributed to this yearlong systemic and scientific selection process which is unheard of in South India or even the nation.