Tom Byer is a known name in the niche football circles. The American footballer has worked in Japan, both, as a player and a technical coach for over two decades, with his critically acclaimed training programme for kids aged between two and six. He is credited as one of the pioneers of creating Japan’s technically skilled players. Born in New York, Tom’s interest in the sport piqued during the golden days of the North American Soccer League, with legends, the likes of Pelé and Johan Cruyff, inspiring him. After a brief stint in Florida college and English amateur leagues, he decided to move to Japan’s Hitachi F.C., admitting that he knew he was only a “mediocre player”.
“I didn’t have a long playing career, but it was enough to get me interested in Japanese football. And then I fell in love with Japan,” says Tom. So when he decided to retire in 1988, he stayed back to become a technical coach, influenced by the likes of former England striker Paul Mariner. “I’ve tried to change the way football is taught and learnt in Japan, which is based on technical development,” Tom says. His technique, also through his own teaching academy T3, led him to near legend status in Japan.
Tom then introduced his training methodology to China around five years ago, and now hopes to replicate the same success in India. He says, “What we’re doing in India is primarily focussed on kids below the age of six. Actually, not so much on the kids, but on their parents. That, to me, can be the game changer. It’s all about culture now, much more important than the coaches.”
The programme kicked off on Saturday in the city, as a pilot. But Tom believes the two Telugu states can benefit greatly from it — as will the rest of the country. “India and China are going through this massive football boom, spending millions of dollars. It’s not about the money that’s invested but who it is that you’re trying to influence,” says Tom, who adds, “We want to turn Hyderabad into the football Mecca of India.”
