What if football could break the cycle of poverty?

Join Vijay and Parminder on the Get Kids to Play podcast as they sit down with Ashok Rathod, founder of Oscar Foundation and CNN IBN Real Hero Award recipient. From starting with just 18 children in Mumbai's low-income communities to impacting 17,000 kids across five states, Ashok shares how his "No School, No Football" campaign transformed lives through the power of sport.

0:00 - Introduction
1:18 - Oscar Foundation's 15-year journey
2:13 - Growing up in Mumbai: What sparked the mission
5:46 - From 18 kids to 600 overnight
8:08 - Why "Oscar"? The story behind the name
10:16 - Why football became the tool for change
12:52 - The challenge: Convincing people sports can educate
15:07 - Impact: From 55% dropouts to 91% pass rates
17:08 - Sustainability through young community leaders
21:31 - Why play isn't happening in schools
24:02 - Partnerships for employability skills
25:17 - Measuring impact: Proving sport works
28:46 - Closing: Be a friend to children, not just a parent

About Ashok Rathod
https://www.oscar-foundation.org/

About Get-Kids-To-Play
https://sportzvillage.com/get-kids-to-play/

What if childhood was about play, not performance?

Join Vijay and Saumil on the Get Kids to Play podcast as they explore this with Ravi Kallayil , who walked away from his dream job at Nike Innovation to transform children's footwear in India. From measuring 800 Indian feet to partnering with Rahul Dravid, Ravi shares how Plaeto is making play accessible, joyful, and purposeful for every child.


0:00 - Introduction
1:03 - Ravi's 18-year journey at Nike
2:57 - From elite sport to grassroots: What's the difference?
6:04 - Why competitive sport kills fun
8:43 - The multiplay revolution: One shoe for everything
11:10 - Scanning 800 Indian feet: Building shoes for growing kids
15:06 - How Rahul Dravid came on board
16:43 - Top solutions to get kids playing
18:36 - Making PE teachers ambassadors of play
21:26 - Can we change India's academic-first mindset?
24:19 - Plaeto's vision: Impact a million lives
26:08 - The PE teacher who taught swimming in a village well
28:02 - Closing

About Ravi Kallayil
https://plaeto.in/pages/our-story-1

About Get-Kids-To-Play
https://sportzvillage.com/get-kids-to-play/

Can CSR be the Game Changer for Grassroots Sports in India?

Join Vijay and Parminder on the Get Kids to Play podcast as they explore this with Nikhil Pant, CSR law pioneer and sports enthusiast. From crafting India's 2% CSR mandate to advocating for sports at the grassroots level, Nikhil shares how corporate funding can transform youth sports across schools and communities.


00:01 - Introduction and welcome
02:43 - India's 2013 CSR mandate: A watershed moment
07:19 - Why sports deserves more CSR funding
12:20 - How CSR can transform grassroots sports
16:33 - Sports for Change roundtables: Shaping policy for impact
19:50 - Where CSR should land: Schools and communities
23:46 - New CSR policies favor sports transparency and measurement
27:57 - Sports' unique advantage: Visibility and measurable impact
33:47 - Cross-training: Using sports to improve academic performance
35:12 - Teaching math through sports: Real classroom examples
38:37 - Final thoughts: Everyone should play one sport deeply

About Nikhil Pant
https://www.lakshyaa.co.in/about

About Get-Kids-To-Play
https://sportzvillage.com/get-kids-to-play/

Can we reclaim the joy of play in youth sports?

Join Vijay and Saumil on the Get Kids to Play podcast as they explore this with Dr. George Selleck, sports psychologist, author, and lifelong advocate for youth sports. From playing basketball in 1940s California to coaching at Stanford and writing about the magic of sports, Dr. Selleck shares why the journey matters more than the scoreboard.

0:00 - Introduction
2:00 - Dr. George Selleck's journey
7:42 - Why kids drop out of sport
10:34 - Sporting ecosystem in America
11:45 - Choice between sports and academics
17:35 - The Complete Athlete (new book)
23:40 - How can schools prioritize physical education
26:03 - Closing

About Dr. George Selleck
https://lead2play.sportzvillage.com/about-us/

About Get-Kids-To-Play
https://sportzvillage.com/get-kids-to-play/

Can sports policy really get kids moving again?

Join Vijay and Saumil on the Get Kids to Play podcast as they explore this with Nandan Kamath, lawyer, former state cricket captain, and founder of Sports & Society Accelerator. From playing street cricket to shaping national sports policy, Nandan shares how India can reconnect excellence with participation—and why getting kids to play is just the beginning of keeping them active for life.

0:00 - Introduction
1:15 - Nandan Kamath's sports journey
4:06 - Balance between academics vs sport
5:10 - Importance of unstructured play
7:34 - Are sports competitions healthy?
10:07 - How to restore health and well-being?
14:05 - About Sports and Society Accelerator (SSA)
19:30 - Can sports policy get kids to play?
22:37 - How school sports system has changed
24:53 - Need for urban planning to enable play
27:07 - Closing

About Nandan Kamath
https://sports-society.org/nandan/

About Get-Kids-To-Play
https://sportzvillage.com/get-kids-to-play/

From South Africa to USA, how can we Get Kids To Play?

Join Vijay and Saumil on the Get Kids to Play podcast as they explore Prof. Michael Goldman's journey from South Africa to USA, bridging academia and real-world sports marketing through work with San Francisco Giants and several other global corporations.

0'00 : Introduction
1'30" : Prof. Michael Goldman's journey into sports management
6'02" : Global Challenges on getting kids to play
8'05" : Pros and Cons of junior sports competitions
10'21" : How to balance academics and sports
14'09" : Policy, Business, and Society working together
19'32" : Sport as a catalyst for health and well-being
22'16" : US University Sports Scholarship Model
25'18" : Parent-School-Kid Triangle
29'55" : Closing

About Get-Kids-To-Play
https://sportzvillage.com/get-kids-to-play/

About Prof. Michael Goldman
https://www.usfca.edu/faculty/michael-goldman#chapter=field_bio

Can a Non-Profit Sports Foundation's mission re-define how we develop Olympic and Paralympic champions?

Join Vijay and Saumil on the Get Kids to Play podcast as they dive deep with Deepthi Bopaiah, CEO of GoSports Foundation, who spent over a decade transforming India's sporting landscape from behind the scenes.

0'00" - Introduction
1'30" - Deepthi's journey at GoSports Foundation
9'50" - Get Girls To Play
17'51" - How can Athletes give back?
22'00" - Can Olympics get kids to play?
29'10" - Career options in sport
34'30" - Closing

About GKTP
https://sportzvillage.com/get-kids-to-play/

About GoSports Foundation
https://gosports.in/about-us/

Can a Professor's fitness journey elevate the health and well-being at educational institutes? What if every student had to play a sport to graduate?

Join Vijay and Saumil on the Get Kids to Play podcast as they chat with Prof. Sourav Mukherji from IIM Bangalore, a marathoner, coach, and Dean of Alumni Relations who's passionate about integrating sports and fitness into education. From his corporate background at IBM, Oracle, and Boston Consulting Group to his current mission of promoting health and wellbeing on campus, Prof. Mukherji shares insights on why sports should be fundamental to education.

00:01 - Introduction
01:48 – Prof. Mukherji’s athletic journey
05:17 – Sporting culture and the barriers faced by kids
10:02 – Can sport be mandated in college curriculum?
13:18 – How employers view graduates playing sport
18:38 – The need for systemic solutions
23:10 - Get Parents to Play
26:00 – Closing

For more information, please visit:

Get Kids To Play (Book): https://amzn.in/d/5vGci1o
About Prof. Sourav Mukherji : https://www.iimb.ac.in/user/106/sourav-mukherji