Description

Children growing up in the townships have few facilities for stimulating sports. Opportunities are severely limited for both playing sports and learning new ones, despite the best efforts of local volunteers and community leaders. Parents are desperate to keep their kids off the streets when school gets out to keep them away from drug usage and peer pressure.

Giving their children the opportunity to participate in sports allows them to learn important lessons in working as a team, anger management and prioritizing a healthy lifestyle.

Volunteers can help create a sporting environment and provide much needed support to local staff. Many schools within the townships are open to after school activities; coaching basketball, football, softball, cricket, rugby - almost every sport you can think of is going on somewhere!

All our sports projects in South Africa require volunteers to dedicate a full day to their placement as they cannot mix and match school and community sports with water sports.

Whichever project you choose, your initiative and enthusiasm can always be put to good use by helping develop sports initiatives and programs in Cape Town. In order for children to get the most out of sports lessons as well as after school clubs, they need to be well thought out with lots of good ideas for lesson plans to get the kids thinking, working as a team, and improving their fitness while having fun.

Cape Town has a wide variety of schools whose facilities and demographic largely mirrors the wealth and background of the areas in which they are based. Projects Abroad volunteers center their efforts on the Cape Flats Townships, working with underprivileged communities in the Vrygrond, Grassy Park and Lavender Hill area.

The schools here are all government run and physical education has regrettably been removed from the curriculum due to budget cutbacks. Government funded schools no longer offer this subject because they cannot afford to pay a sports teacher out of their own small budget. For this reason, volunteers are invaluable to these schools as they can provide the important physical education lessons without the extra costs.

As a Projects Abroad volunteer in South Africa, you don't need previous coaching experience, but you will need a real passion for sports and the drive and initiative to lead a sports session with a group of children without always having the backup of another teacher. Volunteers will often coach together and have the full support of the teaching staff, though both human and material resources are in short supply.

Don't worry if you don't have UEFA - grade soccer coaching skills or aren't an Olympic athlete - simply organizing a game of rounders or running a circuit training session can help these children improve their fitness levels or ability to work as a team. The program could also combine elements of physical education with other aspects of health, such as nutrition and personal hygiene. You've got an almost completely blank canvas and a captive audience of children eager to get involved!

Since school takes up the children's day, after school activities run in the afternoons from 3-5pm. Many community leaders and schools themselves are eager to have volunteers help out with their after school clubs. These present a real challenge for coaches with anywhere from 5 to 30 kids turning up each day with hugely varied skill levels and little regularity. The one thing the children all share is a love for sports and a desire to get involved. Whatever your particular sport may be, by helping keep these clubs going, you'll be making a real contribution.

Cape Town is famous for its surf spots, attracting many volunteers who can already surf as well as those who are eager to learn. Surfing is also a great way to bring young children into a learning environment by giving them a passion for sports. Children who grow up in the townships may never have been to the beach, despite its close proximity and most certainly won't be able to swim. By organizing regular trips to the beach with these children and gradually teaching them how to swim and then to surf, you will be giving them an opportunity and new passion that they may never have had access to otherwise. Having fun and learning is the aim and our projects need volunteers to help achieve this.

Projects Abroad volunteers work alongside a program in Muizenberg, not far from where our other teaching and care placements are based. The Surf School aims to bring at risk youth groups and street children into the surf culture by providing them with equipment, gradually teaching them to swim, and then surf. Once introduced to this learning environment, the children are also taught vital life skills, decision making and have the opportunity to learn basic numeric and literacy skills.

Volunteers do not need to be experienced surfers, but do need to be strong swimmers. Volunteers will be given the opportunity to learn to surf while working simultaneously with at risk youth from neighboring Cape Town townships. We are looking for volunteers who are eager and enthusiastic to get involved with mentoring and teaching the children. You should also be prepared to help with renting out and maintaining the surfboards and kits as well as all other aspects of this valuable water sports project. Volunteers will normally spend the day working at the surf shop and helping with program logistics before taking sessions with the children from 3-6pm each day.

This project provides the perfect combination of coaching, learning new skills and providing valuable support to a great community project.

With the 2010 World Cup being a huge success, soccer has never been bigger in South Africa.

With the 2010 soccer World Cup a huge success, soccer has never been bigger in South Africa. It is by far the favorite pastime of children found playing in the local fields in the Cape Flats area.

For some talented children soccer offers an escape from poverty, keeping them away from entering gangs or getting involved in drugs. It gives them opportunities to develop pride and team skills while keeping them fit and healthy. Most of all it gives the children a chance to socialize and have some fun!

In the Cape Town communities, volunteer soccer coaches are always needed. There are thousands of children with a passion for soccer in the townships of southern Cape Town and Projects Abroad volunteers are needed to train and coach these kids.

Highlights

Working at a local school you will be involved with training children and coaching soccer in the disadvantaged communities of Parkwood, Grassy Park, and Retreat in Cape Town. Volunteers work with children aged between 8 and 15 years old on public fields and in their schools.

We also work with local community partner organizations that welcome volunteers with leadership, coaching, and discipline skills as well as any volunteers with youth counseling experience. You can combine sports activities with weekly sessions to discuss social issues relative to the needs of the children. As this project takes place mainly in the afternoons, and is not close to the school sports options, it is best combined with another project like Teaching or Care. We will give you options for working additional hours after you apply.

At both types of placements volunteers focus on improving soccer skills and promoting the importance of teamwork and fair play. You will spend plenty of time on a soccer field providing encouragement and helping channel the children's energy into soccer, the sport they enjoy the most.

All volunteers taking part in any of the Cape Town based projects in South Africa have the opportunity to add a 7-Day Conservation Project to the end of their main placement. For more information visit our Conservation in South Africa project page.

Qualifications

No experience or qualifications are required.

Languages

• English
• Afrikaans
• Xhosa

Cost in US$:

Please go to our website for prices.

Cost Includes:

• Emergency evacuation services
• Food
• Housing
• In-country orientation/Training
• In-country staff support
• Medical insurance
• Medical services
• Pre-departure orientation/Training
• Written materials abroad
• Written materials pre-departure

Program Fees Include:

The price of each placement includes all your food and accommodation, transfers to and from the airport, full travel and medical insurance plus support and 24 hour back-up from our staff based around the world.

Experience Required

no

Volunteer Types

• Sports

Typical Volunteer

Open minded with a desire to travel.

Age Range

16-70

This Program is open to

Worldwide Participants. This Program is also open to Couples and Individuals.

Typical Living Arrangements

• Apartment/Flat
• Group living

Participants Travel

Independently

Typically Participants Work

in Groups

Application Process Involves

• Letters of Reference
• Written Application

Typically The Application Process Time is

10 days

Projects Abroad's Mission Statement

As part of the global economy, Projects Abroad helps create local employment wherever we send volunteers. Employing local staff overseas and using their talents and knowledge is important to us. This local knowledge and support enables the organization to channel the skills of the volunteers from more affluent countries to regions around the world where they are needed. Volunteers also learn from their placements and the people they meet, and they gain experience in a chosen field. In the 21st century, we believe this mutual respect is what cultural exchange is all about.

Year Founded

1992