Volunteer Role
As a volunteer, you will be involved in a variety of important activities, with your main responsibility being the co-ordination of the sports initiatives. There are opportunities in three main sports (football, netball and volleyball), in which you can run daily training sessions and clinics. If you want, you can specialise in one or you can coach a whole range of sports - either way, there will be lots of excited and eager children attending your sessions to play!
Football
By far the most popular sport in Africa; football is played by children of all ages and is avidly followed across the continent, with Swaziland being no exception. On the fields you can hear them mentioning their favourite players’ names and amuse yourself as a six year-old boy compares himself to Peter Crouch! If you choose to coach football and share your knowledge of the game then expect to have most of the children charging you down and wanting to be in your team.
Netball
Popular amongst the girls, netball is a growing game in Swaziland. However, the biggest challenge facing netball is the lack of hoops available. If you are a keen netballer and you are interested in coaching this sport, then you may face the extra challenge of needing to build your own netball courts!
It is important that you raise the awareness of your sports clinics amongst the local children, to schedule how often they can turn up and to try to manage the numbers. If you don’t, you could be swamped with lots of budding young sportsmen!
Staff
The centre has three full-time co-ordinator 'coaches'. One coach specialises in football; one in tennis and another is a general coordinator. You can directly assist these or run your own coaching sessions separately, however, one or all of these volunteers will be on hand to help you.
At these sessions, you are responsible for:
- Designing training drills and tactical lessons
- Arranging short games and refereeing them
- Developing teamwork and good communication
- Selecting teams amongst the children for competitions
An exciting and popular part of your role will be to organise games, small tournaments and even sports days, just like the ones you would have done at school! It is amazing just how much fun children have racing in a sack or running in an egg and spoon race!
Community Care Centres and Primary Schools
Twice a week, you will work alongside the volunteers from the care projects to organise sports events and participation days with orphans and vulnerable children from the day care centres. These children do not have regular opportunities to engage in games/exercise and join regular sporting activities, so your work will help to benefit more and more children.
What’s Included in the Programme
- All accommodation and meals
- Airport transfer
- Full support and daily guidance from the project co-ordinators
- Orientation on arrival
- Project material such as teaching aids, sport equipment and craft materials as required
- Orphan Care project work
- 24 hour support number and contact
What’s Not Included in the Programme
- Personal travel insurance for the duration of your placement, which should include cover for repatriation
- All flights
- All items of a personal nature, such as curios, gifts, clothing (work and other)
- E-mail/Internet and telephone calls
- Soft drinks, wines and spirits
- Visas
- Any excursions over and above your planned itinerary
Prices and Durations
Swaziland Community Sports - 4 weeks £1,469
Swaziland Community Sports - 8 weeks £2,089
Swaziland Community Sports - 12 weeks £2,549
