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Fantastic 4.54rating (29)
  • Good Health And Well-Being

Sport for At-Risk Youth

location
2 - 24 weeks  ·  Age 18 - 50+
Verified

Highlights

  • 🚩 CONVERSATIONAL SPANISH IS REQUIRED — you must be able to speak and understand it to coach here. This is not negotiable
  • Coach football, basketball, handball, rugby, hockey, athletics and artistic gymnastics to children and teenagers
  • The project exists for children who simply cannot afford to play sport before or after school

Highlights

  • 🚩 CONVERSATIONAL SPANISH IS REQUIRED — you must be able to speak and understand it to coach here. This is not negotiable
  • Coach football, basketball, handball, rugby, hockey, athletics and artistic gymnastics to children and teenagers
  • The project exists for children who simply cannot afford to play sport before or after school
  • In summer the work shifts to pools, outdoor games and camping — recreation as well as coaching
  • Accommodation in a centrally located hostel in Cordoba, Argentina's oldest university city
    • You don't have to pay anything yet

    Especially good for

    Age 18+
    Singles
    Couples
    Groups
    50+

    About the program

    Coach football, basketball, rugby, hockey and gymnastics to children who cannot afford to play, in Cordoba's underserved neighbourhoods. Spanish required.

    🚩 Read this first: you must be able to speak and understand Spanish. Not a phrasebook — enough to run a session, keep a group of children safe, and be understood when it matters. This is a stated requirement of the project and the most common reason an application is turned down. If your ...

    About the program

    🚩 Read this first: you must be able to speak and understand Spanish. Not a phrasebook — enough to run a session, keep a group of children safe, and be understood when it matters. This is a stated requirement of the project and the most common reason an application is turned down. If your Spanish is not there yet, look at our other Córdoba placement instead.

    What the project is for

    Sport before or after school costs money — kit, fees, transport — and plenty of families in Córdoba's underserved neighbourhoods simply do not have it. The Sports Education Project exists so that those children and teenagers can play anyway, in a safe and properly supervised environment.

    The reasoning behind it is worth stating plainly, because the project states it plainly itself: structured sport keeps young people occupied, builds self-esteem and teaches good sportsmanship — and those are among the more effective protections against involvement in the crime and violence present in their communities. It is not framed as charity. It is framed as prevention.

    What you would coach

    • Football — the main one, and in Argentina that means something
    • Basketball, handball, rugby, hockey
    • Athletics
    • Artistic gymnastics

    In summer the programme changes shape: recreational time at swimming pools, outdoor games, and camping trips. Less coaching, more supervision and more fun — and just as valuable to a child with nothing else on.

    What makes someone good at this

    Not being an elite athlete. Being reliable, being able to hold a group's attention, and taking friendly competition seriously enough that the children do too. If you have coached anything before, at any level, you will find your feet quickly.

    Who it suits

    You must be 18 or over, in good mental and physical health, and:

    • Able to speak and understand Spanish
    • Tolerant of others and respectful of difference
    • Comfortable working in a team, and equally able to work alone
    • Proactive — the project explicitly wants volunteers who show initiative rather than wait to be directed

    A criminal background check is required. Minimum two weeks.

    Typical day

    Arrival — You are met at Córdoba Airport (COR) and taken to your hostel in the city, where the in-country induction takes place: how the project works, safety, getting around, and what is expected of you.

    The working week

    Sessions run around the school day, because that is when the children are ...

    Typical day

    Arrival — You are met at Córdoba Airport (COR) and taken to your hostel in the city, where the in-country induction takes place: how the project works, safety, getting around, and what is expected of you.

    The working week

    Sessions run around the school day, because that is when the children are free:

    • Before school and after school — The core coaching sessions. Football most often, plus whichever other sports the centre is running that term
    • Session work — Warm-ups, drills, skills, and organised friendly competition. The point is a safe, structured, enjoyable environment, not talent-spotting
    • Between sessions — Planning, and travelling to your placement

    🚩 Transport to and from your placement is not included and is your own cost. Córdoba's buses are cheap and straightforward, but budget for it.

    In summer — The schedule shifts to swimming pools, outdoor games and camping activities.

    Evenings and weekends — Yours. You are based in the city, so there is plenty to do.

    Free-time activities

    You are based in Córdoba city, which is the best possible position for free time: Argentina's second city, its oldest university town, and a genuinely lively place rather than a base camp.

    The city — The Jesuit Block is a UNESCO World Heritage Site: the old university, the church and the colegio, ...

    Free-time activities

    You are based in Córdoba city, which is the best possible position for free time: Argentina's second city, its oldest university town, and a genuinely lively place rather than a base camp.

    The city — The Jesuit Block is a UNESCO World Heritage Site: the old university, the church and the colegio, all still in use. A large student population means the nightlife, live music and cafe culture are serious, and cheap.

    Football — If you are coaching it, go and watch it. Belgrano and Talleres both play in the city and an Argentine league match is an experience in its own right.

    The Sierras de Córdoba — Right on the doorstep. Hiking, rivers and waterfalls. La Cumbrecita is a car-free alpine village; Villa General Belgrano is known for its beer festival; Mina Clavero and the Traslasierra valley lie over the range.

    Alta Gracia — A Jesuit estancia and the house where Che Guevara grew up, an easy trip out.

    Further afield — Buenos Aires is an overnight bus or a short flight; Mendoza and the wine country are west; Iguazú is a longer journey north.

    Asado — You will be invited to one. Accept.

    Requirements

    Requirements

    Minimum Age: 18 years

    In order to join the program you need to be at least 18 years old on the program start date. There might be exemptions if you can provide the permission of your legal guardian(s) or if your are accompanied by your parents.

    Criminal Background Check

    required

    Required Documents

    Criminal background check, copy of passport and proof of travel insurance.

    Nationality Restrictions

    No restrictions. Helping hands from all over the world are welcome.

    Other Skills

    SPANISH IS REQUIRED — you must be able to speak and understand it. No coaching qualification is needed, but any coaching or sports background will be used. You must be tolerant and respectful of difference, comfortable in a team and alone, and proactive: the project explicitly wants volunteers who take initiative.

    Time Commitment

    Your helping hand will be required on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday from 09:00 - 17:00

    What's Included

    What's Included

    On-site Services

    What the fee covers

    • Pickup from Córdoba Airport
    • Accommodation in a centrally located hostel in Córdoba
    • In-country induction
    • A customised project placement — matched to the sports you can actually coach
    • A donation to the project — part of your fee goes directly to it
    • Cultural activities
    • 24/7 in-country support
    • Comprehensive pre-departure information
    • Certificate of participation on request

    What it does not cover

    • Transport to and from your placement — you travel to the sports centres yourself, daily
    • The return airport drop
    • International flights
    • Visa and visa-extension fees
    • Travel insurance — not included and your own responsibility
    • Vaccinations
    • Meals beyond what the hostel provides, personal expenses and weekend travel

    Airport Pickup at Ingeniero Aeronautico Ambrosio L.V. Taravella International Airport

    Pickup is included. The return drop is not.

    Arrive at Ingeniero Aeronáutico Ambrosio L.V. Taravella International Airport, Córdoba (COR). You are met at the airport and taken to your hostel in the city, where the in-country induction takes place.

    🚩 The return airport drop is NOT included. Budget for getting yourself back to COR at the end of your placement.

    🚩 Daily transport to your placement is also not included — you travel to the sports centres yourself. The induction covers how the local buses work.

    Getting to Córdoba — Most volunteers connect through Buenos Aires on a short domestic flight, and there are some direct regional services. Leave a sensible connection window when booking.

    Accommodation

    You stay in a centrally located hostel in Córdoba city for the whole of your placement.

    Being in the centre matters on this programme: you commute out to the sports centres each day, and in the evenings you are in the middle of Argentina's biggest student city rather than stranded on the edge of it. Bars, food, live music and the bus network are all on the doorstep.

    Expect standard hostel accommodation — shared rooms, shared bathrooms, communal kitchen and common areas, and other travellers alongside the volunteers.

    🚩 Getting to your placement is your own cost. Córdoba's buses are cheap and easy once you know them, and the induction covers how to use them — but budget for the daily fare across a long placement.

    Bring warm layers — Córdoba sits at altitude and evenings are cold from May to September.

    Food & Beverages

    Meals are as provided at your hostel accommodation; beyond that you cater for yourself, which is straightforward and cheap in Córdoba.

    Eating in Córdoba — A student city, so the food is good and inexpensive. Empanadas, milanesas, choripán and pizza are everywhere; the asado is the national institution and you will be invited to one sooner or later.

    The hostel has a communal kitchen, and volunteers who are self-catering usually shop at the local markets and cook together.

    Dietary requirements — Tell us when you book. Argentina is a meat-centred food culture and vegetarians and vegans should expect to do more of their own cooking than elsewhere — entirely doable in a capital-sized city, but worth planning for.

    Mate — You will be handed a gourd. Drinking from it is how you get accepted, so take it.

    Internet Access

    Good access at the project site
    You don't have to pay anything yet

    What's NOT included?

    What's NOT included?

    Flight Tickets

    The nearest airport is Ingeniero Aeronautico Ambrosio L.V. Taravella International Airport (COR) in Cordoba. We assist you to find cheap flights to Argentina. FIND CHEAP FLIGHTS

    Travel Insurance

    Going abroad is an adventure and it is always best to be prepared. Sudden illness or injury, cancellation or theft - a travel insurance for Argentina provides security and is a plus to have. GET A QUOTE

    Vaccines

    If you are intending to volunteer in Argentina you should seek medical advice before starting your social journey. Check your required vaccinations for Argentina. VACCINE CHECKER

    Details on arrival

    🚩 Spanish is a hard requirement. You must be able to speak and understand it. Please be honest with yourself about your level before applying — you will be responsible for groups of children.

    Arrive at Ingeniero Aeronáutico Ambrosio L.V. Taravella International Airport, Córdoba (COR). You are collected from the airport and taken to a centrally located hostel in the city.

    🚩 The return airport drop is NOT included. Budget for getting yourself back to COR.

    🚩 Transport to and from your placement is NOT included — you travel to the sports centres yourself each day.

    Getting to Córdoba — Usually via Buenos Aires on a short domestic flight.

    Documents — A criminal background check is required to join.

    What to bring — Training kit and trainers you can work in, a whistle if you coach, and warm layers: Córdoba is at altitude and winter evenings are cold.

    🚩 Not included — Travel insurance, vaccinations, visa and visa-extension fees, daily transport, personal expenses, and the return airport drop.

    Visa — Many nationalities enter Argentina visa-free for up to 90 days. Check your own position for longer placements.

    When to come — Year-round, but note the shape changes: the Argentine school year runs roughly March to December, so before/after-school coaching runs then. December to February is the summer holiday, when the programme becomes pool, outdoor games and camping activities. Both are worthwhile — just know which you are booking.

    Availability
    Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec

    Program Fees

    $591 per week 2 - 24 weeks Age 18 - 50+

    Payment methods

    Visa Master Card Maestro American Express PayPal

    NO CREDIT CARD FEES

    Duration

    2 - 24 weeks

    Deposit

    Reserve your spot with just a few clicks and a small, secure deposit. You can pay by credit card, PayPal, or other convenient methods.

    Final Payment

    You’ll agree on the final payment method with your local organization during the application process. This final payment is only due closer to the start of your trip.

    You don't have to pay anything yet
    4.5
    Top Pick
    One of the top picks on Volunteer World, according to travelers

    Location

    Americas > South America > Argentina > Cordoba

    Meet your project coordinator

    Sahil
    29
    reviews
    4.54
    Fantastic
    2007
    Founded

    Verified

      Below average response rate
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    Volunteer Abroad  >  Education  >  Sports in Argentina
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    Travel dates

    1. - 1. Jan 1

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