WHAT TO EXPECT AS A NETBALL COACH
Netball is still a developing sport in Ghana. The introduction to the sport in schools, colleges and universities has seen a huge rise in female participation in sports and created a pathway for interested volunteers to make an impact through their coaching experience.
You will work alongside our local coaches to work with our after school netball team at Street to School and help develop the game, bring new ideas and encourage more girls to participate in sports.
The opportunities include:
• Coaching our “Street to School Soccer Project” Junior and Senior netball teams (ages 7 – 18) daily after school
• Coaching in schools in our community to help engage girls through P.E lessons
THE IMPACT OF NETBALL AND FEMALE EMPOWERMENT
The “Street 2 School Sports Programme” is a community sports development initiative based in Labadi, Accra (Ghana). The programme aims to use the power of sport to encourage young people to invest in themselves, their education and the sport they love. Our goal is to continue allowing as many children as possible to gain proper access to education, sports, character development and create pathways for every individual (through sporting excellence, education or vocational training) to end the cycle of poverty and “Brighten the future of the next generation”.
Every week S2S focuses on education, sports, health and wellbeing and character development. Tuesday – Friday we run training sessions for the girls, Monday evening the children attend a class run by volunteer teachers so we can keep track of their educational progress and promote learning with sports and at the weekend we organise matches in the community. S2S also provides shoes to train in, kits to wear, health insurance, sanitary products, family support for those who need it, educational scholarships so we can ensure every child is going to school and support from our amazing team of coaches.
The role of netball as a tool for female empowerment in Ghana is more important than ever before; 16% of girls in Ghana are never enrolled in school. 17%of girls aged 15-24 are illiterate. 34% of girls are involved in child labour. 20% of girls are married before the age of 18. 53% of adolescent females are victims of wife beating or abuse.
Through the “Street to School Sports Programme” we are using sport to tackle issues in our community including gender equality, period poverty, teenage pregnancies, school drop outs and substance abuse. By introducing Sexual and Reproductive health and Mental health education into our programme we can end prejudices and the stigma surrounding these areas and give young people the support they need to “Brighten their future”
“The Street to School Sports Programme” is providing an excellent opportunity for positive change in Labadi’s youth and is helping to alleviate the cycle of poverty by encouraging better opportunities for the next generation of children. We recognise the power sport can have on each child’s development and the opportunities continued education can give young people, especially those living in poverty.
OUR EXPECTATION
Our sports coaching project is one of our most popular volunteer projects. Not only do you get a hands on experience, you can see first hand the impact you can have on somebody's life in a relatively short period of time. The children who come to Street 2 School are always eager to play, their enthusiasm is infectious and they love to work with our volunteers. Most of our volunteers love to see how much the kids are progressing and become great friends with the local team of coaches too.
We do expect our volunteers to come to Ghana ready to immerse themselves in the culture and make the most of every opportunity that is presented to them. Whilst no qualifications are required we love volunteers who bring enthusiasm, are willing to be open minded and get involved in the projects from day 1. Ghana is one of the most friendly countries in the world and we make sure you get to make the most out of your time here. Volunteer placements run from Monday to Friday and we expect you to turn up to your project prepared and on time each day. We keep the weekends free for you to travel, chill out at the beach or pool or explore more of the city. Our amazing in country team will be there for you every step of the way and will support you both at your projects and the volunteer accommodation.
