Changing the game by changing its players
Project Context
Year
Scope
More Info
- Country of the applicant: Netherlands
- Countries of the partner organisations: Belgium, Denmark, Lebanon, Germany, Mali, Kenya, UK
Project Context
Year
Scope
More Info
- Country of the applicant: Netherlands
- Countries of the partner organisations: Belgium, Denmark, Lebanon, Germany, Mali, Kenya, UK
Lead Organisation Information
Name of the lead organisation
Type of the lead organisation
Funding
Type (public, private, etc): Public
Name of the funding programme: European Commission, Erasmus+ KA2 Strategic Partnership
Amount: 220.000€
Type of activity
Sector
Sport and Physical Activities
Description of the initiative
- AIM: New innovative curricula/educational methods/development of training courses
- The strategic partnership focusses on young people from disadvantaged backgrounds and embraces sport as a tool for social change. The aim of the project is to contribute towards the development of solutions for issues related to e.g. youth unemployment and living in unsafe communities that young people deal with internationally. The underlying assumption is that young people need a safe, inclusive and enabling environment to realise their full potential (and be the future drivers of positive change within their communities). The project specifically focusses on the central role of community sports coaches.
- The general objective of the project was to create a safe, inclusive and enabling environment for young people from disadvantaged backgrounds through high-quality training of community sports coaches, focusing on sport as a tool to manage conflict, acquire life skills and facilitate entrepreneurship. More specifically the objectives were:
- to develop an internationally recognised standard for community sports coaches (‘sport for community building, youth development & entrepreneurship’)
- to develop a strategic partnership wherein a variety of organisations participate and jointly work together initiating new tools and techniques that community sports coaches can use in their current and future work.
- The strategic partnership was formed by a variety of experts: ISA, Oikos, Unify Solutions and the University of Bedfordshire.
- Through different workshop and training settings the strategic partnership developed a curriculum for community sports coaches focusing on three themes:
- Sport & Life skills
- Sport & Conflict management
- Sport & Entrepreneurship.
- The curriculum was developed both for the training of community sports leaders as well for the training of youth.
Based on the developed curriculum three different trainings were organised for 20 community sports coaches. Wherein each training focused on a different theme.
Beneficiaries Information
Profile
- Coach
- Number of participants: 20
About The Mobility Experience
Country visited & duration
- Country(ies) visited: 3 trainings organised in the Netherlands and Northern Ireland.
- Duration: 5 days each
Factors of success
- Quality of the partnership
- Clear learning outcomes
Barriers identified
- The length of the days included in the programme.
It is important to break down the theoretical elements of the programme into digestible amounts in order to maintain attention as long days can cause the information given to be delayed in processing it.
Testimonial from the organiser
“This video shows best the content of one of the trainings. For the involved organisations the trainings were valuable because they put their coaches on a higher level. Many municipalities work with community sports coaches / youth workers that play an increasing role in solving social issues (related to conflict, work, gender equality), but their workforce is not yet equipped to play these new roles. Through the trainings on a) positive youth development through sports b) sport and safe communities c) sport and productive communities community sports coaches and youth workers got the opportunity to gain some extra skills.”
Ward Karssemeijer, Project leader
Testimonial from a participant
- This video shows best the importance of the training for coaches, with testimonials from Community Sports Coach themselves
“The international character provided a platform to expand my knowledge of the various cultures and sporting practices on a global scale. Understanding the cultures is key in the development of sport and physical activity.”
Chloe Mortimer, Partcipant from UK
“Making connection with other people around the world with same goal seemed to me an added value to this training. 5 days together, we were able to exchange about challenges, success stories that really helped me to do some self-reflection, and learn more about myself as a coach. I observed connection and differences within us. And that helps me to identify, and value my best practices, and improve things I was struggling with before this training.”
B. Sy, participant from the Netherlands
“I now have a broader (worldwide) network that I can use to amplify my own project, it was good for my English, I´ve heard, seen and experienced the applicability of community sport in different contexts, aimed at measuring social values I possess now a broader theoretical framework and I understand what is required to do research. I´ve learned also a lot of new energizers and I laughed with different exercises and ways of clapping.”
Arvid Van Leeuwen, participant from Belgium
“I know of some coaches for whom it really changed their way of working. Through the first training they have learned how to integrate life skills into their activities and how to make a link between a specific life skill and a sport activity.”
Ward Karssemeijer, Project leader
Contact
Name of the contact person: Ward Karssemeijer
Email: w.karssemeijer@isa-youth.org
Organisation Website: www.isa-youth.org