Develop a network of volunteers, coaches and role models
The positive attitude of our coaches, volunteers, leaders and role models have inspired and empowered our participants to learn and achieve, regardless of their background or ability. Our project leaders, coaches, volunteers and participants, share their successes, inspire and encourage each other to be the best they can be as they grow and develop each project, ensuring its sustainability. We support volunteers, including previous and current participants, allowing them to learn leadership skills and enhance their futures through practice, training and gaining qualifications.
“For sport to serve as an effective model for learning life skills, the sport experience must be designed with this goal in mind. It is not sport per se that teaches life skills; it is a sport experience that is designed in such a fashion that its participants can transfer what is learned to other domains such as school, home and/or the workplace.”
Teaching Life Skills Through Sport to At-Risk Youth Report
impact
Uzair
James
James’ Super 1s journey began in 2014 when attending the Kingston hub. He represented Kingston at many Super 1s competitions and was named Player of the Year in 2016. This led to him going on to play for the Surrey learning disability (LD) team and being invited to train with the England LD team.
But its his development away from cricket that makes him such a fantastic role model. Once he left school he took on more of a leadership role at the Kingston hub, attending sessions as a mentor for younger participants. In 2018 James took up a two-week work placement with Surrey Cricket Board, assisting coaches at a range of sessions while helping to coordinate the hubs representing Surrey at the 2018 Super 1s National Finals.
More recently, he completed a six-month industry placement with the Lord’s Taverners, spending one day per week in the office working with the majority of the departments at some point during this period. For a young person living with autism a busy office can be a daunting prospect but the way he embraced his work and the social aspect of the workplace showed just how far he’s come. He’s no longer the shy teenager who didn’t want to join in at his first Super 1s session.
Following his work placement, James has secured his first full time job as a PE Assistant with a local school.
Kenya kit donation impact
Kahiu Aaron Mbugua works as a volunteer sports coach for schools and other groups in central Kenya. The kit that we donated has helped him to work with the most disadvantaged and far-flung rural schools, who could not afford to receive other coaching or take part in competitions. He is determined to look after the kit, “If this uniform is well taken care of it can serve us for the next 10 years. I plan on squeezing as much life as possible from them!”
Team kits and the right equipment can make a big impact. This donation has influenced the way the teams play, they have bonded more closely and training is more organised as each team can be easily identified, they are also setting a standard that other teams are now aspiring to. The kit has helped the teams take on a more professional approach and individuals are planning better both in and outside of sport. As a result universities are now considering the players for scholarships. It has also improved confidence and team pride, “we looked like champions and we played like champions.”
Having good kit has inspired Kahiu, “your donation has made me a better coach because I concentrate on seeing my players excel, not only on the field but also in life. The kit has not allowed us to do some things differently, it has allowed us to do everything differently.”
