The Zambia Project

Chawama Routine Continues.

Tuesday 14th was the second visit to the afternoon sessions held at Chawama. The IDEALS students coach sport at the Little Woods School to a variety of ages.

Kelly Mullings held a session in Netball. The normal group is just girls but due to a missing volleyball net she informed me that the group has now also included a team of boys for the last few days! This is no distraction for Kelly who was adamant to proceed with her coaching and help the girls prepare for the WALLACE tournament this Saturday! The session included many drills to improve the girls technique and spatial awareness. The girls clearly needed to improve the preciseness of pass and the ability to use all the space in the court. It is clear that Kelly is having a positive impact on their ability to develop in the sport.

Becky Lilley coached the U12’s boys basketball. The lesson began with dynamic stretches to get the boys warmed up. Elements of this were able to aid skills which are necessary during a game, such as, high jumps and pivots. There is definitely a reoccurring challenge when coaching in Zambia that was very clear in Becky’s session; large decreases and increases of class sizes! Boys would become distracted or wonder off and then new additions may join the drills too! This can be very challenging for a coach who will wish to build on the skills taught throughout the lesson. Becky handled this very well but it is a clear area that needs to be improved so students who attend the lesson can get the most potential out of them. The final part of the day allowed the boys to practice drills that taught them to better control the ball. This is an issue an is contributed to by the uneven floor! Becky also had to explain to the boys the importance of playing as a team and supporting each other so they can fulfil their potential on Saturday at the tournament.

It encouraging to see the students continuing with the skills they having been implementing at their placements as consistency is not something that is the norm in schools inn Zambia. This routine will allow students to really master the skills of their sport and develop into good athletes.