Edusport and the IDEALS project students have been told of the difference they are making to the children in All Saints School in N’gombe.
Peer Leader, Susan, explained that Edusport have only just begun working with the school recently but they are already seeing a difference in the children attending the sessions.
As the sports session got under way with Jordan Kenny and Laura Dormans of the IDEALS project, the children were noticeably excited and eager to get involved in the activities.
The head teacher remarked that the children have become very enthusiastic about sport and look forward to going out with the students to the community playing fields.
He also said:
“Since the two students from the UK have been coming the children have been paying a lot more attention in their English lessons and seem more eager to learn.”
The benefits of such involvement in the N’gombe community is invaluable to the children and their health.
Nasi, an intern at Sport in Action, described how beneficial it is for the children to have a safe place to play.
“Children play a lot less now than when I was younger. It’s because sometimes it is not safe for them to be out on their own so their parents prefer them to stay indoors. But this means they don’t get a lot of exercise.”
Sessions like the ones Edusport and the IDEALS students have been delivering ensure that the local children have structured exercise and a safe place to play.
The Head Master was also pleased that the involvement of the IDEALS students had encouraged the children to learn English and pay more attention in class.
The positive impact Edusport and IDEALS have in communities is evident in the happiness and enthusiasm of the children at All Saints school in N’gombe.
Tuesday, June 28, 2011
Tuesday, June 21, 2011
Zambia Project 2011
The IDEALS Project Zambia is under way once again this summer with the arrival of the first group of students from the UK. The students, from the Wallace group of universities, arrived last Sunday and have settled well in to their placements around Lusaka.
After a lovely welcome and induction from Sport In Action and Edusport the group learned how to make their way around their placements and the local community. The truck ride through Lusaka got off to a bumpy start when the truck broke down with steam billowing from the engine. After some pushing and a bit of quick thinking the journey continued.
Each placement welcomed the students who met teachers, peer leaders and some of the children they will be working with. The second half of the week saw the students start coaching at their placements.
James Dickinson of St. Andrew’s University has been coaching football at Kalingalinga basic school:
“I’m loving it so far, the kids are amazing and so eager to learn. We’ve been working on their agility and fitness levels. The peer leaders have been showing us the ropes and helping us to deliver our sessions.”
The students are working with peer leaders from Sport in Action and Edusport who have experience of coaching in the communities. Their help and guidance has helped the students prepare the lessons and coaching sessions they are delivering.
Some of the students have also been teaching in local schools, Holly Smith of Stirling University helped teach an English lesson at Sylvia School in Kalingalinga:
“It was a bit daunting at first but once we got going it was nice to see the children enjoying themselves and learning something new.”
This will be the first full week of coaching and lessons for the students. All are looking forward to applying their skills to deliver lessons and experiencing life in Zambia.
After a lovely welcome and induction from Sport In Action and Edusport the group learned how to make their way around their placements and the local community. The truck ride through Lusaka got off to a bumpy start when the truck broke down with steam billowing from the engine. After some pushing and a bit of quick thinking the journey continued.
Each placement welcomed the students who met teachers, peer leaders and some of the children they will be working with. The second half of the week saw the students start coaching at their placements.
James Dickinson of St. Andrew’s University has been coaching football at Kalingalinga basic school:
“I’m loving it so far, the kids are amazing and so eager to learn. We’ve been working on their agility and fitness levels. The peer leaders have been showing us the ropes and helping us to deliver our sessions.”
The students are working with peer leaders from Sport in Action and Edusport who have experience of coaching in the communities. Their help and guidance has helped the students prepare the lessons and coaching sessions they are delivering.
Some of the students have also been teaching in local schools, Holly Smith of Stirling University helped teach an English lesson at Sylvia School in Kalingalinga:
“It was a bit daunting at first but once we got going it was nice to see the children enjoying themselves and learning something new.”
This will be the first full week of coaching and lessons for the students. All are looking forward to applying their skills to deliver lessons and experiencing life in Zambia.
Friday, September 17, 2010
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.
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.
Thursday, September 16, 2010
Sensory Workshop
Darren Maccabe held a sensory class at Chipata community school this week for children with learning difficulties. The class was extremely fun due to the materials which were provided and activity that commenced! Darren, who is studying to become a learning disabilities nurse, had brought over from the UK five cans of men’s shaving cream!
The lids were popped off and he then encouraged the children to squirt the foam all over the desks! The activity was then to engage with the foam by touching, holding and squeezing the cream in their hands. The children visibly loved the game! It took no time for their confidence, after some slight confusion at such a different classroom task, to soar. This led to them spreading it on their faces, hair and soon on each other. This is important as children need to touch a variety of textures and play with them to develop normal tactile processing. The interaction and happiness between the children was fantastic to see. The teachers also could not contain their curiosity and it was not long before they too had white foamy beards and smiles!
Darren explained that this is an extremely effective way to engage children with learning disabilities. “Children just think they are having fun when they are actually working strenuously at building essential skills with their bodies and better neurological systems”.
The variety of sensory integration activities is endless... only limited
by your creativity and imagination!
The lids were popped off and he then encouraged the children to squirt the foam all over the desks! The activity was then to engage with the foam by touching, holding and squeezing the cream in their hands. The children visibly loved the game! It took no time for their confidence, after some slight confusion at such a different classroom task, to soar. This led to them spreading it on their faces, hair and soon on each other. This is important as children need to touch a variety of textures and play with them to develop normal tactile processing. The interaction and happiness between the children was fantastic to see. The teachers also could not contain their curiosity and it was not long before they too had white foamy beards and smiles!
Darren explained that this is an extremely effective way to engage children with learning disabilities. “Children just think they are having fun when they are actually working strenuously at building essential skills with their bodies and better neurological systems”.
The variety of sensory integration activities is endless... only limited
by your creativity and imagination!
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
K TOWN CUP!
The ‘chimpomba’ tournament was held last Friday at Kalinglinga. A chimpomba is the ball that was used…which is made up of recycled plastic bags and paper! At the tournament football, volley and netball were played. The teams fought for a place in the finals and the winning trophy!
The boy’s U12’s football displayed fantastic skills and ability which led to a final between Ghana and Barcelona. It was so close that even penalties could not differentiate between the two and Barcelona took the prize after they knocked out Ghana in sudden death. The ‘Player of the Tournament’ for the U12’s boy’s football was John from Ghana who played extremely well and fair.
The boy’s in the U15’s also played incredible football and the effort and stamina in the heat was impressive. The final was between Club 9 and Portugal with a clear 3-0 win to Club 9. The ‘Player of the Tournament’ was Goodson who led his team and performed well.
‘Hunters’ smashed the volleyball by winning the first three sets by 25 and easily taking the prize. The ‘Player of the Tournament’ was Kelly.
The netball also displayed the fantastic ability that some of the girls in Kalinglinga hold and the prize went to Fox Girls after a match on the new court in the compound. The ‘Player of the Tournament’ went to Chimunwa for her team spirit and skills. Hayley, the netball coach and IDEALS team leader, explained “the standard was high and the game was very close…there were hardly any fowls at all which is great”.
It was great to see that the organisation of the student’s and peer leaders led to such a great day. Matt and Rianne also pulled in Marc and Hayley for their refereeing skills which added to the effectiveness of the day. Poi’s were also brought along to provide additional entertainment for some of the children who were not participating in sports that day! Despite the immense heat and long hours the day was a huge success and was immensely enjoyed by all who attended.
The boy’s U12’s football displayed fantastic skills and ability which led to a final between Ghana and Barcelona. It was so close that even penalties could not differentiate between the two and Barcelona took the prize after they knocked out Ghana in sudden death. The ‘Player of the Tournament’ for the U12’s boy’s football was John from Ghana who played extremely well and fair.
The boy’s in the U15’s also played incredible football and the effort and stamina in the heat was impressive. The final was between Club 9 and Portugal with a clear 3-0 win to Club 9. The ‘Player of the Tournament’ was Goodson who led his team and performed well.
‘Hunters’ smashed the volleyball by winning the first three sets by 25 and easily taking the prize. The ‘Player of the Tournament’ was Kelly.
The netball also displayed the fantastic ability that some of the girls in Kalinglinga hold and the prize went to Fox Girls after a match on the new court in the compound. The ‘Player of the Tournament’ went to Chimunwa for her team spirit and skills. Hayley, the netball coach and IDEALS team leader, explained “the standard was high and the game was very close…there were hardly any fowls at all which is great”.
It was great to see that the organisation of the student’s and peer leaders led to such a great day. Matt and Rianne also pulled in Marc and Hayley for their refereeing skills which added to the effectiveness of the day. Poi’s were also brought along to provide additional entertainment for some of the children who were not participating in sports that day! Despite the immense heat and long hours the day was a huge success and was immensely enjoyed by all who attended.
Britain’s Top Sports Students Coach at the Olympic Centre!
The Olympic Youth Development Centre in Lusaka, Zambia, welcomed several of the IDEALS students last week and requested that they use their expertise to further the Zambian athletes’ skills in specific sports.
Becky Lilley first met the national athletics coach, who is responsible for taking athletes to the Common Wealth Games (CWG). She then sat down with each individual athlete to discuss their PB’s, SB and their programmes to date. This allowed her to identify initial weaknesses which were apparent in their present programmes and she went on to amend them in preparation for the CWG. In her next session she sat down with the national coach to discuss ways in which progress could be aided leading up to CWG. This included ways to create various programmes and how to implement them before the games in order for their athletes to see their progress and thus peak at the right time. Using her own athletic experience, having been in the sport for over ten years, she introduced British ideals, for example, strength and conditioning, which have led to an increase in medals. Becky explained that there were “aspects of a programme which would be the norm in UK but are vacant here” and she was “shocked to see athletes attending training four weeks before the international competition who didn’t have a comprehensive programme in place”. Ms Lilley highlighted the importance of a personalised programme saying “structure and encouragement is necessary so they are able to see their progression and remain motivated”.
Matt Guy, coached the boy’s U18’s football at the OYDC. The head coach, who is the ex Zambian international coach, allowed Matt to draw on his four years of coaching experience and take the session on his own. The group was formed of high performance players who would feed into the Olympic and national team, some of which already have had trials. He started with a fitness session concentrating on reactions, speed and agility. This led onto Plyometric training where he taught how to successfully use low contact with floor, jumping, hopping and other explosive material. The challenges he faced were that they needed extra work on spatial awareness and the impact that movement has on the game. Therefore he went onto expand on technical aspects such as dribbling, passing and heading – touch related drills and on tactical aspects explaining different areas on the pitch. The impact was evident when the boys played a game the following Saturday and Matt could clearly identify the drills he implemented in coaching. He said “ their play demonstrated spatial awareness, movement and support, which led to a fantastic header and a goal!”
Rianne Hunt coached Hockey to girls aged between 10-16 years of age who did not have much experience. This began by teaching basic skills of hockey, which Rianne establish during her nine years of training, which focused on how to hit and pass. Rianne was asked to lead the session as the girls wanted and needed a female coach who could demonstrate to them that a female can be successful in this sport. The challenges she originally faced were that they were unaware of basic hockey skills and thus she had to start from the very beginning with the language barrier too! However Rianne explained the impact “was huge because initially they did not respond well but by the end of first session I could see their own progress and they asked me to return!” At a subsequent match she could clearly see the girls using the skills that she had previously taught.
Matt Dochniak coached the U12’s boy’s football. He took two sessions where the head of football, who was the ex assistant for the national team, left him with sole responsibility for the group. He taught short passing and moving and then set the boy’s the target of five passes before a goal was scored as they previously struggled to pass the ball around as a team and were just kicking it with no direction. His intended impact was to drill in the importance of passing. Matt said it did “change the way they think about football, rather then just running around, it introduced direction and technique”.
Kelly Mullings used her nine years of netball experience to coach a group of girls aged between 12 and 20…in one session! Originally bad organisation of the session was a struggle but Kelly adapted and met her new demands well. Firstly she worked on fitness, which included reaction time with the ball, coordination, incorporating footwork, good ball handling skills and explosive strength via plyometric training. Secondly she introduced agility and speed using cones which players had to dodge around. She introduced new components which the students were unaware of and also provided a crash course in fitness for the coaches which they can build on. Kelly’s coaching has such a positive impact on the group, as she explained “they improved so much…the second day I could see the benefits for the athletes”. Despite having such a wide age group and varying level of abilities she overcame this by adapting and changing her drills to suit every level and age simultaneously.
The sessions at the OYDC will continue whilst the IDEALS team are in Lusaka. The staff at the centre were very impressed with the students and they have all been invited back to hold further sessions in their sports.
Becky Lilley first met the national athletics coach, who is responsible for taking athletes to the Common Wealth Games (CWG). She then sat down with each individual athlete to discuss their PB’s, SB and their programmes to date. This allowed her to identify initial weaknesses which were apparent in their present programmes and she went on to amend them in preparation for the CWG. In her next session she sat down with the national coach to discuss ways in which progress could be aided leading up to CWG. This included ways to create various programmes and how to implement them before the games in order for their athletes to see their progress and thus peak at the right time. Using her own athletic experience, having been in the sport for over ten years, she introduced British ideals, for example, strength and conditioning, which have led to an increase in medals. Becky explained that there were “aspects of a programme which would be the norm in UK but are vacant here” and she was “shocked to see athletes attending training four weeks before the international competition who didn’t have a comprehensive programme in place”. Ms Lilley highlighted the importance of a personalised programme saying “structure and encouragement is necessary so they are able to see their progression and remain motivated”.
Matt Guy, coached the boy’s U18’s football at the OYDC. The head coach, who is the ex Zambian international coach, allowed Matt to draw on his four years of coaching experience and take the session on his own. The group was formed of high performance players who would feed into the Olympic and national team, some of which already have had trials. He started with a fitness session concentrating on reactions, speed and agility. This led onto Plyometric training where he taught how to successfully use low contact with floor, jumping, hopping and other explosive material. The challenges he faced were that they needed extra work on spatial awareness and the impact that movement has on the game. Therefore he went onto expand on technical aspects such as dribbling, passing and heading – touch related drills and on tactical aspects explaining different areas on the pitch. The impact was evident when the boys played a game the following Saturday and Matt could clearly identify the drills he implemented in coaching. He said “ their play demonstrated spatial awareness, movement and support, which led to a fantastic header and a goal!”
Rianne Hunt coached Hockey to girls aged between 10-16 years of age who did not have much experience. This began by teaching basic skills of hockey, which Rianne establish during her nine years of training, which focused on how to hit and pass. Rianne was asked to lead the session as the girls wanted and needed a female coach who could demonstrate to them that a female can be successful in this sport. The challenges she originally faced were that they were unaware of basic hockey skills and thus she had to start from the very beginning with the language barrier too! However Rianne explained the impact “was huge because initially they did not respond well but by the end of first session I could see their own progress and they asked me to return!” At a subsequent match she could clearly see the girls using the skills that she had previously taught.
Matt Dochniak coached the U12’s boy’s football. He took two sessions where the head of football, who was the ex assistant for the national team, left him with sole responsibility for the group. He taught short passing and moving and then set the boy’s the target of five passes before a goal was scored as they previously struggled to pass the ball around as a team and were just kicking it with no direction. His intended impact was to drill in the importance of passing. Matt said it did “change the way they think about football, rather then just running around, it introduced direction and technique”.
Kelly Mullings used her nine years of netball experience to coach a group of girls aged between 12 and 20…in one session! Originally bad organisation of the session was a struggle but Kelly adapted and met her new demands well. Firstly she worked on fitness, which included reaction time with the ball, coordination, incorporating footwork, good ball handling skills and explosive strength via plyometric training. Secondly she introduced agility and speed using cones which players had to dodge around. She introduced new components which the students were unaware of and also provided a crash course in fitness for the coaches which they can build on. Kelly’s coaching has such a positive impact on the group, as she explained “they improved so much…the second day I could see the benefits for the athletes”. Despite having such a wide age group and varying level of abilities she overcame this by adapting and changing her drills to suit every level and age simultaneously.
The sessions at the OYDC will continue whilst the IDEALS team are in Lusaka. The staff at the centre were very impressed with the students and they have all been invited back to hold further sessions in their sports.
Performance Nutrition Workshop
Thursday 2nd September
Marc Briggs, a lecturer from Northumbria University, held a day long workshop for the national coaches of Zambia at the Olympic Youth Development Centre (OYDC). This type of theory is vital for the enhancement of their athletes if they are to compete on a national and international level.
The day began with an informal quiz to break the ice! There were five questions relating to nutrition and child malnutrition. Then Marc moved onto the goals of sports nutrition and common misconceptions in the area. This reinforced the OYDC’s goals of providing positive lifestyle opportunities for their athletes and coaches which will enhance their performance in their sport. The morning session ended with an interactive activity where Marc distributed paper plates and various foods (unfortunately not edible but of the paper variety!) and the coaches were asked to create the perfect meal for their athletes in various situations. Marc explained the purpose of this activity is “to see the level of knowledge they hold beforehand and then it allows them to learn from their mistakes”. He went on to say this type of activity is especially important as “it puts the theory into practice”.
After a long Zambian lunch the coaches returned for the afternoon practical session. Marc delivered this on the fantastic new out door basketball courts in the baking afternoon sun. The messages he wanted to communicate were the importance of dynamic stretches and the use of circuit training to warm up and exercise.
The Zambian coaches clearly benefited greatly from the theory in the morning and were very reciprocal to the new information they were been given. It was also clear that they learned new techniques from the practical session in both of the key areas. As stated it is vital that the coaches are informed on these areas. It was highlighted that they do have athletes who will be competing in the Common Wealth Games and the impact that the workshop had will hopefully contribute to their success in that and future international events.
Marc Briggs, a lecturer from Northumbria University, held a day long workshop for the national coaches of Zambia at the Olympic Youth Development Centre (OYDC). This type of theory is vital for the enhancement of their athletes if they are to compete on a national and international level.
The day began with an informal quiz to break the ice! There were five questions relating to nutrition and child malnutrition. Then Marc moved onto the goals of sports nutrition and common misconceptions in the area. This reinforced the OYDC’s goals of providing positive lifestyle opportunities for their athletes and coaches which will enhance their performance in their sport. The morning session ended with an interactive activity where Marc distributed paper plates and various foods (unfortunately not edible but of the paper variety!) and the coaches were asked to create the perfect meal for their athletes in various situations. Marc explained the purpose of this activity is “to see the level of knowledge they hold beforehand and then it allows them to learn from their mistakes”. He went on to say this type of activity is especially important as “it puts the theory into practice”.
After a long Zambian lunch the coaches returned for the afternoon practical session. Marc delivered this on the fantastic new out door basketball courts in the baking afternoon sun. The messages he wanted to communicate were the importance of dynamic stretches and the use of circuit training to warm up and exercise.
The Zambian coaches clearly benefited greatly from the theory in the morning and were very reciprocal to the new information they were been given. It was also clear that they learned new techniques from the practical session in both of the key areas. As stated it is vital that the coaches are informed on these areas. It was highlighted that they do have athletes who will be competing in the Common Wealth Games and the impact that the workshop had will hopefully contribute to their success in that and future international events.
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