Volunteering in Ghana

You can share your love of sports and your knowledge of how each game is played to help local kids raise the bar and improve their own game. There will be tons of opportunities to share your enthusiasm and efforts in a variety of sports, to help local kids learn a whole new sport or make improvements in the sport they already love to play.

Feel free to bring any equipment or teaching materials to help enhance the coaching experience, as equipment may be limited in some location areas.

Coaching options include:

Football: U12, U14 and U17 is where the vast majority of training options exist in local schools, academies and after-school clubs. Training may require 2 sessions each day, in some cases, and there may also be matches at weekends.

Boxing: popularised by great local boxers who have represented the country at national and international level, you will have the opportunity to provide training and share your knowledge of the sport with the next generation of emerging boxers, at the local boxing club in the Accra area. Most of the training takes place in the afternoons, leaving the mornings free.

Golf coaches will help young players (8-17) master their skills and develop their talents. Locations may include a local golf club and nearby schools offering programmes in the sport. Qualified coaches may even have the opportunity to provide clinics at other golf club locations in Ghana and try out the different courses as well.

Tennis: as tennis is emerging as a sport in Ghana, the current emphasis is on participation and developing an understanding of the basics, so there is no need to worry about high-level coaching ability. If you have the confidence and desire to take these students to the next level, so much the better! You may have a coaching placement among the national youth teams.

Hockey: This is your chance to be part of a sport that is growing in popularity and is played in many local schools. Your placement may even give you the opportunity to train with some of the best in the region, as you prepare to coach youngsters in the U12 and U14 age groups.

Rugby: Bring your passion, enthusiasm and structure to the game of rugby, while sharing everything you know with locals who share the same passion for the sport. Work with a local rugby club and schools in the surrounding area to help young people in the community improve their game. This can be a ground zero programme, where you will need to teach the fundamentals of the sport, emphasise rules and strategies, etc., because very few may be familiar with the sport.

Basketball: pass on your knowledge of dribbling, offense, defence, jump shooting and teamwork to local players eager to learn the fundamentals of the game. Your coaching will help young athletes in the local community improve their game and train them to become stronger in every aspect. You may even get to share your knowledge during practice sessions and scheduled games, along with local coaches for organised competitive events.

Netball: this training experience can really be at grassroots level. Although the facilities may not exist for formalised netball for some local young people, the enthusiasm to learn still exists. You can be creative to use what is available to set up the pitch and then share your knowledge of netball to get the game going – start with the basics and it just goes from there! You may even have some opportunity to organise coaching clinics and matches for students in schools (ages 10-16), so they can improve their passing and shooting skills.

Martial arts: Introduce the basics and help young people develop their skills as they practice martial arts under your guidance. Depending on your own skill level, you can guide small or large groups of local youth as they improve through sparring, patterns, kicks, punches, self-defence moves, exercise routines, groundwork, line work and stretching under your guidance.

Athletics: you will train children and teenagers in and around Accra in local clubs and schools, helping them to increase their speed, endurance, strength and skill. Many of them dream of representing their country on the world stage at the Olympic Games or other World Championships.

Swimming: Not every child in Ghana has the opportunity to learn to swim, but this could be their chance to be part of something special. You will have the opportunity to provide lessons on water safety and swimming basics, to help small groups of children improve their ability to enjoy their new skill.