SPORTS COACHING PROJECTS

LOCATION: Rio de Janeiro & Florianópolis

A passionate country besotted with sport. The enthusiasm of the kids is very infectious in this land of eternal summer, and you're likely to learn as much as you teach! Coaching sport in Brazil is a simply delightful experience!

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	Football Project - Rio Coach & Play: A pure football project for fans of the beautiful game!
	Total Sports Project - Rio & Florianópolis Coach a large variety of sports. Includes Ballet, Basketball, Capoeira, Dance (any kind), Football (Soccer), Karate, Jiu-Jitsu, Tennis, Volleyball and Women's Football

Brazil offers a rewarding opportunity to pass on your sports skills to children who appreciate it. Absorb this awesome culture by becoming a part of its community. It is no surprise that most volunteers here choose to extend their stay! Brazil also tempts you with a great social life.

You don't need any qualifications to coach sports in Brazil, just a basic understanding of the game and a love of sports, as well as an enthusiasm to share this! You can also combine a Coaching project with a teaching project - or perhaps you'd like to learn Portuguese or Capoeira at the same time.

In many areas of Brazil children are exposed to the dangers of poverty and can be easily led into a life of crime and drugs. Sports programmes are essential in terms of providing a positive outlet for energy and a distraction from such a lifestyle. They focus on encouraging children to see the 'good side' of the world - by taking them away from the violence and poverty that they live in and encouraging them to see things in a different way. Along with the co-ordinators of such projects you'll be acting as a positive role model to children to help keep them away from the dangers of the streets.

The schools and centres that you'll work in are poor but the children are rich in spirit! You'll spend time sharing your skills and building confidence and team morale, whilst working towards improving technique and strategy. What you will offer through coaching is immeasurable in terms of education in social skills, team work, self development, confidence and the obvious positive effects it will have on their English language learning.

With a little time, energy and patience your placement will be thoroughly rewarding and enjoyable for both you and the children you’ll be working with. You'll no doubt learn a thing or two as well, from your students and fellow coaches - this country is passionate about sport with no shortage of talent! You'll also help give the children hope and renewed confidence. The sense of importance that children feel from the fact that you're from another country and have chosen to spend your time helping them can be overwhelming - your very presence is encouraging and motivating.

OPTIONAL ADD-ONS

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Brazilians are passionate about football! The national obsession with football appears to be instilled in children of all ages and classes, who can often be seen having a game of barefoot soccer on the dusty backstreets of towns and cities across the country.

On the football project, you'll be working at a really great football club in the north of Rio - the poorest area and so the area most in need of voluntary help. The club trains everyone, from younger kids right up to older students of around 18 who are really great at football.

Their aim is to get these kids off the street and provide football lessons to give them something creative to focus on. The only thing required by the club is that the kids have to be attending school regularly... or they can't come to the club. This helps to keep them in school.

The institution works with over 250 kids at the moment, and all football instructors are volunteers, so the lack of volunteers is a big problem they face

You’ll usually spend around half of your time coaching the little ones, and half of your time playing football with the older students, which will give you the opportunity to keep up your skills!

Your Work:  Your main role is to assist the coaches with general coaching. This can include training the kids for championships, giving warm ups and helping with stretching, teaching football techniques, etc.

If you are very confident, you can also take your own group of kids. If you have any qualifications, you are welcome to use them here, and new training techniques are always welcome!

You’ll usually go to work in the morning, take part in a few hours coaching then have lunch. Some afternoons, you may also be timetabled to go to one of the schools in the surrounding area to help out with their PE lessons, which are a mixture of lots of different kinds of sports, or at one of the total sports project centres (see below). We have a variety of projects, so Fabio will try to tailor your project to meet your individual skills and needs.

In Brazil you can coach:-
 

	Ballet
	Basketball
	Capoeira
	Dance (any kind!)
	Football
	Karate
	Jiu-Jitsu
	Tennis
	Volleyball
	Women's Football

Charitable organisations, NGO's and social projects are working hard in the Brazilian suburbs to provide recreational activities to street children or those from disadvantaged neighbourhoods. Travellers have developed a number of partnerships with such projects and that's where you come in: to help coach these enthusiastic children and teenagers! Our programmes are aimed at improving the social skills and lifestyles of children and teenagers through the means of sport.

YOU CAN CHOOSE which sports you'd like to take part in. We'll create a project based at several project centres which will give you a jam-packed timetable focused on the sports you love. If you'd like to assist at the football club (see above), teaching English or at the crèches, you can also fill up your schedule with these activities.

"There is so much to say about the Karate club at the Ruben Gomez CIEP School where I work. There are people here who work very hard to keep the kids off the streets away from crime and drugs. One way, of course, is by encouraging dedication to sports.  In this school there are two avenues ... one is the Karate Club, run entirely by volunteers, who somehow manage to raise enough funds to ensure the children are properly kitted out and even able to attend competitions. 

The youngsters take the sport very seriously.  I believe I mentioned the thirteen year old black belt who is capable of leading a class. (She has 6 siblings, lives in a two roomed house and looks about 17). Perhaps there are one or two Karate clubs out there with time to spare who could help in some way.... as you read through the rest of this I hope everyone will begin to realise just how much difference this kind of activity makes to these kids.

The other sport of course is football.  On Friday Marcelo was even more boisterous than usual because the boys´ team he works with won an important local match.  He proudly showed us the wonderful row of trophies earned by the team.  As with the Karate, they have only what is donated and every victory is hard earned. These guys put so much effort into helping these kids without ever seeking any kind of reward, except maybe, success." Vera Tyler, Rio, Brazil

You'll receive lots of care and assistance from our very friendly and helpful UK staff, from the first stage of applying all the way through to the end of your placement. We are also available 24 hours a day for any urgent matter during your time on our placement.

Travellers will send you our extremely comprehensive information pack with details on everything - ranging from where to go on your weekend travels to what to pack and extensive safety tips. We will also provide you with a selection of coaching manuals that will be very useful on your project.

In Brazil you will have the support of our Brazil Manager who will be on call 24/7 from meeting you at the airport and will be around frequently to ensure you are settled and happy on your placement. You will also find that the teachers at the schools and institutes where you work will be very happy to help you throughout your days.

If you speak some Portuguese (or even Spanish), you will find it very beneficial on this project. But don't be put off if languages aren't your thing! You're sure to pick up some of the basic words whilst you are there, and will find other ways to converse without language becoming a barrier. Don't forget that we can also arrange some Portuguese Lessons for you during your programme if you would like.

Additional Activities you can do while on this Project:
Add to your travel experience in Brazil by doing some additional exciting activities - you never know, you could develop a passion for Latin American dance, or learn a new skill!

• Capoeira: A cross between a dance, a fight skill and an art form ... fascinating and fun!

• Brazilian Music courses: Choose from a variety of local percussion/styles

• Portuguese Language Courses: Immerse yourself in the language and you'll be amazed at the effects it brings!

• Yoga Courses

• Photography courses

• Latin Dance Lessons

• Watersports, Treks and Adventure Activities

The main school holidays are from approximately

• 15^th July until the 10^th August and

• 10^th December until the end of the last week in February.

If you are unsure about how seasonal breaks may affect your placement, please ask us!

"Carnaval - The planet's most spectacular annual cultural pageant, where the ancient world's spirit of chaotic collective delirium and abandonment of self to the impulses of the body and a greater collective spirit is unrivaled."