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COACH SWIMMING

Coach and Compete in Swimming in Perth, in beautiful Western Australia

Australia is renowned for producing some of the best swimmers in the world, like Ian Thorpe and Grant Hacket and many, many others through the years.

Swimming is a massive sport in Australia and on this very professional project you will have the opportunity to coach alongside some very good coaches.

You'll work in this very professional swimming environment alongside beginner swimmers right through to Olympians! You'll assist in coaching a number of age groups, from 5 year olds who are just learning how to swim, all the way through to National and Olympic swimmers who have represented Australia.

On this project you will also have the opportunity to train regularly and compete if you wish to.

This project provides you with a diverse experience in that your activities will take place in two locations and will also give you the opportunity to coach other sports as well:

1. You'll spend your afternoons and evenings coaching and/or training at a Swimming Club in Perth.
    

2. During the mornings and early afternoons, for about 4-5 hours every day, you'll bring very welcome athletic coaching skills to the Sports Refugee project. This project takes place in a school in one of the suburbs of Perth and here you'll coach athletics plus a variety of other sports to refugee children from war-torn countries.

You'll work with a variety of ages at the club and you will have an opportunity to compete yourself and test your abilities against the Aussies!

The clubs we work with have a very lively social scene and you'll be welcomed with open arms!

Return to the Australia Home Page and
 the list of all our projects in Australia

1. YOUR PROJECT AT THE CLUB:

This element of your programme will take place in the late afternoons and evenings. You'll work at one of the top swimming clubs in Perth and in Western Australia.

The club is conveniently situated close to your accommodation and has some of the best swimming facilities in Western Australia, including three 50 meter pools, 2 which are outdoor and 1 which is indoors.

At the club you will be working as an assistant coach alongside the already existing swimming coaches at the club. As an assistant coach, you will be able to pass your skills on to the various groups of children you will be coaching and you will also be able to learn a great deal from the highly qualified and experienced coaches - thus hopefully improve your own coaching abilities and experience!

As well as coaching swimming, you'll have the opportunity to work with the 'elite' swimmers, helping them with weight training sessions at the Western Australian Sports Institute.

At the club there are a number of different swimming squads that you will be involved with coaching and you can also train with the squads and you might get the opportunity to compete. The squads are as follows:

• Development Squad

• Junior Skill Squad

• Junior Endurance Squad

• Intermediate Squad

• National Age Development Squad

• National Age Open Squad

On the weekends the clubs compete in swimming galas and you will have the opportunity to get involved in the galas as a coach. There is also the opportunity to do some extra coaching and training if you so wish, or you could explore the many attractions that Perth has to offer.

THE SWIMMING SEASON AND COACHING TIMES:

This project runs all year round but if you come during school holidays you will only be able to work at the swimming club.

Your coaching times: You will be able to coach for 2 - 3 days of the week, Monday through to Friday. The days are flexible and you will discuss this with the head coach when you arrive.  Coaching times are from:

• 4 - 7 pm.

If you wish to compete competitively within swimming then you will need to get permission from your governing body of swimming (if you are registered to swim for another club). The fees to swim competitively in Australia for this club are between AU$50 - $AU60.

2. YOUR PROJECT AT THE REFUGEE CENTRE:
The Refugee Sports Project will take place during the day. For this element of your programme, you will be working at a school located in Perth. The school you will be working with have an Intensive English Centre (IEC) which has children from war-torn countries such as Sudan, Somalia and Afghanistan who have come to Australia as refugees with the United Nations. The IEC was set up to enable children on the program to learn English and enable them to adapt to the Australian education system before moving into main stream schooling.

As part of the IEC program, the children learn to play sports at the school. As a volunteer on this project, you will be coaching a number of sports to the IEC children as well as main stream children at the school. Coaching takes place for around 4-5 hours a day. The schools have good sports facilities and you'll work as an assistant to the current sports teacher. 

This project is very beneficial to the IEC children because, through sports, you can improve their English skills as well as teaching them new sports. Many of the IEC children are very talented at sports and with your help they will get the opportunity to improve their skills and sporting abilities.

There are a wide number of sports available to coach on this project and you will be involved in a wide range of sporting activities, giving you great diversity on the project. The sports are generally coached by season, but if you wanted to coach a sport that was not in season, or if you wanted to introduce a new sport to the children, the school would welcome it as long as it was of benefit to the children.

The sports are as follows:
Term 1: Volleyball, Basketball & Tennis
Term 2: Aussie Rules, Soccer, Netball & Basketball
Term 3: AFL (Aussie Rules Football), Athletics, Netball, Soccer, Cross Country
Term 4: Tennis, Swimming, Volleyball, Cricket & Soccer

This element of the project runs during the school terms. The school terms for 2008 are as follows:

• Term 1: 4th Feb - 11 April

• Term 2: 28th April - 4th July

• Term 3: 21st July - 26th September

• Term 4: 13th October - 16th December

The school terms for 2009 are as follows:

• Term 1: 2nd Feb - 9th April

• Term 2: 28th April - 3rd July

• Term 3: 20th July - 25th September

• Term 4: 12th October - 17th December

The lessons you will be coaching in will last for 40 minutes and the school day runs from around 8:45 - 2:45 pm. As a volunteer you will be assisting the existing sports teacher at the school coaching the children. You'll spend about 4 to 5 hours a day helping the children at the school.

FREE COACHING MANUALS AND FREE SUBSCRIPTION TO A COACHING WEBSITE:
As a volunteer sports coach with Travellers, you have access to a large number of coaching manuals for each sport - these manuals have been produced in-house by our Sports Manager. These manuals are very useful and will help you to plan coaching sessions for your students.

As well as coaching manuals you also have a year’s free subscription to a Coaching website: www.grassrootscoaching.com. With this membership (which normally comes with a price tag of £39.99), you automatically become a member of the International Coaches Association (ICA) and join a community of coaches from over 65 countries.

REQUIREMENTS: WORKING WITH CHILDREN'S CHECKS & POLICE CHECKS:
The law in Western Australia required all volunteers who work with children to undergo a Working With Children's Check (WCC). It is also compulsory for volunteers who work in schools to undergo a police check. These checks are done to ensure the safety of children in Western Australia.

The checks are a simple process and we will provide you with all the details of what identity you need to take with you. On your arrival in Perth, our Australia manager will complete the checks with you and take you through the process. As soon as you have registered, you'll be allowed to start working with children. The fees for is A$53 (about £25).

   Video: Swimming in Australia

Your accommodation is located in the CBD (Central Business District) of Perth, Western Australia. Therefore you are very central, close to the main train station and shopping district.

You'll be accommodated in a centrally located lodge that is friendly and relaxing, making it ideal for long term stays. You'll have your own room, but will share a bathroom with others on your floor. There is an excellent kitchen and storage area for cooking meals and plenty of space to relax.

Entertainment at your accommodation includes a pool table, cheap internet access, arcade machines and cable TV (Foxtel), to name a few. But with all the sunshine Perth has – you’ll be out and about enjoying the many outdoor activities! You are literally a stroll from the Swan River and free CBD transport. Trains and buses are also only a few minutes away to take you to Fremantle, King’s Park or to the many other ‘things to do’! T

The city centre boasts great shopping, restaurants and pubs or head over to Northbridge for more pubs, nightclubs and multicultural cuisine. You'll get to work via bus, which stops outside your accommodation.

Perth was built on the banks of the magnificent Swan River over 150 years ago and is now a city rich in culture and filled with theatres, art galleries and museums. The city is modern and vibrant - a fun, friendly and 'laid back' place, with clear skies and a sunny climate. Western Australia is locally known as the 'state of excitement!'

Some of its more famous attractions include Kings Park, Scarborough Beach, Fremantle and the Swan River. Fremantle (or as the local’s call it, ‘Freo’) is the city’s port and is rich in history. At weekends you will find markets, entertainment and plenty of alfresco style cafes to laze in.

For meals in local restaurants, a trip to Perth's inner city centre is well worth the effort - it bustles with activity and offers a range of choices of restaurants.

ARRIVAL: YOUR INTRODUCTION TO THE COUNTRY

When you arrive you will be welcomed at the airport by Jenny, our Australian Manager, and she will take you to your accommodation. During your first few days Jenny will give you an induction so that you can learn about the country and its culture, as well as useful information like how to use the transport system etc.

Jenny Ashworth, Travellers Australia Manager and long-time friend of our UK Team!

As with all our destinations, the Australian Culture and heritage must be borne in mind. 

Self-reliance and independence are highly appreciated in all our destinations and will help you to make the most of this wonderful opportunity!

Once you have applied for a placement, we will send you detailed information about Australia, as well as an equally detailed Safety Guide - both of these will help to make your stay in Australia one that you will never forget!

Please note: You need to be 18 or over to take part in this project.

After a week of coaching you will have the opportunity to relax on the beautiful beaches of Perth.

You have the option to arrange your own flights or we can assist you with your flight arrangements. If you would like us to do this for you, we will liaise with you regarding available flights and dates to suit you. All arrangements for your flight bookings/payments will be fulfilled by Murray Rogers Travel Ltd., ATOL No. 6856. (Read more about Murray Rogers Travel Ltd.)

Where possible, we arrange for two or more people to travel on the same flight and we will let you have the names and telephone numbers of other volunteers on your flight, so that you can chat to each other or even meet up before leaving for your placement.

We can also arrange your flight dates to give you additional time at the end of your project for travelling around and sightseeing - this is a fascinating country!

You will fly into Perth where you'll be met by Jenny, our local organiser. From the airport you'll be taken to your accommodation. Several days later, once you have settled in and recovered from the flight, you will be introduced to your staff on your project.

VISAS: We will liaise with you about specific requirements, if any, and make the Visa process very easy.   

If you choose to book your own flights, you should endeavour to get a changeable ticket.

To read about Support & Backup we provide, please click here.

To see the Prices of this project and all our other projects in Australia, please click here

• Food & accommodation while on your project,
• 2 T-shirts, if required for your project
• All support and backup during your programme
• Meeting you at the nearest airport, where appropriate, but exclude international travel.

Return to the Australia Home Page and
 the list of all our projects in Australia

TO APPLY FOR THIS PROJECT, PLEASE CLICK HERE