WHAT YOU'LL GAIN FROM DOING THIS PROJECT:

• An exciting, never-to-be-forgotten adventure into New Zealand and you'll learn about the Maori culture that makes this country so fascinating!

• The enormous satisfaction of also helping disadvantaged children and knowing that you made a difference to them.

• New skills, more confidence, a greater understanding of a different culture, invaluable personal and professional development.

• An entry on your CV or résumé that will put you head and shoulders above most others in the job market

• And best of all ... an unforgettable experience!
   

WORK CONTENT:

1. YOUR PROJECT AT THE CLUB:
This element of your programme will take place in the late afternoons and evenings. You'll work at a athletics club located in the suburbs of Auckland and a short bus ride away from the city centre where your accommodation is located.

The club has excellent facilities, including a weights gym, athletics track and top class cross country running park. At the club you will have the opportunity to coach a variety of different ages in a variety of different events. You'll also have the opportunity to train and possibly compete for the club, if you get selected.

The club has a large variety of athletics events available for volunteers to coach and compete in as follows:

• All field events,

• All track events,

• Cross country/middle distance

During the summer months (October - March) the club holds its track and field training. The cross country and middle distance training takes place all year round. The children you will be coaching vary from 7 - 18 year olds. If you would also like to compete yourself on this project, you can do this as a representative of the athletics club or as a representative from your own club.

The athletics season runs from:

• Track & Field: October - March

• Cross Country, road running and long distance: All year round

Coaching and training times are as follows

• Track & Field: 5:30 - 7:00 Wednesday

• Cross country, road running and long distance: 5:00 - 6:30 - 7:00 Monday - Friday

Athletics meetings take place from October - December and February - March and cross country events run throughout the winter period. You can coach athletics all year around, regardless of the school holidays.

If you are a long distance/cross country coach you will be expected to coach for 2 days a week, where as if you are a track/field coach you will coach for one day a week. You will have the opportunity to coach more than this, should you wish.

Please Note:  As a volunteer with Travellers you will receive free club membership but if you wish to compete you will have to pay around NZ$5 - NZ$7 per meeting.

2. YOUR SPORTS PROJECT AT THE SCHOOL
The School Sports Project will take place during the day. For this element of your programme, you will be working at a school located in Auckland. You will be working at a school located in Auckland. The school has children from a variety of backgrounds and countries such as Maori children and children from Sudan and Somalia who are refugees, as well as children from other lower economic countries such as Samoa and Tonga. The school has good facilities that will enable you to coach a variety of different sports. 

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. 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. Each school offers different sports so if there was a particular sport that you were interested in coaching please let us know and we will make arrangements for this.

The sports vary with each term, as follows:
Term 1: Swimming, Tennis, Cricket, Athletics
Term 2: Rugby Union & League, Football, Hockey, Netball
Term 3: Rugby League, Football, Netball
Term 4: Athletics, Cricket, Cross Country & Football.

The school dates for 2012 are:

• Term 1: 30th Jan / 7th Feb – 5th April       

• Term 2: 23rd April – 29th June       

• Term 3: 16th July – 28th Sept       

• Term 4: 15th Oct – 20th Dec    

The school dates for 2013 are as follows:

• Term 1: 28th Jan / 7th Feb – 19th April       

• Term 2: 6th May – 12th July       

• Term 3: 29th July – 27th Sept       

• Term 4: 14th Oct – 20th Dec  

The lessons you will be coaching in will last for 45 minutes and the school day runs from around 8:30 - 3:00 pm. You'll assist the sports teacher to coach the children and you'll spend about 3 to 5 hours a day helping the children.

FREE COACHING MANUALS:
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.

REQUIREMENTS: POLICE CHECKS:
As part of the law in New Zealand, it is compulsory for all volunteers who work with children to undergo a police check. These checks are done to ensure the safety of children in New Zealand.

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 Auckland, our New Zealand 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. We will ensure that you have all the relevant information before you come to New Zealand.