Sport Lived: Gap Year Programs Around the World

My time in Melbourne was a really special one. It was a surprise for me how welcoming and open everyone was, from the people at SportLived, who managed to organize my trip on a very last-minute basis, to everyone I shared an apartment with and all the people at the MCC hockey club. Kathy was a great help for me to feel at home right away, and she organised all the events and social gatherings so well, this made the trip even more worthwhile. The day that we went surfing and afterward to a wildlife park with koalas and kangaroos was for me the best day. The surfing was so fun to do with everyone and made me feel so relaxed afterward. The weather was also very nice that day, so that also helped of course. (Even though it was autumn when I arrived, there were still a lot of days when it was around 20+ degrees) Matt and Karen from Quest, where we lived in apartments, were also very chill and cool about everything, and very welcoming. I owe them a big thanks. Also, I liked the overall vibe of Melbourne very much, it is a big city in theory, but it doesn't feel like that, especially not when you are in Prahran, which has everything you need by the way. The city center is big in the sense that it has some high buildings, but it isn't as vast and wide as other big cities I think. But there is a lot to do, qua food and drink, but there are also a lot of museums and other cool experiences like big sporting events. At the MCC hockey club, I was surprised at how quickly everyone sort of knew who I was, and everyone from the players to the coaches made it very easy to fit in. Also, they spent a lot of attention on a good club culture and celebrate and remember a lot of significant events for the club, which was nice and sometimes very impressive. And they organize events like a golf day, which was also very fun! Overall there are a lot of great guys there, so in whichever team you'll play, I bet you'll have a great time! I would definitely recommend going on such an adventure as this, and SportLived is an excellent company to do it with, they make it so easy, from the booking to your stay in Melbourne. Thanks a lot for everything everyone!! And by the way, I went for 10 weeks, and this went by very quickly, so you might even consider going a bit longer.

I did a 2.5 months program to play field hockey. Before I came to Melbourne I didn't really know what to expect and if my stay there would live up to my expectations. But not only did it meet my expectations. It was way better than I ever imagined.

The staff of sportlived in Melbourne was amazing. They arranged several trips for me there, which were all really fun and really made my experience there way more fun. They also made sure that I was comfortable there and I had everything I needed.

I stayed in a guest family there, which was really well arranged. Sportlived made sure that I stayed with a guest family that was a good fit for me and they did a really good job with that.

I played hockey for MCC hockey section, and I had so much fun there. Not only was the hockey standard really high there. They had loads of social events there wich were all really fun. MCC was really welcoming and I met a lot of new people there.

I had a really good time there. And my experience on the program is one that will forever stay with me. The only regret I have about the program is that I didn't stay longer. I would definitely recommend this program. And if I get the chance I'll definitely go back to Melbourne again.

I was very hesitant booking a programme with sport lived as it seemed too good to be true. But it was everything it lived up to be, from great accommodation to a perfect cricket club to play at! I'd highly recommend anyone looking to take the stress out of gap year planning to go through sport lived.
Anything that Sport Lived can do to make your programme easier and more comfortable, they will find a way! The location of my cricket club was either a 20 minute walk or a 5 minute tram, so really accessible for me if I had no money on my travel card! The location of the apartment was also close to supermarkets and train stations which made exploring Melbourne alot easier.

I'd highly recommend sport lived to any young, sporty individual looking to go and play a sport abroad, you won't be disappointed!

This program is a scam. They failed to provide almost every promised service. I went to Melbourne, Australia, to join a rowing club and learn to row. Sport Lived said they would find me a rowing club and set up private lessons, and that everything would be walking distance from the hostel. I was told I'd be rowing twice per day; in reality I was rowing once per week. I was told that the rowing club was "a stone's throw from the hostel;" in reality it was 7.8km each way, and I was told to walk. Sport Lived did not help me find any extra programming to make up for the lack of rowing.

I was told that there was a roughly equal number of girls and boys; there were 3 girls and 36 boys. I was told I'd have 24/7 access to a local mentor; I saw him twice, and he went on vacation for a week during my time in Melbourne. I was told that I'd be in a hostel room with all Sport Lived people; I was in a room with strangers, and was forced to change rooms multiple times.

In my two months, there were three planned social events. Sport Lived was inherently social, given that there were nearly forty of us staying in the hostel, but the fun social scene happened independently of Sport Lived.

In the end, all the program did for me was pick me up from the airport, book me a hostel, and find me a mixed age rowing program once a week, rather than the team I was told I'd be on. I could have done all that myself, and saved the money I paid to Sport Lived. It was a good learning experience, because I was forced to come up with everything myself, and I made some great friends, but the experience was positive wholly in spite of Sport Lived, not because of it.

The coordinators back in England are difficult to work with, and do not clearly answer questions.

My program friends and I came up with a nickname for Sport Lived, "Sport Livid." I think that name accurately sums up our experience.