Volunteer for Sports Abroad
Over the last decade there has been a pronounced increase in the number of organizations working within the field of sports for development. These actors include small NGOS working to teach life skills to youth or marginalized groups through the mechanism of sport, to larger groups like Grass Roots Soccer, which uses soccer (football) to teach youth about HIV and preventive measures, and to large development institutions like the United Nations.
There is a general agreement that the term sport for development refers to programs focused on sport as a tool for development and which are not only aiming to increase sporting participation and the skills which are labeled within ‘sports development’. Sports of all varieties are rather viewed as a tool or mechanism to create social change.
As such, there are many ways to get involved, particularly as an intern or as a sports volunteer abroad. The field of sport for development is still viewed as being very young and therefore there are many types of groups joining which makes it more difficult to set definitions for the field.
To get the most out of a volunteer abroad experience with a sport for development organization it is imperative to find an organization that is working to use sport in an area that is of interest to you. For example, if one is interested in conflict resolution and learning how sports can be used as a tool in communities dealing with or recovering from conflict, then it is advisable to do research and find groups that prioritize using sports to create peace in their communities.
Or if one is more interested in how sport can be used to foster gender equity, again, doing research beforehand is important. Many groups do overlap within these goals and often one will find an organization that expresses its mission of using sport for conflict resolution, gender equity and teaching life skills.
In terms of volunteer positions within organizations, the details of the position are normally dependent on the objectives of the organization. An interested candidate can expect to find opportunities to be a:
- Volunteer coach of the program’s sport and to work with youth or assist the local coaches in capacity building.
- Communications officer responsible for assisting with online marketing materials, writing the newsletter and updating the program’s social media platforms.
- Research assistant who is responsible for providing greater understanding of a specific issue and then helping towards the development of a curriculum or program to address that issue through sports.
- Monitoring and evaluations specialist to help the organizations have a better system in place to track their programs, communicate their impacts and improve their activities.
- Teacher who can teach the youth life skills or other skills in the sports environment or in the classroom setting.
Sport for development organizations exist all over the world. It is important to note that there are sports volunteering opportunities in many countries and that many of the larger actors in this field have opportunities in their main offices while also providing volunteer opportunities in the sites where the programs are run.
Street football world supports sports for development organizations all around the world and at one of their main offices, they provide paid internships for applicants interested in being involved in research, communications, IT, and finance and partnerships.
It's essential to look into the required languages for the positions and the required skill set for one to land the position. If one doesn't want to leave their country for a volunteering position, it is also possible to find volunteer positions domestically. For example in the USA, organizations are working mainly in larger cities that also use sports as a tool for development.
Many of the sports for development organizations that are working to address issues related to health, disease prevention, gender equity, and conflict resolution are located in Africa and South America. There are recently more organizations forming in the Middle East that are also using sport for social change. Although there are certainly organizations that fall under the banner of sport for development in Western countries, the majority of programs are located in the global South.
In order to find the organizations that are offering volunteer opportunities, it is best to start on the larger platforms, find the groups that align with your interests, and then search them separately.
Volunteer abroad positions can be short or long-term, depending on the organization’s needs. More often the organizations ask for at least a 2- month commitment from the volunteer. The volunteers can expect to have to fundraise to cover their costs.
Some organizations will cover the expenses once the volunteer has arrived at their site and only require that the volunteer pays for their travel and travel-related costs, such as visas, passports, etc. Many times the organizations use the terms interns and volunteers interchangeably and both typically mean that the individual filling the position will not get paid.
In order to be a volunteer, the candidate is advised to fundraise $10,000 to cover travel costs, insurance, living costs, and anything else. The organization helps the interested applicant in raising funds by sharing best practices and materials, however, it is up to the volunteer to raise the designated amount of money.
