Football links to promote better lives in Africa

UCLan’s School of Sport, Tourism and The Outdoors has linked up with a charity that uses football to promote better lives for young people living in Western and Southern Africa.

Clint Godfrey, a Senior Lecturer in Sports Coaching and Development at UCLan, visited Cape Town through the UK based charity Coaching for Hope.  He worked with local football coaches and delivered two workshops focussing on supporting the coaches by identifying their strengths and weaknesses and then helping them to develop strategies to improve their coaching practice.

Clint said: “The coach’s role is then to go on and deliver football sessions in their local communities and educate young people about HIV, Aids and substance misuse through football.”

Workshops were held in Khayelitsha, Cape Town and at Greenpoint soccer club, across from the site of the new World Cup stadium.

Clint was supported throughout the trip by Coaching for Hope Programme Assistant Dennis Kerspuy.  Dennis himself is a graduate of the Coaching for Hope Coach Education Programme now works for the organisation full-time. 

Clint said: “Dennis typified the passion and dedication that I saw from so many coaches during my trip to Cape Town.  They have a shared vision to provide opportunities for young people who otherwise would not be involved in sport.  Dennis showed me around so many of the different projects that they support, including working in local children’s homes and the townships in and around Cape Town.” 

Opportunities for UCLan students

Clint now intends to continue working with the charity to provide a one year work placement for a UCLan sports student in Africa as well as developing a mentoring and buddy scheme that matches a UCLan student with a Cape Town coach.  It is envisaged that the two groups will work together to share information and to support their ongoing development as coaches. 

Clint added: “It is a unique opportunity for UCLan students to develop a relationship with a local coach in a country that is passionate and committed to developing football.  With the world cup just around the corner there is no better time to be involved with football in South Africa.” 

For further information contact Clint by email or call 01772 895899.

More information

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Find out more about Coaching for Hope

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