Odds are as a kid you played soccer; whether joining a team or just starting a pick-up game with your friends in the neighborhood. The exhilaration of rushing to score and the elation felt while watching the ball dart to the back of the net is a common memory in many American childhoods.
Playing a sport promotes a sense of camaraderie with peers, boosts self esteem and encourages a healthy lifestyle. Giving a child the opportunity to play on a team at a young age is vital in ensuring the development of a confident and successful adolescent.
However, the opportunity to play soccer is hard to come by for children in developing nations. They are often without the resources to fund a team, frequently coaches are unavailable and equipment is lacking or completely non-existent. Unfortunately, this abject poverty is a harsh reality for millions of young people. Soccer acts as an outlet for young people, keeping them away from a life of crime and drugs, by giving them a chance at a better life.
Coaching kids will endow them with valuable advice while they bond with their peers and do what all kids love to do, play! One volunteer in Argentina relates, “The kids are amazing people, and even better soccer players!! This program has proven to be a success”.
i-to-i Meaningful Travel offers coaching projects in several countries:
• Tanzania
• Kenya
• Honduras
• Argentina
• Trinidad
• Ecuador
• Brazil
Helping kids to work together in a positive manner gives them a fighting chance at improving their lives and their communities by staying off the streets and engaging in healthy competition.
It’s a meaningful vacation where you get to work by playing the most beloved sport in the world.
