Coaching for Hope – Sport for Development

Skillshare International’s Coaching for Hope (CfH) programme uses football as a tool to

empower youth, women and disabled people, supporting them to reach their full

potential.

Inspire, uplift, educate and empower

Popularity and universal appeal of football

Programmes developed by experts from the fields of education, health, international development and football

Informal but essential life-education that cannot otherwise be accessed and understood

+

=

• coaches, equipped with the right knowledge, would have an amazing power to educate – particularly in areas the formal education system did not touch, such as HIV/AIDS prevention.

• Since its early roots in HIV/AIDS prevention, CfH now also has programmes that focus on substance abuse, gender and disability inequality and confidence and leadership building.

• Since 2005, CfH has directly impacted more than 30,000 young people in 7 countries and there are currently 980 coaches rolling out CfH programmes.

History of CfH

• trains volunteer coaches, from local communities, to guide students through educational programmes.

• first level, coaches trained in “limited resource football coaching” and equipped to deliver an eight-week key life and health skills curriculum.

• progress to be a Level 2 or 3 coach by completing further modules – including how to work with those with disabilities and to use football to prevent young people from substance abuse.

• By training coaches, CfH creates agents of change. The coaches become community leaders that empower youth, women and disabled people.

How does CfH use football to create better futures?

“It’s amazing to visit a project like this and see the effect football has on young people. Football has the power to change lives and the youngsters are able to learn valuable lessons

through their love of the game.”

David Beckham on visiting a CfH project in South Africa

CfH trains local coaches to:

• Give vulnerable young people a chance to take part in regular football activity.

• Teach sexual education courses grounded in facts vs myth or fiction to reduce the spread of HIV/AIDS and keep youth HIV free.

• Act as positive role models, especially for children with no parents or regular carers.

• Tackle discrimination against women and disabled people by teaching equality and actively promoting inclusion on and off the pitch.

• Teach literacy and numeracy models to equip for the future and raise aspirations and confidence.

CfH trains coaches because:

• Investing in coaches is sustainable; every coach trained can work with hundreds of people over the course of their career.

• Vulnerable young people need regular, structured activity which the coaches are taught to facilitate.

• Teams, leagues and tournaments, that are essential to keep people engaged, require organisational skills that CfH training provides.

• CfH courses enable coaches to gain skills which enhance their employability. It’s not only the students that are developed to reach their full potential.

Why coaching?

How is CfH different?

Strong presence and relationships

in developmen

t sector

Strong presence and relationships

in the football industry

Programmes constantly reviewed,

revised and developed

Active, on-field

education, not “play

then learn”

• CfH has become the football industry’s most respected “sport for development” charity – with official backing from the FA, FIFPro, the Professional Footballers Association, the League Manager’s Association, the Professional Football Coaches Association.

• CfH has excellent working relationships with several UK clubs including Tottenham, Everton, QPR, Hull City, Bristol City and Brighton and Hove Albion Football Club.

• Norman Cook (Fatboy Slim) is CfH’s Patron and Tottenham defender Michael Dawson also strongly supports the organisation.

• CfH is regularly commissioned by a range of development agencies to deliver the CfH programme as part of their own work. Past partners have included:

• CfH has also been recognised as exhibiting sport for development best practise by influential bodies in the sector including the Laureus Sport for Good Foundation, Streetfootballworld, FIFA Football for Hope and Comic Relief.

• Adidas has been a valuable corporate partner since 2006.

Who currently supports CfH?

How does CfH measure and evaluate impact? • bespoke M&E Toolkit – designed in partnership with three

universities (University of Cape Town, University of York St. John and University of Central Lancashire).

• staff and coaches to monitor their work and impact and details the variables, measures and milestones that enable coaches to know whether they are contributing to not only organisational, but personal objectives. A full copy of the Toolkit can be made available on request.

• All coaches have a detailed Coaching for Hope Log Book that they have to fill out after every session and submit to us for evaluation.

• In addition, CfH’s university partners are regularly commissioned to conduct objective evaluations of the on-the-ground activites.

“life skills training has empowered not only boys in football teams, but girls as well, especially with regard to transmission of HIV/AIDS and how to avoid it ...... young girls are benefitting from learning

more about HIV/AIDS whilst also playing a male dominated sport in their communities”.

“courses are a powerful tool of social inclusion, a strong way to increase self esteem and ..... a powerful tool to increase social links”.

How is CfH changing lives?

Coaches

• Since 2005, 875 African coaches have been trained.

• The unique curriculum builds the skills of the coach as a communicator and educator – increasing their personal confidence and standing in their communities.

• CfH increases coach employability. Eg. In Burkina Faso, 20 CfH coaches now hold paid posts in football training centres or with local teams.

• 20% of coaches trained have been female – powerfully challenging gender stereotypes. Now more young girls, particularly those from conservative backgrounds participate.

• 5% of the coaches trained have disability. aises individual aspirations and helps to break down established social stigma towards disability. encourages all coaches to include more disabled people.

• Senior coaches receive regular mentoring and “masterclasses” from professional UK clubs to motivate, inspire and develop them.

Children & Young People

• More than 30,000 children and young people have been trained

• Access to education and life-saving knowledge.

• a module “Adapt it” –to ensure all children, including those with disability, can be in football activities.

• 5% of the youth that participate are disabled.

• Better confidence and scope to continue school and learn employable skills.

How is CfH changing lives?

• gender equity - encouraging girls to play, to assert themselves and to speak their minds (in Burkina Faso, 30% girls.

• increase youth confidence by teaching them key skills, such as reading and numeracy encourage schooling

• A new method of approaching the problem of drug and alcohol abuse has been taken into schools in the Western Cape of South Africa.

How is CfH changing lives?Community

• raises the profile of the key issues in the communities. Education sessions are visible, sociable and inspiring – extending reach beyond those directly impacted.

• uses skills learnt in other community activities, over and above those delivered under the CfH.

• Regular events eg. Tournaments improving community cohesion by providing a neutral environment for discussion and communication.

• In BF, weekly radio programme where coaches provide health advice and education. Two-thirds of the population tune into the radio giving CfH opportunity for wide dissemination of messages.

• Increased social capital through training of community members, who can then play a community leadership role.

• Engaging communities mean encouragement to youth and children to pursue sports & education.

Appendix 2 – The CfH Theory of Change

ActivityFootball based youth programme incorporating life skills, numeracy and educational support.

Positive Youth DevelopmentPositive, sustained adult-youth relationships. Skill-building activities for youth.

Youth participation and leadership. Safe settings. Long-term duration.

OutcomesDevelop psycho-social domain.

Confidence, character, competence, caring connection.Provides the underpinning knowledge required to make good decisions.

Develops literacy and numeracy.

Positive BehaviourDelay sexual debut. Limited the number of partners. Know each other’s status.

Use condoms. Respect your partner. Avoid risky behaviour. Be aware of the impact of alcohol and drug use. Stay in education. Seek employment.

Social ChallengesEarly sexual activity. Childhood pregnancy. Multiple and concurrent partners. Lack of condom

use. Intergenerational and transactional sex. Alcohol and drug misuse. Gender violence. Lack of education. Unemployment.

Millennium Development GoalsGoal 2: Achieve Universal Education

Goal 3: Promote Gender Equality and Empower WomenGoal 6: Combat HIV/AIDS, Malaria and other diseases