India is by no means associated with football greatness. This is largely to do the fact that cricket dominates nearly every household throughout India. However, football is loved and played by thousands of children in India. Improvised street football matches are just as common as games of street cricket. Sadly, however, this is the limit of football opportunities for most children in India. This is why you, as a volunteer football coach, can make a huge impact to young football players in India, providing structured coaching sessions, building community sports facilities and bringing decent football equipment with you.

 

You will work in schools and slum areas around Jaipur where access to football is very limited. To start with, you will work in the schools to establish and improve football coaching classes. In many cases, sport is neglected in Indian schools because, culturally, Indians only promote activities if they have a direct benefit on their children’s career. Many schools are therefore very keen for you to engage young people in sport through organised sports activities. The second part of your football coaching project is based in the slum areas where you will organise football coaching sessions and structured matches for the children living there. Naturally, you will find this a very eye-opening experience, but also extremely rewarding.

 

We welcome football volunteers from all walks of life that are passionate about playing or coaching football. The focus is not on creating India’s next football star, but on giving disadvantaged children the opportunity to play football as part of a structured team or club. Recognised coaching qualifications are, therefore, not required but you are expected to have a reasonable amount of playing or coaching experience.

 

Your role in the schools will be to organise football coaching sessions and matches for the children. Many of the schools cannot afford to have their own PE or sports teachers, so your involvement will have an immediate impact. These football sessions may take place during the school timetable but, more often than not, you will run football clubs after school. You will soon discover how effective your football sessions can be since many of the children are very talented but simply haven’t had the opportunity to play in an organised environment. By introducing the basic principles of movement, passing and team play, your football players will improve dramatically. Organising football matches or sports days against other schools are great ways for your players to experience the competitive side of sport while also developing a real sense of belonging with their team mates. The physical and health benefits of playing regular football are also an important part of your football coaching project.

 

Your role in the slum areas will be to provide football coaching and matches for many of the children who would otherwise not get to play sport. The children are sports mad so you will find it very easy to get the children involved. Again, by introducing some basic structure to football matches, your young footballers will show great improvement. And as your confidence grows, you will no doubt want to introduce your own ideas to your football sessions. Your ideas will be greatly received and you will have plenty of other volunteers and in-country staff if you need some inspiration.

 

The third part of your football placement will be to help improve or repair sports facilities in the local community. Not only does this provide better access to football for young athletes, it helps create a sense of pride in the community. Building of renovating local sports facilities is also a fantastic way of leaving something tangible behind once your leave your football project.

 

A gap year is a great time to join a gap year project in India where you can coach gap year football, meet hundreds of gap year volunteers and experience exciting gap year travel in India. Taking a gap year in India will change you forever, offering you unforgettable gap year memories and providing close friendships that will last long after you return him from your gap year in India.