At a glance
- This is a volunteer opportunity with Projects Abroad. Devxchange will assist you in choosing the right fit, raising funds with your own campaign page, issuing tax receipts to donors if project meets CRA criteria as a charitable activity. Devxchange will also assist you in onboarding with Projects Abroad.
- Work closely with local coaches to help develop the sports skills of teenagers from disadvantaged backgrounds.
- By working at the club, you’ll teach the young players about teamwork and discipline whilst improving their physical health.
- It’s a great way for you to refine your own skills and learn new training techniques from different coaches.
Details
- Prepare for training sessions with local coaches
- Teach a youth team
- Join in local games
- Accompany coaches and players to professional games
Included
- Food (three meals a day)
- Airport pick-up and drop-off
- Full induction and orientation by an experienced staff member on arrival
- Transport to and from your work placement
- In-country support and 24-hour back-up from our team of full-time local staff
- Emergency assistance from our international emergency response team
- Project equipment and materials, including access to our database with thousands of resources
- Training and workshops from our experienced local staff
- Regular social events and community activities with other volunteers and interns
- Access to our local office with internet connection
- Certification of project completion
- Access to our alumni services and discounts
- Visa support and advice
- Fundraising support, including your own personalized fundraising website with DevXchange
- Tax Receipts for your donors if activity meets CRA criteria for charitable activity.
- Pre-departure preparation by your own specialist Volunteer Advisor
- Personalized MyProjectsAbroad website, with all the information you need about your project, accommodation and destination
- A free cultural awareness course
- Membership to our volunteer social media groups, to share information and to get in touch
- Support to help you complete registration or internship documents, if applicable
Not Included
- Flights
- Visa Costs (where applicable)
- 10% Admin fee for donations involving tax receipts.
About This Trip
Are you passionate about soccer? Are you eager to get more practical coaching experience? Would you like to help develop the skills of young players from a disadvantaged background? Then coaching soccer in Ghana is the perfect opportunity for you!
This project is a fantastic chance to improve your coaching whilst also helping local children to develop their skills. You may even get the chance to play for one of the local teams in one of their friendly games at the weekend!
This project runs year-round and you can join at any time. It would be ideal if you could spend four weeks or more on the project to get the most out of it.
Your work will focus on the following areas:
Prepare for training sessions with local coaches
You will meet with local soccer coaches to discuss training sessions twice a week. This will also include doing match analysis and discussing the weekly schedule. Interacting with local coaches is an excellent opportunity to learn coaching skills and trade secrets from professionals. It’s also a great way to get to know more about the strengths and weaknesses of the players you will be working with.
On some days, you may also have to help out with the maintenance of the football grounds and complete similar manual work.
Teach a youth team
As a volunteer coaching soccer in Ghana, your afternoons will be dedicated to training a young team. This will include working on:
- Development of ball control
- Accurate passing
- Keeping possession
- Game tactics
- Moving into space.
Along with the local coaches, you will also discuss and work on match strategies and coordinate practice games.
Join in local games
One of the greatest things about this volunteer project is the fact that you will be able to join in the fun!
As a soccer enthusiast yourself, you are likely to be drawn into local games in the evenings or over weekends. This will give you a great opportunity to immerse yourself in the local style of soccer and offer better advice to your team.
Accompany coaches and players to professional games
You will also get the opportunity to see one of Ghana’s many top division club teams – like Kotoko and Hearts of Oak – in action. You can accompany the players to games, and discuss the match to help with their own development.
Akuapem Hills
Located in the Eastern Region of Ghana, Akuapem Hills is characterised by vibrant green vegetation and rich red earth. As one of the quieter regions, children calling ‘Obroni’ (foreigner) as they try to catch your attention will be unmistakable. The villages are welcoming and know how to entertain! When volunteering in Ghana, join in on the street festivities or try dried fish and yams at a food stall on the main street. The bustling city of Accra is within easy reach for a day trip.
Your working week will be from Monday to Friday, which is when you’ll lead training sessions. Once a month, you also have the opportunity to join in with competitive matches. On weekends, you have time to rest and explore.
You will start your mornings with a hearty breakfast in your host family’s home. Then, you’ll travel directly to Akokoa, where the Tore Eikeland School is, to prepare for the day ahead.
As schools close for the day, children will start arriving at the soccer club between 4pm and 6pm. This is when the fun begins! You will spend the rest of the day teaching a young team and helping them develop basic skills and techniques.
You will be expected to help out at games on certain evenings. You may even be asked to act as referee or join a game if a player gets injured. Time spent with the children will provide you with an excellent hands-on soccer coaching experience while you’re in Ghana.
On weekends, you will have plenty of free time to explore with your fellow volunteers and get to know your host family.
Soccer is hugely popular in Ghana. There is plenty of room for development on a national level, and especially talented players can go on to represent their country.
Unfortunately, competitive sports can be beyond reach for many Ghanaian children, due financial constraints. We help overcome those barriers by covering their participation costs. This includes equipment and jerseys. We also cover the cost of transportation to and from training.
We run our Soccer Project in Ghana to achieve several goals:
- Improve health and fitness
- Reduce inequality
- Develop motor skills
- Learn life skills like teamwork and discipline
Teach soccer in Ghana and help local children develop important life skills through sports.
You’ll stay with a host family in Ghana. They will welcome you into their home, eager to share their customs and have you teach them about your own culture. We believe that this is the best way to immerse yourself in the culture of Ghana and have a truly unique experience.
We will always try to let you live alongside at least one other Projects Abroad volunteer or intern at the same host family. Your room will be modest, but comfortable, clean, and safe.
Your program fee includes three meals a day.
Find out more about our accommodation.
Volunteering in Ghana is an ideal way to explore this colourful West African country. There’s a huge variety of different activities to do while you’re there, giving you plenty of exciting ways to spend your free time.
Music is a central part of Ghanaian culture. In the bigger towns, especially Accra, you will hear some great live bands and have some memorable nights out. Evenings spent at buzzing restaurants will also give you a taste of some of the delicious local cuisine.
For a look into Ghana’s history, you can tour the slave forts of Cape Coast and visit museums. Nature lovers will relish trekking through the rainforests of Kakum National Park or Mole National Park.
We run a wide range of projects in Ghana so there’s sure to be other volunteers there during your trip. This means you can explore the country solo or connect with other volunteers and travel as a group.
Your safety and security is our prime concern. We have many procedures and systems to ensure you have the support you need to enjoy your trip with peace of mind. Our Projects Abroad staff are available 24 hours a day to help, and will be on-hand to make sure you settle in well at your accommodation and placement. If you encounter any problems, they will be available to help at any time.
Find out more about safety and backup.
