Volunteer Sports Coaching in Jamaica

Are you passionate about sports and fitness? Do you enjoy working with children? Looking for international sports coaching experience? If you answered yes to any of these questions, then this volunteer project is the right one for you.

Not only will you be helping children in disadvantaged communities to develop their skills, but you will also gain valuable work experience in a different cultural setting. Volunteering as a sports coach in Jamaican schools is a great addition to your CV, particularly if you’d like to pursue a career in the field.

You don’t need previous coaching experience to join. This can be professional coaching experience or simply personal experience participating in certain sports and athletic activities. Bear in mind that you will be working fairly independently, so you will need at least an intermediate knowledge of a few different sports. You will also receive a thorough induction upon arrival so that you arrive at your placement prepared.

This project is available year-round. Start and end dates are flexible, so you can choose a time that suits you. We encourage you to stay as long as you can in order to maximise your experience and make a greater impact during your stay. Please be aware that schools close from late June to August and in December.

English is the official language and is used in schools. As such, you need to be comfortable having a conversation in English.

After enjoying breakfast at the home of your friendly host family, you’ll travel to your placement via a shared taxi. On your first day, a Projects Abroad staff member will accompany you to show you the way. You will either be working at a primary, junior high or high school in the area.

A typical day on the sports coaching programme runs from 8 am – 2 pm, Monday to Friday. If you would like to work on after school training sessions and attend matches, you will stay until 5 pm. You will have your weekends and evenings free to travel or relax.

You’ll spend your day running physical education classes for different groups of children. The activities you do will vary according to the season. For example, cricket in spring and summer and football and netball in autumn and winter. Many of the schools have limited resources, so you may need to be creative.

When you’re not coaching specific sports, you may find yourself helping to prepare for sports days or school competitions. There is also the opportunity to combine this work with a Teaching Project. Teaching will let you spend part of your day in a classroom, helping students improve their literacy.

Once you’re done for the day, it’s time to learn more about the local way of life. Spend time getting to know your host family, or join in on one of our regular volunteer socials. These events are a great way to get to know your fellow volunteers and Projects Abroad staff. During your time off, you can bask on the idyllic beaches, sample traditional cuisine such as jerk chicken or ackee and saltfish, and take part in activities such as mountain trekking and scuba diving.

The main aim of this project is to support the local Physical Education teachers and enhance the children’s athletic learning.

Many schools in Jamaica have a high student-to-teacher ratio. This means that the local Physical Education teachers are simply unable to cope with so many students or run very effective training sessions.

As a volunteer, you will be an extra pair of helping hands. Students can be divided into smaller groups, which means that sports classes are more focused and productive.

The country has also long struggled with high levels of poverty and unemployment, although things are improving. This has led to a number of social ills, such as violence and teenage pregnancy. Sport is an ideal way to keep children occupied in a fun, healthy way and teaches them important skills such as teamwork and dedication.

Join us in Jamaica and work in disadvantaged schools to encourage children to have fun while playing sports and getting fit.

Your main role is to help with physical education classes and sports training at local schools. Here are some of the things you can get up to:

• Teach children a variety of different sports
• Run students through all aspects of sports training
• Teach off-field sports information such as nutrition and game rules