Positive Chances Co-ordinator Rachel Parker has returned from her trip to Sudan, where she helped deliver a Phase 1 Premier Skills Programme to forty six Sudanese football coaches of which fourteen were females. The programme ran over six days where Rachel and two other coaches: Jez and Steve showed the Coaches how to plan, deliver and evaluate safe, fun, purposeful and inclusive football sessions.
Rachel said, "The experience of travelling to a different country to do something I really enjoy doing is fantastic and something I can cross off the list of things I’ve wanted to achieve. It was quite scary leaving knowing it was my first time travelling alone. Usually, I leave all the travel arrangements to my husband. Getting on the plane I was excited, but wouldn't you if you new you were flying business class for the first time! I didn't really know what to expect when I landed at Khartoum Airport in Sudan, but I was put at ease when the driver picked me up to take me to the 5 Star hotel I would be staying at. Yes, you did read that correctly, a 5 Star hotel.
When I arrived I met up with Jez the head coach and Steve, one of the assistant coaches. Also at the same time of our stay was a referee’s course that was being delivered by Keith Hackett and Alan Wiley to ex-professional referees. While you are reading this you are probably thinking I was only there for a holiday, being treated with business class air travel and a 5 Star hotel, but let me tell you it was one of the hardest weeks I have worked.
On the first morning, we went to meet all the Coaches at the Stadium of Khartoum this is where we were going to deliver the coaching sessions. The group were very friendly and enthusiastic, which was going to make our jobs easier. My group were all females, which I was made aware of prior to my arrival in Sudan. The group could not speak any English, so every session was conducted with an interpreter present, which wasn’t a problem. I would just have to adapt my coaching style a little. The group were fantastic and managed to take on board all that was being presented.
During our time together, the group engaged with one another and provided lots of input into the sessions. At the end of the week all Coaches were rewarded with an end of ceremony passing out event, where local children and family members were invited to the stadium. The Coaches of the course organised a football tournament for the children to take part in. The tournament was run like professionals and it was good to see how they worked together as a team. They demonstrated very well how they had taken on board all the elements of the training programme.
At the end of our time there it was time to say goodbye. This was hard for us as we had made good friends. Before we left the participants surprised us with present. These were no ordinary presents as you can see from the photo.
A big thank you has to go to the British Council in Sudan. Their hard work throughout the week must be acknowledged, as the training programme passed without a single hitch. The attitude and professionalism shown by the British Council made our trip all the more enjoyable. A huge thank you goes to our driver (High Tower). Throughout the week we were looked after extremely well. He took us to the local sites where we could experience some of the local delicacies, which were very nice.
I really enjoyed the experience in Sudan. I went out to share my knowledge together with acquiring lots of new skills from Jez and Steve. So for me this was a total success. The Coaches showed me that you don’t need lots of equipment, knowledge and space. It was just the fact that they were very passionate and that they wanted to help their communities build friendships to engage young people in adopting a healthy lifestyle.