Volunteer Sports Coaching & Physical Education in Costa Rica

This volunteer project is an excellent way for sports minded individuals and groups to spend a gap year, career break or short vacation period working in sports. If you have a passion for sports and fitness, then this will be a truly unique and rewarding project for you.

Sports have an innate ability to cross cultural boundaries. Volunteering in the sports and physical education program in San Ramon is an ideal placement if you want to immerse yourself into Costa Rican life; furthermore, if you're passionate and enthusiastic about sports and working with young children this program has incredible opportunities. In this project you will be coaching whilst developing a sports and physical education program for a low re-sourced and under funded school in Costa Rica. This is a project where you can definitely leave your mark but keep in mind that creativity and a pioneering spirit are the essential qualities to having a rewarding experience.

The objectives of this program are to lead and coach students in sports and recreational activities whilst teaching the importance of exercise and fitness for a fit and healthy lifestyle. The program is focused on having fun whilst coaching but there will definitely be some natural talent to nurture amongst your students.

Requirements

The school has a total of 584 students and it will be your duty, along with other project members, to coach all grades from kindergarten to sixth grade. You will need to provide instruction, including the basic techniques and skills of team and individual sports, and a variety of recreational activities. Volunteers on this program are required to be innovative, enthusiastic about sport, patient, and have good communication and organizational skills.

Schedule

You will be teaching classes 15-20 hours a week in 40 minute blocks Monday-Friday. The daily schedule will include two morning sessions and two sessions in the afternoon. You will be working alongside other volunteers and the uVolunteer program coordinator to ensure a quality program for these children. If you have experience in physical education, the project is flexible enough to be able to incorporate activities planed and prepared by you into the curriculum of the program.

Spanish Language Requirement

If you have no level or a below intermediate level of Spanish you will be required to attend language school for 2-4 weeks prior to your volunteer program. We require that you have a basic ability to communicate in Spanish, as this will be your means of communication within the students and staff at school.

For more information on: The Spanish Language Program

Equipment Donation for Project

uVolunteer is dedicated to its sports education & development projects; therefore, we do it in a way that upholds sustainable development. This is why part of your project fee goes directly towards buying equipment for the program and developing the sports facilities in the schools where you are teaching.

On top of this, we encourage you to bring any resources from home such as sports and activity equipment like jerseys, stop watches, balls, whistles, measuring equipment, or anything you feel would be useful. Once you are placed in your program, we will send you a wish list of equipment that is needed by the school where you will be volunteering