Over the next six weeks, I am completing my Leadership in Action project with United Through Sport (UTS), with their Saint Lucia team. They are a charity that collaborate closely with local partners to support sports provision and quality delivery to groups from disadvantaged backgrounds. This is done by providing volunteer coaches and other sports industry personnel from a global background, who assist local sessions to all ages and abilities, in schools, camps and clubs. My plan is to produce a programme-tailored coaching framework, and work on further resources and partnerships, in order to support the quality of their delivery. I will use this blog to reflect on my initial experiences, and how these have begun informing my plans for a framework.
The week began with an induction that introduced the local area, the routine of volunteer participants, and a delivery-specific session all volunteers participate in. Soon, I gathered an understanding of the local sporting context, and UTS sessions, through leading my own sessions, mainly as a football coach. My initial experiences have encouraged me to consider how sport globally is in essence the same game, with capacity to support physical, personal and communal development, whilst bringing joy to those who engage with activities. However, less equipment, worse facilities, and more varied group size and competency requires a more adaptive, innovative practice to preserve these benefits. This challenged me as a leader by forcing me to be improvisational in delivery, whilst demanding me to be a reflexive and energetic communicator to build participant trust of myself as a new coach.
I hope that further delivery with now familiar groups can allow me to better understand what a useful framework would include to best inform new volunteers on how to coach and teach with a view to achieving positive impacts. Furthermore, I look to expand my conversation with UTS staff and longtime volunteers, as well as community partners and sports administration bodies, to ensure what I produce is locally tailored.
Whilst Saint Lucia's geographical beauty and cultural vibrance is undeniable, I am happy to be settled into more everyday life, and working with those who I hope my framework, through UTS's delivery, can benefit. I am looking forward to what the next few weeks have in store!