Coach's story.

One of the key activities in the Skillz curriculum is the coach's story. Here the coach tells their story, where they are from and how HIV and AIDS or another big challenge has affected their lives. This occurs in the second Practice typically. The coach's story is not only a means of showing the impact the HIV epidemic has had in local communities, but the coach delivering the lesson seeks to show that it is okay for the kids to get things off their chest and share them. The goal so early in the curriculum is to get the kids comfortable in their learning environment and the coach has a chance to earn their trust.

Many of the coach's stories I have heard have been hard hitting, tragic and touching. But their show of resilience and desire to bounce back by dedicating part of their lives to Grassroot Soccer is admirable. I am sure this has an impact on the kids participating in the program too. Here is the story of one of our Port Elizabeth coaches, documented by Austin Merrill, for Vanity fair a few months ago.

****update (September 4)**** As if it was like a response to this blog and the things I have said so far about my internship, the universe has contrived to ensure that my GRS experience will remain one of the unforgettable periods in my entire life as I learnt yesterday afternoon. One of our supervisors, a Master coach was helping us understand the curriculum fully because he felt (rightly so) that wee needed to be fully invested in it in order to be able to be of real assistance to the coaches. When we were done he threw perhaps the first curve ball I have faced in my intern experience. He informed us that 2 of us would be doing practices from the curriculum the following week, at the development session with all 27 coaches being out participants. Did't see that one coming, but I'm glad to have been pushed like this. The position of the coach is unlike any other and in order to fully understand it, I get the chance to play their role fo 45 minutes! It can only be good for my experience and GRS will further be entrenched in my mind long after this is all over! Watch this space for updates on how I do, Tuesday awaits! Of course, I will be administering Practice 2..