Rugby Coaching in St Lucia
As a volunteer coach you will have the opportunity to work with schools, community clubs and even national sides.
Project Description
Rugby is a sport that isn’t often associated with the Caribbean, but it has strong roots across the region and in the past few years a couple of countries have begun to break into the 7s circuit. Caribbean Coaching was initially created to help support the development of national and grassroots rugby in St Lucia back in 2011.
When we first began coaching in 2011 there were no community teams or grassroots initiatives. The national team was formed of anyone who came along to the weekly training sessions, and the equipment was old and worn. In the first year, we established a number of groups in local communities and schools to help get children involved in the game. This culminated in the first-ever youth rugby tournament taking place. Since then rugby has spread across the island with community clubs and school teams.
By volunteering as a coach you’ll help continue our work of expanding rugby by running sessions with community clubs, school teams, youth groups and the national male and female teams. Rugby has some fantastic values; respect, teamwork, determination and fair play which are at the forefront of our approach. We work with children in some of the Country’s most deprived areas and these values have made a real difference to countless children.
Coaching Role
You’ll have the chance to coach at a variety of levels. This will be based on your experience and personal preference. Ourwork with the youth groups places an emphasis on fun and interactive participation, looking to develop skills through games and activities rather than ridged drills. You have the option to be in charge of sessions, or work on specific games and activities depending on your confidence.
In addition, you can also work with the National rugby teams, both male and female, to develop and improve their drills and IRB ranking. You will have the opportunity to look at aspects, such as gym routines and offer nutritional advice. You’ll also have the option to run whole sessions or work on specific drills and skill depending on what you believe is appropriate at the time! If the team is competing in a tournament during your trip you will be given the chance to go on tour.
Schedule
Your coaching timetable will vary on the time of year that you volunteer. During the day you’ll be working with children in local schools and communities. There will also be some after school and club sessions in the evenings. The National team train Tuesday and Thursday evenings, with a longer session on a Sunday morning.
Program participant criteria
To volunteer as a coach you must be a minimum of 18 years old. There is no maximum age and we welcome everyone who is passionate to help. But our volunteers do tend on average to be aged 18 to 25.
No coaching qualifications are required, but a background in rugby is always helpful (and recommended). We try to tailor your coaching placement to your ability. If you are an experienced and confident rugby coach then you can test your skills with a senior or national team. If you’re just starting out you can be more involved with the school and community sessions. Whatever your level we can also give you the opportunity to get some game time in during the senior sessions.
The project was definitely one of the most amazing experiences I’ve had. The chance to play and coach rugby in St Lucia is one I’m so glad I took up. It gave me the opportunity to work with children in local communities and schools as well as the national team!
Project Overview
Included
- Accommodation
- Airport transfers
- 24-hour assistance from our in-country team
- Coaching placements
- Welcome orientation
- Pre-departure support
- Transport to and from training sessions,
- Coaching shirt
- Breakfast
Not Included
- Flights
- Visa
- Additional food
- Excursions
| Project Length | Cost |
|---|---|
| Two Weeks | £695 |
| Four Weeks | £1195 |
| Six Weeks | £1595 |
| Eight Weeks | £1995 |
| Ten Weeks | £2395 |
| Twelve Weeks | £2795 |
| Project Start Date | Duration |
|---|---|
| 5th February | 2 to 30 Weeks |
| 19th February | 2 to 28 Weeks |
| 5th March | 2 to 26 Weeks |
| 19th March | 2 to 24 Weeks |
| 2nd April | 2 to 22 Weeks |
| Project Start Date | Duration |
|---|---|
| 16th April | 2 to 20 Weeks |
| 30th April | 2 to 18 Weeks |
| 14th May | 2 to 16 Weeks |
| 28th May | 2 to 14 Weeks |
| 11th June | 2 to 12 Weeks |
| Project Start Date | Duration |
|---|---|
| 25th June | 2 to 10 Weeks |
| 9th July | 2 to 8 Weeks |
| 23nd July | 2 to 6 Weeks |
| 6th August | 2 to 4 Weeks |
| 20th August | 2 Weeks |