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Double Finalist at the Beyond Sport Awards

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October 27, 2014.  Coaches Across Continents is a double-finalist at the prestigious Beyond Sport Awards in the category of Corporate of the Year for our partnerships with Chevrolet and Standard Chartered Bank.  The 2014 awards will be presented this year in Johannesburg, South Africa from October 28-30th.  Out of 350 entrees received from 70 countries, Coaches Across Continents is the only organization that has been short-listed as a multiple finalist.  In addition, Nick will also be speaking and presenting during the three-day conference as he did earlier this year at Beyond Soccer 2014.

In 2014 CAC was excited to begin our partnership with Chevrolet on their “What Do You #PlayFor?” Campaign which launched in Indonesia, and continued at communities in the USA and South Africa.  Chevrolet was instrumental in building a soccer facility for each community, as well as utilizing Coaches Across Continents to educate local coaches and leaders in a sport for social impact curriculum to facilitate long-term social development.  CAC is also included with Standard Chartered Bank and their ongoing GOAL Programme, where we developed an on-field component to their female empowerment initiative and financial literacy.

Coaches Across Continents has a strong and positive history with Beyond Sport as winners in Best New Project (2009) for our Hat-Trick Initiative.  In 2014 our Hat-Trick Initiative is in place with 75 communities in 27 different countries.  Several of our current and past partner programs have also been short-listed for their efforts in various categories at the 2014 Beyond Sport Awards and we want to congratulate them and wish them the best of luck this weekend.


Ivy Sports Symposium- Princeton, NJ, USA

Gates Speaks at Ivy Sports Symposium

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November 14, 2014.  Coaches Across Continents founder Nick Gates is speaking today on a panel at the 9th annual Ivy Sports Symposium hosted in Princeton, New Jersey, USA.  The panel will focus on Sport for Social Impact: Shared Value.  It will address the challenges that sport for development organizations face around fundraising, increasing awareness, measuring impact, and establishing strategic partnerships. Additionally the panel will try to answer how individuals and groups aiming to use sport for social change identify and achieve shared value across their work, and how non-profits, for profits, and brands work together to strengthen their impact.

Coaches Across Continents is proud to continue promoting and advocating the field of sport for development  This marks the eighth talk that CAC has participated in globally in 2014, including previous engagements in Philadelphia (USA), India, Qatar, South Africa, New York twice (USA), and San Francisco (USA).  The Ivy Sports Symposium (ISS) is an annual student-run conference considered among the global sports industry’s premier events. ISS successfully blends an intimate conference setting with dynamic speakers in order to support the cultivation of information sharing and relationship building among the industry’s top leaders and their potential successors. The event inspires innovative approaches and thinking to sport’s greatest opportunities and challenges.

Community Impact Coach in Delhi

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November 21, 2014. Community Impact Coach, Gurpratap “Guru” Singh, joins CAC On-Field for three weeks of programs in India. He writes about his experience with The Football Link in Delhi, where we first met him this time last year. 

It was 2013 November when The Football Link Delhi partner for Coaches Across Continents called me to attend a training program for coaches which was sports for social impact. It sounded great. It was the first time when I met Nora and Nick at the Delhi camp. The exciting thing about the CAC camp is that sports can be used for changing the world, spreading awareness about social issues through sports (football). The games which are played are all same in the world of football but the difference is the way of teaching with more fun and fun with many social messages in one game. A sport is not mere entertainment but it is much more than that which I learned from CAC. I love all the CAC beliefs and support them. CAC is totally different education/knowledge and learning for coaches.

Working as a Community Impact Coach with CAC this year at Jawaharlal Nehru stadium has been a totally different experience, more of a learning as a coach than a participant. The most amazing part of my journey was to meet different organizations (Naz, My Angel’s Academy, Football Link etc) which are working for the development of football, kids, and community in the state. I was moved to see the amount of work they have done and got excited to see their future plans. The CAC journey has helped me to increase my social network of football. At Jawaharlal Nehru stadium I was surprised to see the number of coaches than last year when I was one among them. If I have to choose one game it is quite difficult and I know the CAC family would agree with me. I love all games played till yet but as the tradition which I love to follow which is expressing a game enjoyed the most, that would be Mia Hamm Communication. I love the combination of football and its social messages of communication, self confidence and telling the good thing about others making the environment amazing with positive energy. One feels positive vibes and safe space all around.

Being a Community Impact Coach it felt great to see coaches looking at you as their role model and pushing themselves to be like us in their community. It gives you great satisfaction when you see people want to change their thinking and challenge themselves.

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Nick on Beyond 442 Podcast

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April 9th 2015. Coaches Across Continents founder and global strategist Nick Gates recently spoke on the Beyond 442 podcast with producer John Mulholland. Listen to the full interview here- http://beyond442.com/009-nick-gates/. In the podcast Nick talks about Coaches Across Continents, our model to create social change through soccer and global female participation in sport.

Beyond 442 is a soccer podcast which interviews guests who are involved in soccer coaching and player development at all levels. Their previous guests have included former head coach of the US Women’s national team Tony DiCicco and Andrew Wenger who plays for Philadelphia Union in the MLS. We want to thank Beyond 442 for the invitation and the opportunity.

Listen to the podcast to hear directly how Nick’s vision for Coaches Across Continents became a reality.

Nick in Cambodia

Award-Winning Partnership Continues in Thailand

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April 24, 2015. It is another exciting day with Chevrolet FC, this time in Bangkok, Thailand. Our award-winning partnership continues in 2015 with #PlayItForward. Today was the unveiling of a refurbished soccer pitch at Bang Bua School. Manchester United legend Louis Saha helped with the ribbon cutting ceremony, as well as Senior Manager of Chevrolet Global Marketing Strategy John Gasloli, President of GM Southeast Asia Operations Tim Zimmerman, The Director of the Bang Bua School Mrs. Aonrumpa Phodaeng, and the National Director of World Vision Thailand Mrs. Chitra Thumborisuth.

The highlight of the day was watching the children take ownership of the field, engaging with local World Vision coaches who underwent CAC training this past week on issues including Child Rights. World Vision is our local implementing community partner here in Bangkok.  The children played several CAC games and then had the opportunity to play small-sided games with Louis Saha. Fun fact – CAC Monitoring & Evaluation strategist Sophie Legros went to the same soccer academy as Louis Saha – Clairefontaine.

 

 

 

#PlayItForward in Bangkok

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April 25, 2015.  (For the Field Launch – Part 1, click here).  Our award-winning partnership with Chevrolet FC continues in 2015 under the banner #PlayItForward.  After successful sport for social impact trainings last year in Indonesia, the United States, and South Africa, the first program of 2015 finds ourselves in Bangkok, Thailand, working with local community implementing partner World Vision.  One major element of our partnership with Chevrolet FC is to create sustainable impact which will allow local coaches, teachers, and leaders to use sport to educate about local issues.  This is key so that the beautiful facilities that Chevrolet FC are creating can be used as a venue for community development on a consistent basis in each community and country.

Three CAC senior staff members (Nick, Sophie, and Brian) embraced the opportunity to work with coaches, teachers, and social workers invited by World Vision this past week.  For four long and extremely hot days we were able to work on many topics focused on Child Rights.  Trafficking is a serious problem in Thailand and Southeast Asia in many forms.  Children are trafficked for sex, slavery, to become beggars, organ trafficking, and manual labor.  Many of the games we taught this week came from our Child Rights module which we have developed over the past year based on the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.  More importantly than our Child Rights training were the steps that the coaches took in being able to create their own games to address this issue.  By the end of the week, coaches were easily adapting games, with a few creating their own fun soccer-based games that can be used in their schools.

The best thing about working with CAC is that the training showed us that you can solve all the problems in each country such as gender inequality, violations against child rights or alcohol and drug abuse. For example, teachers can use games to show children how alcohol abuse is not good, instead of only talking to them.

– Prakit Lelaviwat, World Vision National Office and CAC course participant

The work and progress made in Thailand, supported through the investment from Chevrolet FC, will have lasting and sustainable impact.  The new field built at the Bang Bua School can act as a hub for children to learn through play, from the coaches, teachers, and social workers who have learned from the CAC curriculum and methodology.

 

We Are Zanzibar And We ASK For Choice

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May 7th 2015. Robin Perrie, a reporter with The Sun – the UK’s biggest selling newspaper – volunteered as a coach for our recent trip to Zanzibar. Here is his blog. 

The Adhan – the Islamic call to prayer – floated across the Amaan stadium in Stone Town as each morning session of CAC’s programme in Zanzibar came to an end. It was a fitting backdrop to one of the challenges that came up again and again throughout the five days of training, the final year of a three-year programme on the Indian Ocean island, just off the coast of Tanzania.

How do women achieve equal rights when they aren’t even allowed to play football?

More than 99% of the population is Muslim and powerful, hard-line clerics say it is forbidden for women to play the game. Those that do face pressure to wear the hijab and not wear shorts. A small number refuse to be cowed and gather each night to play on dirt pitches alongside men and dressed the same as the men. But the demands of Islam are never far away – if they walk home after the game without changing into more modest clothing they run the risk of being confronted by the widespread belief that women in sports gear away from a soccer field must be asking for sex.

And it’s the man’s right to take it.

A handful of women attended the CAC programme at the national stadium, and were warmly welcomed by the male coaches. The married ones did wear the hijab and never played in shorts, but they were keen to stress that their husbands were actually among the more forward-thinking members of the community for even allowing them to attend. Running alongside these issues was the other vital debate over child rights.

One in 10 boys – and one in 20 girls – is sexually abused on the island.

It’s not uncommon for teachers to strike children with a stick and violence in the home – both verbal and physical – is rife. CAC founder Nick Gates’ mother Judith – “Mamma” to the local coaches – gave a well-received talk about the rights of children and many of the games we played backed up the message. The local coaches were painfully honest in the challenges facing the island’s 1m population, admitting how prevalent child abuse is.  Their passion for change was evident in their work on the field and in their discussions off the field. They were an outstanding group of leaders and with the support of the government, they will begin the process of change.

The week was considered an unqualified success by all and was best summed up by one of the local coaches, who said on the last day: “Now I know that women run equal to men, kick equal to men, play football equal to men. Women are just the same. We are equal.


USA Soccer Hall of Famer Seamus Malin Talks About Planes, Rains and Cones

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US Soccer hall of famer, experienced commentator at World Cups and Olympic Games, and Coaches Across Continents board member, Seamus Malin, writes about his first ever time On-Field with CAC in Zanzibar and Pemba, Tanzania.

May 21st 2015. When it comes to travel it has been said that “getting there is half the fun”.   Who exactly said that anyway?  Not sure I would like to hear any other nuggets of wisdom from that source. Why? Well let’s just say that getting to Zanzibar, for me, had its moments of drama. In Muscat, Oman on board the flight to Zanzibar we were cheerily told that we would be diverting to Jeddah for refueling as our journey was being lengthened to avoid Yemeni air space where some folks were hurling bombs about! Good call, Oman Air Lines!!

After a spectacularly successful week on the playing field with CAC staff and fabulous local coaches as well as a charming experience of that exceptional island it was time to head for another island of Tanzania, namely Pemba, for the second week of the program. Back in a plane again, this time a ten seater single engine item from the Air Salaam fleet. Sitting right up front near the pilot I had more experience that I ever want of first hand exposure to a driving rain storm, making an ear-shattering din on the windshield, as we ducked in and out of heavy storm clouds, and our fearless impressive Tanzanian pilot took us through the thirty minutes to the tiny landing strip on Pemba. “Half the fun?”……NOT.

The soggy arrival was a precursor to a week of continued stormy conditions with lots of intermittent  heavy rain, but the silver lining, as it turned out, was that our promised playing field (the local stadium with artificial grass) was suddenly not available, and our substitute space was a large indoor facility built by Japan for Judo instruction and in fact used for multi-sport purposes. Provided originally as a disappointing second choice to an excellent outdoor facility it turned out to be a gift which we appreciated every rain-drenched day. The floor was covered by scores of thick heavy judo pads, each about 3×5 feet which had to be lifted and stored   –   a first chore for all the coaches as well as CAC staff and which was an instant bonding experience. (Another benefit of our new facility was the nap-time now on offer thanks to these pads piled up on a large stage at the end of the hall and which some staff and  participating coaches utilized during our lunch time breaks. Why not?)

Then we finally got down to the nuts and bolts of the program, with a new and enthusiastic set of coaches, all but two of whom were male, about which more later. The expertise of Nick and Kelly in our new echo chamber of a facility (the roof was metal, the floor concrete) was put to the test as communication was a challenge, but they rose to the occasion wonderfully. The same can be said for Nick’s mother, Judith, along for the two weeks and a vital contributor with her own seminar sessions on hot button topics of Health and Wellness in the Zanzibar context as well as the vitally important area of Respect for Children and the curse of Abuse- a world wide blight, regardless of how “developed” a nation may claim to be.

Also along for the two weeks was Nick’s father, Bill, a constant source of encouragement to and appreciation for the local participants, as well, of course, as a walking, living, breathing example of Middlesbrough FC who are, we were daily reminded, the “greatest football club in the world”. Chelsea, Schmelsea!!! Happily Bill and I had a brilliant two weeks of participatory fun and tons of evening laughs over dinner and at football matches on the hotel lounge TV. As a tribute to our Senior Citizen status Bill and I were duly appointed “CONE BOYS” by the head honcho, young Nick!! We were given the massive responsibility of setting out cones properly for the CAC games, being sure the proper supply of balls was readily at hand, and even later in the week awarded the added privilege of tacking up multiple sheets of poster board on the walls with all the notes that Nick, Kelly and Judith had composed for the coaches. Bill and I were all over these tasks; we were a bit frustrated though that the “senior” staff could never seem to understand the subtle difference between “cones” and “discs”. Something they need to work on!  Bill and I are not going to be around for every program, you know!!!

Another challenge that Bill and I had to cope with was the notable slant in the concrete floor at one point carrying out from the center to the Northwest corner. When a series of balls was set up, they needed strict watching, since, if you turned your back, they would slyly start meandering their way into their favorite hiding corner!! They got away from us once, and sat there in the corner looking smug. We whipped them into shape from then on, I assure you. We also were hard pressed in our poster board duties as the rain was so heavy at times that a few small leaks would appear and the water trickling down the walls loosened the adhesive taping. We supervised this closely (I am downright exhausted now thinking of all the mighty duties that Bill and I handled. I may need a nap. Wish I had one of those judo mats nearby).

Most importantly, the attending coaches were fabulous, charming, engaged, enthusiastic and willing to take risks. None more so than the two women who began somewhat overwhelmed but who quickly caught the spirit of the program and allowed their inner enthusiasm to become manifest without self-consciousness and in a massively engaging manner for all involved. That was inspiring, deeply moving and memorable. In addition,  the whole group gave it their best shot when it came to creating their own games based on what they had experienced as well as implementing the principles CAC tries to convey and inculcate. I will never forget the simple but evocative exercise that one of the women developed in which her children players would finish their football drill with an exercise of finding their way home safely through various societal threats all enacted by the other participating coaches as she had creatively set them up.  Meanwhile at the other end of the building the other woman coach was leading all the guys in a series of innovative stretches before her program, illustrating confidently despite the constraints of her traditional somewhat limiting clothing. Hugely moving experiences, both.

Also highly memorable were the literal hours of time many of the participants spent taking notes in their own notepads, sitting on the floor by the walls where the large sheets were hanging. Often we would find them arriving early for this purpose, as the large sheets were left there overnight , and indeed during the lunch breaks they accomplished the same feat , moving around from wall to wall until finished. This enthusiasm and commitment speaks volumes for their passion to contribute in meaningful ways to their own world and most especially to the children coming behind them. This bodes so well for the future, and I feel hugely grateful for the opportunity both to have witnessed and participated in such a moving, heartwarming and immeasurably important journey of life.

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Returning to Likoni

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June 2, 2015.  CAC Founder Nick Gates blogs about our work with the Likoni Community Football League (LCFL).

In 2014, Coaches Across Continents had to postpone our program in Likoni (near Mombasa), Kenya due to ongoing terrorist threats in the region.  We were delighted to return in 2015 to one of Kenya’s most pro-active football for social development groups.

We arrived on the first morning and cones had been set up to start Circle of Friends.   We soon found out that these fabulous coaches were playing CAC games from 2012 and 2013 every week in Likoni.  The Likoni coaches were all talented players, so the sessions were even more fun.

We chose role models like Tim Howard, Yaya Toure and Abby Wambach and went through the full set of games to include life skills, conflict resolution, health and wellness, female empowerment, child rights, and fun. The ‘light bulb’ moment of the week came during our Brazil for Attitudes game, when we asked the group to run like man and run like a woman, to kick like a man and kick like a woman.  It was during this game that the coaches started discussing that it was their own stereotypical thoughts and actions that were preventing more girls from having the chance and choice to play.  And true to our Self-Directed Learning model, they soon discussed solutions to solve the problem.

Easily the most fun game of the week was Wambach for Conflict Resolution, that resulted in some of the greatest celebrations seen in Likoni and some of the funniest laughs. The game summed up the incredible group of coaches who played every single game with joy, laughter and passion. The children of Likoni are incredibly lucky to have these educators running their soccer program.

The Likoni partnership is supported by the Taiji Group.

 

 

A Glimpse at the Future

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Friday, August 7, 2015. The Malaika Foundation in the Democratic Republic of Congo is the first program partnership for our new ASK for Choice curriculum for female empowerment.

Every day this week we had local street children watching our trainings at the FIFA Football for Hope Center in Kalebuka, DRC. This is not unusual. However one young girl caught our attention. Not more than five or six herself, she was carrying her infant brother on her back the duration of the week as she intently watched our trainings. She was the caretaker of her infant brother despite being a young child herself. But what was happening On-Field during the week will begin to address cultural change for the future in terms of gender equity and community responsibility. The Malaika Foundation is our first ASK for Choice Partnership and will be using sport to bring gender policies to life in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

The interest in our ASK for Choice partnership was tremendous from the Malaika Foundation which is led by Noella Coursaris. Both the total overall attendance and the female attendance were the highest achieved for any program in CAC’s history. 238 coaches participated in our training, with 140 of the participants being women. Together the men and women learned from our ASK for Choice curriculum.   ASK for Choice aims to use sport to bring gender policies to life.

Based on comprehensive research, thorough M&E and 25 years of experience, CAC has developed ASK for Choice which aims to enhance the Attitudes, Skills and Knowledge of women and their communities to educate them to be drivers of change. ASK for Choice will strengthen the roles of women in sport and society and create a generation of leaders with community responsibility.

As an ASK for Choice Center, the Malaika Foundation is expected to work with CAC and deliver measurable results. ASK for Choice will increase partners’ capacity to bring about sustainable, tangible change with regard to gender equality and women’s rights. Along with our program this year, we also were able to meet with Thérèse Lukenge, the Minister of Sport in Katanga Province. Alongside the government, we will be working together to bring gender policies to life in Katanga Province.

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CAC Announces its Commitment to Bring Gender Policies to Life Through Sport

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October 8th 2015. Coaches Across Continents (CAC) announced its Commitment to Action at the Clinton Global Initiative Annual Meeting held in New York, 26th-29th September. In partnership with Hogan Lovells, CAC will expand its recently piloted female empowerment curriculum into a new community intervention, ‘ASK for Choice’, which will use sport for social impact to bring gender policies to life.

‘ASK for Choice’ will enhance personal and community responsibility and produce locally owned and relevant gender equity initiatives. CAC’s strategic year-round mentorship on curriculum and policy development will bring gender policies to life throughout communities by generating pathways to advance women’s and girls’ participation, leadership and rights in and through sport.

“While there are many policies and campaigns regarding women in sport, Coaches Across Continents has identified that these policies are not effective and have little impact at the community level,” says CAC’s founder, Nick Gates. “This is the optimal time to launch ASK for Choice because the FIFA Women’s World Cup captured the world’s attention and we can harness this global visibility to activate the voices of and increase the opportunities for women and girls.”

Women’s and girls’ rights are violated daily. Cultural norms and traditional stereotypes restrict their choices. Violence and harmful practices against them continue despite international treaties and protective legal documents. The Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) has not yet been ratified by every country or globally implemented. Where laws exist, they are frequently not enforced or brought to life. Global conflict is exacerbating the situation as refugee women and girls are particularly vulnerable to violence, exploitation and denial of their human rights.

Gender inequity in sport mirrors societal discrimination. Women and girls face multiple social and cultural barriers in sport, including gender stereotypes, restrictions on clothing and lack of safe spaces. In many communities, sports activities for girls are considered immoral or shameful and they risk violence for simply taking part. This creates huge obstacles to equal participation.

‘ASK for Choice’ will be implemented in 30 countries spanning five continents. 9,000 local leaders will be educated and certified and 1,000,000 children, including at least 250,000 girls, will play games from the ‘ASK for Choice’ curriculum. Through ‘ASK for Choice’, Coaches Across Continents will create an environment for the progression of Attitudes towards optimism and gender equity; the development of Skills for female leadership and participation; and the increase in Knowledge of rights and resources. This will lead to girls’ and women’s rights, educational, employment, entrepreneurial, financial, and health choices.

For additional information please contact: *protected email*.

About Coaches Across Continents

Coaches Across Continents is a global leader in the sport for social impact movement. Our award-winning corporate partnerships and ‘Hat-Trick Initiative’ consist of comprehensive, year-round organizational development and sport for social impact education that focuses on local issues such as: female empowerment, including gender equity; conflict resolution, including social inclusion; health and wellness, including HIV/AIDS behavior change; child rights; vital life skills; and fun.

Our key to success is a unique Self-Directed Learning model that educates people to identify, address, and solve problems specific to their communities. We mentor organizations and empower communities to question harmful traditional, cultural, and religious practices; responsibly choose their own futures; and create sustainable change.

http://coachesacrosscontinents.org

http://facebook.com/coachesacrosscontinents

About the Clinton Global Initiative

Established in 2005 by President Bill Clinton, the Clinton Global Initiative (CGI), an initiative of the Clinton Foundation, convenes global leaders to create and implement solutions to the world’s most pressing challenges. CGI Annual Meetings have brought together 190 sitting and former heads of state, more than 20 Nobel Prize laureates, and hundreds of leading CEO’s, heads of foundations and NGOs, major philanthropists, and members of the media. To date, members of the CGI community have made more than 3,200 Commitments to Action, which have improved the lives of over 430 million people in more than 180 countries.

In addition to the Annual Meeting, CGI convenes CGI America, a meeting focused on collaborative solutions to economic recovery in the United States; and CGI University (CGI U), which brings together undergraduate and graduate students to address pressing challenges in their community or around the world. This year, CGI also convened CGI Middle East & Africa, which brought together leaders across sectors to take action on pressing social, economic, and environmental challenges.

For more information, visit clintonglobalinitiative.org and follow us on Twitter @ClintonGlobal and Facebook at facebook.com/clintonglobalinitiative.

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CAC at Beyond Sport Awards in London

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October 19, 2015.  Coaches Across Continents founder Nick Gates is attending the Beyond Sport Summit & Awards 2015 in London, England.  The event is from October 19-21, 2015, and includes a presentation by Nick on curriculum during the Beyond Rugby portion of the summit.

Coaches Across Continents has been shortlisted for the first annual UNICEF Safeguarding Children in Sport Award.  Winners will be announced on October 20, 2015.  CAC has previously been awarded the Beyond Sport Award for ‘Best New Project’ for our Hat-Trick Initiative in 2009 and for ‘Corporate of the Year‘ in 2014 for our partnership with Chevrolet.  CAC would be the only third-time winner of these prestigious awards.

Every CAC educator in all of our community training’s participate in an extensive Child Protection and Child Rights course. This includes agreeing to protect every child in their care from emotional, verbal, physical and sexual abuse and learning how to educate children about their rights through a Child Rights sport for social impact curriculum based on the UN Rights of the Child. In 2014 and 2015 this course has educated 6,325 local coaches, teachers and community leaders who work with 514,603 youth in 30 countries.

Each year the Beyond Sport summit distinguishes itself as the preeminent conference for sport for social development demonstrating the power of sport to do good. The summit brings together some of the biggest names in professional sport, sport for development, sports media and business. In 2015 some of the nominees include The Big Issue for Australia, the Miami Heat, the England and Wales Cricket Board, SV Werder Bremen, BT Sport and New Balance. Our community partners CREATA (Kenya), HODI (Kenya) and Fundlife International (Philippines) are also nominated. We wish all of our partners the best of luck and want to thank Beyond Sport once again for the honor of being shortlisted in 2015.

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Quaking (With Laughter And Learning) in Bhaktapur!

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CAC perennial volunteer Graham Bradford writes about his week in Bhaktapur, Nepal with Childreach Nepal.

December 16th 2015. Coaches Across Continents Founder,  Nick and 5 year returning volunteer Graham began a two week program with partner organization Childreach Nepal (CRN) in the historic and ancient city of Bhaktapur, a hour’s ride east of Kathmandu.  CRN is an organization with a holistic philosophy and approach to helping Nepali children realize their potential despite widespread poverty, and work in areas of education, child protection, health and enterprise.  The organization had been at the forefront of relief work and emergency shelter provision following the disastrous earthquake of April 2015, particularly in the mountainous region of Sindhupalchok, north of Kathmandu and where the CAC coaches would travel next week.

Whilst not as badly affected as other areas, the earthquake caused significant damage across the city, including some of the wonderful historic temples in the immediate proximity to our accommodation. Houses on both sides of the hotel were essentially destroyed, although it was amazing and humbling to see families in the rubble seeking to rebuild brick-by-brick and at the same time surviving day-to-day hardships of poverty and increasingly cold nights. Following a first night of restlessness caused by fighting dogs and 5AM puja bells, Nick and G somehow managed to sleep through a 4.2 Richter scale aftershock which we are sure was a great concern to those having to live in already damaged homes.

Working with a city center school badly affected by the earthquake, we worked with around 40 young and enthusiastic people and 5 local teachers across a program addressing locally pertinent issues, and particularly child trafficking and child rights. The young leaders worked out of temporary classrooms as the main school building, whilst still standing, was structurally unsafe.  This limited the area available to run the On-Field elements of the program, but did not prevent an active, energetic and noisy week of games and Self Directed Learning progressing to a boisterous conclusion.

The program in Bhaktapur coincided with World Aids Day and gave a perfect platform to address the issues facing the young people through a series of fun but educational and informative games based around the dangers of HIV and good choices that can be made to reduce the risk of infection. Whilst the students ranged from as young as 12 years of age, they approached the issues with openness and maturity, a credit to their community and the work of CRN with the school, particularly our partner workers Prateek and Animika who worked tirelessly behind the scenes and in front of stage to ensure an efficient program.

Bhaktapur remains a city in the early stages of recovery, a recovery not helped by a dramatic fall in visitor income since the earthquake, however the energy and resilience of our young leaders will make that recovery a more likely outcome in the months and years ahead.

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Star Power in Hawthorne

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February 8th, 2016. The stars came out in force for the launching of the Chevrolet FC pitch in Hawthorne, Los Angeles. The eighth project in our award-winning partnership with Chevrolet brought out Manchester United legend Dennis Irwin, LA Galaxy/USMNT and Hawthorne native Gyasi Zardes, LA Galaxy player and former England international Steven Gerard, LA Galaxy players A.J. DeLaGarza and Baggio Husidic, and team president and former USMNT player Chris Klein.

This impressive group of individuals were there to witness the power of play and see the beautiful possibilities that Chevrolet FC creates. Hawthorne, California was where Gyasi Zardes (LA Galaxy) grew up.  As a child, Zardes was forbidden from playing in the park where they new pitches were created as they instituted a “no soccer” policy on park grounds.  However together with the Hawthorne Police Department and the Parks and Recreation Department, Chevrolet FC has helped to change attitudes as they built three new futsal pitches in place of some unused and derelict tennis courts. These futsal courts are now the focal point of the community.

Coaches Across Continents has been working throughout the project with the LA Galaxy Foundation and the Hawthorne Police department to ensure that this safe space can be used for social impact, and that the local coaches, police officers, and community leaders have the skills to do so.  In future, Hawthorne may see more great players emerge from their community, and tens of thousands of children will be able to enjoy the facility and learn from the sport in their new space.


Organizational Transformation in Hawthorne

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February 16, 2015. Our partnership with Chevrolet FC recently opened a new futsal facility in Hawthorne, California. Located in the center of town and under the supervision of the Hawthorne Police and the Parks and Recreation Department, this facility has an opportunity to create a new dynamic within the community. Throughout the United States, too often news is being made between conflict between the police and its citizens. As part of The President’s Task Force on 21st Century Policing, communities should have the opportunity to engage with local law enforcement; participate in meetings, surveys, and other activities as well as participate in problem-solving efforts to reduce crime and improve quality of life.

One such initiative is the new soccer fields in Hawthorne. They now serve as a safe space for police officers and the communities to come together and learn from each other. For the past two weeks, Coaches Across Continents has been working with the Hawthorne Police, the local school system, and local businesses such as SpaceX so that the community leaders have the skills necessary to engage children and community members on the soccer fields to create positive relationships.

Even though the courts are only a few days old, several success stories are already emerging. One is concerning a young local girl who has had a few negative interactions with the police. One evening, a local police officer took it upon himself to stop by her house to invite her and her brothers to the new soccer fields. On opening night, she was one of the first people onto the court, playing with other children and engaging in a positive manner with the local police and other community members. It is positive interactions such as this that will help to create strong working relationships so that in future there are not difficulties between the police and the community. The safe space created by Chevrolet FC is helping this community undergo positive transformation and to hopefully serve as a model for other communities to follow.

In the coming weeks and months, we expect to hear dozens more such stories, as well as see the transformation happening within the community from both police officers and community members. We will continue to keep you updated on this great story from our continuing corporate partnership.

 

Thank You CAC: Humbling Words From a Pemba Participant

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May 18th 2016. This blog comes to us from the words of a participant (Hassan) in his speech to CAC staff and guests during the certificate ceremony in Pemba, in partnership with the Zanzibar Football Association, the Ministry of Sports, and Save the Children.

Honorable Minister of Sports, Assistant Minister of Sports, Our coaches Mr. Nick and Madam Nora:

First of all we would like to thank all of you for conducting good, well and enjoyable training for one week. Apart from that we make a promise in front of you that we will protect children and we will stand in front of any who struggle for their rights.

Our trainers:

We have special thanks to you for your cooperation during training and general speaking we can’t deny that we enjoy your tactics, techniques, and your innovation. You have bring us in a safe space and now we will use your knowledge and experience we get from you and impart it to our children.

Uncountable thanks should be received to the first coach in the world, Mr. Nicky, for organizing us and make us to feel free all over the time during the training. Throughout the training we learned that:

  • Women can do well in sports if they will be supported
  • We understand that children have knowledge
  • We learn that we should give our children choice
  • We learn that we ought to talk with children and not talk to children

Frankly speaking we have learned a lot and we will use all them for social impacts.

Special thanks I send it as my reward to Madam Nora – for teaching us Kuku dance, a lot we may forget… but never Kuku dance.

We have nothing to give our coaches for excellent work they have done to us except to tell them: Thank you very much for what you have done and we will use knowledge for social impacts.

Thanks; Goodbye; See you again; Relax and have a safe journey.

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We Are Zanzibar And We ASK For Choice

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May 7th 2015. Robin Perrie, a reporter with The Sun – the UK’s biggest selling newspaper – volunteered as a coach for our recent trip to Zanzibar. Here is his blog. 

The Adhan – the Islamic call to prayer – floated across the Amaan stadium in Stone Town as each morning session of CAC’s programme in Zanzibar came to an end. It was a fitting backdrop to one of the challenges that came up again and again throughout the five days of training, the final year of a three-year programme on the Indian Ocean island, just off the coast of Tanzania.

How do women achieve equal rights when they aren’t even allowed to play football?

More than 99% of the population is Muslim and powerful, hard-line clerics say it is forbidden for women to play the game. Those that do face pressure to wear the hijab and not wear shorts. A small number refuse to be cowed and gather each night to play on dirt pitches alongside men and dressed the same as the men. But the demands of Islam are never far away – if they walk home after the game without changing into more modest clothing they run the risk of being confronted by the widespread belief that women in sports gear away from a soccer field must be asking for sex.

And it’s the man’s right to take it.

A handful of women attended the CAC programme at the national stadium, and were warmly welcomed by the male coaches. The married ones did wear the hijab and never played in shorts, but they were keen to stress that their husbands were actually among the more forward-thinking members of the community for even allowing them to attend. Running alongside these issues was the other vital debate over child rights.

One in 10 boys – and one in 20 girls – is sexually abused on the island.

It’s not uncommon for teachers to strike children with a stick and violence in the home – both verbal and physical – is rife. CAC founder Nick Gates’ mother Judith – “Mamma” to the local coaches – gave a well-received talk about the rights of children and many of the games we played backed up the message. The local coaches were painfully honest in the challenges facing the island’s 1m population, admitting how prevalent child abuse is.  Their passion for change was evident in their work on the field and in their discussions off the field. They were an outstanding group of leaders and with the support of the government, they will begin the process of change.

The week was considered an unqualified success by all and was best summed up by one of the local coaches, who said on the last day: “Now I know that women run equal to men, kick equal to men, play football equal to men. Women are just the same. We are equal.

USA Soccer Hall of Famer Seamus Malin Talks About Planes, Rains and Cones

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US Soccer hall of famer, experienced commentator at World Cups and Olympic Games, and Coaches Across Continents board member, Seamus Malin, writes about his first ever time On-Field with CAC in Zanzibar and Pemba, Tanzania.

May 21st 2015. When it comes to travel it has been said that “getting there is half the fun”.   Who exactly said that anyway?  Not sure I would like to hear any other nuggets of wisdom from that source. Why? Well let’s just say that getting to Zanzibar, for me, had its moments of drama. In Muscat, Oman on board the flight to Zanzibar we were cheerily told that we would be diverting to Jeddah for refueling as our journey was being lengthened to avoid Yemeni air space where some folks were hurling bombs about! Good call, Oman Air Lines!!

After a spectacularly successful week on the playing field with CAC staff and fabulous local coaches as well as a charming experience of that exceptional island it was time to head for another island of Tanzania, namely Pemba, for the second week of the program. Back in a plane again, this time a ten seater single engine item from the Air Salaam fleet. Sitting right up front near the pilot I had more experience that I ever want of first hand exposure to a driving rain storm, making an ear-shattering din on the windshield, as we ducked in and out of heavy storm clouds, and our fearless impressive Tanzanian pilot took us through the thirty minutes to the tiny landing strip on Pemba. “Half the fun?”……NOT.

The soggy arrival was a precursor to a week of continued stormy conditions with lots of intermittent  heavy rain, but the silver lining, as it turned out, was that our promised playing field (the local stadium with artificial grass) was suddenly not available, and our substitute space was a large indoor facility built by Japan for Judo instruction and in fact used for multi-sport purposes. Provided originally as a disappointing second choice to an excellent outdoor facility it turned out to be a gift which we appreciated every rain-drenched day. The floor was covered by scores of thick heavy judo pads, each about 3×5 feet which had to be lifted and stored   –   a first chore for all the coaches as well as CAC staff and which was an instant bonding experience. (Another benefit of our new facility was the nap-time now on offer thanks to these pads piled up on a large stage at the end of the hall and which some staff and  participating coaches utilized during our lunch time breaks. Why not?)

Then we finally got down to the nuts and bolts of the program, with a new and enthusiastic set of coaches, all but two of whom were male, about which more later. The expertise of Nick and Kelly in our new echo chamber of a facility (the roof was metal, the floor concrete) was put to the test as communication was a challenge, but they rose to the occasion wonderfully. The same can be said for Nick’s mother, Judith, along for the two weeks and a vital contributor with her own seminar sessions on hot button topics of Health and Wellness in the Zanzibar context as well as the vitally important area of Respect for Children and the curse of Abuse- a world wide blight, regardless of how “developed” a nation may claim to be.

Also along for the two weeks was Nick’s father, Bill, a constant source of encouragement to and appreciation for the local participants, as well, of course, as a walking, living, breathing example of Middlesbrough FC who are, we were daily reminded, the “greatest football club in the world”. Chelsea, Schmelsea!!! Happily Bill and I had a brilliant two weeks of participatory fun and tons of evening laughs over dinner and at football matches on the hotel lounge TV. As a tribute to our Senior Citizen status Bill and I were duly appointed “CONE BOYS” by the head honcho, young Nick!! We were given the massive responsibility of setting out cones properly for the CAC games, being sure the proper supply of balls was readily at hand, and even later in the week awarded the added privilege of tacking up multiple sheets of poster board on the walls with all the notes that Nick, Kelly and Judith had composed for the coaches. Bill and I were all over these tasks; we were a bit frustrated though that the “senior” staff could never seem to understand the subtle difference between “cones” and “discs”. Something they need to work on!  Bill and I are not going to be around for every program, you know!!!

Another challenge that Bill and I had to cope with was the notable slant in the concrete floor at one point carrying out from the center to the Northwest corner. When a series of balls was set up, they needed strict watching, since, if you turned your back, they would slyly start meandering their way into their favorite hiding corner!! They got away from us once, and sat there in the corner looking smug. We whipped them into shape from then on, I assure you. We also were hard pressed in our poster board duties as the rain was so heavy at times that a few small leaks would appear and the water trickling down the walls loosened the adhesive taping. We supervised this closely (I am downright exhausted now thinking of all the mighty duties that Bill and I handled. I may need a nap. Wish I had one of those judo mats nearby).

Most importantly, the attending coaches were fabulous, charming, engaged, enthusiastic and willing to take risks. None more so than the two women who began somewhat overwhelmed but who quickly caught the spirit of the program and allowed their inner enthusiasm to become manifest without self-consciousness and in a massively engaging manner for all involved. That was inspiring, deeply moving and memorable. In addition,  the whole group gave it their best shot when it came to creating their own games based on what they had experienced as well as implementing the principles CAC tries to convey and inculcate. I will never forget the simple but evocative exercise that one of the women developed in which her children players would finish their football drill with an exercise of finding their way home safely through various societal threats all enacted by the other participating coaches as she had creatively set them up.  Meanwhile at the other end of the building the other woman coach was leading all the guys in a series of innovative stretches before her program, illustrating confidently despite the constraints of her traditional somewhat limiting clothing. Hugely moving experiences, both.

Also highly memorable were the literal hours of time many of the participants spent taking notes in their own notepads, sitting on the floor by the walls where the large sheets were hanging. Often we would find them arriving early for this purpose, as the large sheets were left there overnight , and indeed during the lunch breaks they accomplished the same feat , moving around from wall to wall until finished. This enthusiasm and commitment speaks volumes for their passion to contribute in meaningful ways to their own world and most especially to the children coming behind them. This bodes so well for the future, and I feel hugely grateful for the opportunity both to have witnessed and participated in such a moving, heartwarming and immeasurably important journey of life.

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Returning to Likoni

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June 2, 2015.  CAC Founder Nick Gates blogs about our work with the Likoni Community Football League (LCFL).

In 2014, Coaches Across Continents had to postpone our program in Likoni (near Mombasa), Kenya due to ongoing terrorist threats in the region.  We were delighted to return in 2015 to one of Kenya’s most pro-active football for social development groups.

We arrived on the first morning and cones had been set up to start Circle of Friends.   We soon found out that these fabulous coaches were playing CAC games from 2012 and 2013 every week in Likoni.  The Likoni coaches were all talented players, so the sessions were even more fun.

We chose role models like Tim Howard, Yaya Toure and Abby Wambach and went through the full set of games to include life skills, conflict resolution, health and wellness, female empowerment, child rights, and fun. The ‘light bulb’ moment of the week came during our Brazil for Attitudes game, when we asked the group to run like man and run like a woman, to kick like a man and kick like a woman.  It was during this game that the coaches started discussing that it was their own stereotypical thoughts and actions that were preventing more girls from having the chance and choice to play.  And true to our Self-Directed Learning model, they soon discussed solutions to solve the problem.

Easily the most fun game of the week was Wambach for Conflict Resolution, that resulted in some of the greatest celebrations seen in Likoni and some of the funniest laughs. The game summed up the incredible group of coaches who played every single game with joy, laughter and passion. The children of Likoni are incredibly lucky to have these educators running their soccer program.

The Likoni partnership is supported by the Taiji Group.

 

 

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