Empower 2,000 Cambodian Kids Through Sport

The Globalteer Sports Project has continued to make great strides this year. Sport is becoming more popular all the time in Cambodia and has received considerable attention as the country hosted the SEA Games. However, many parents in the communities we work with express their dismay that public schools are still not able to offer physical education classes, and are thankful that we are able to fill that void.

Thanks to the continued support of our donors, we have recently taken on another three new coaches. This will ensure that each coach feels able to give more attention to each student and focus on quality skills development. Now each of the schools has a suitable playing area, complete with football goals and some volleyball nets. The grounds don't get flooded as easily as before, and the next stage is to install a roof over the sport field at Helping Hands School.

Sports is an established fixture for the kids

At Helping Hands School, the coaches are working on utilising their perfect pitch to bring in new games and activities. Now that there are six full-time coaches, the Head Coach will have more time to work on small improvements in technique and discuss new ideas. Managing the classes can be a challenge, but we try to make sure everyone is active and happy in the class. The only complaints we get are about the weather being too hot!

Sports class is an established fixture in the curriculum at Helping Hands School. The students all look forward to being out on the sports field, and it helps them to stay energized for their other classes. The classes follow a classic Physical Education style, with a warm-up, skill practice, and team games. This year volleyball has taken on a bigger part in the classes, but football is still the most popular sport. The sports that the students are most keen to try next are basketball and badminton. They also have a small new playground area!

Outreach to rural schools

Helping Hands School is located in a rural area outside of Siem Reap, Cambodia. The students also attend their local government schools. Naturally there is a strong connection with these other schools, so it is wonderful that the Globalteer Sports Program can provide sports at these locations.

There are currently six partner schools that we were able to fit into the program. The Head Teachers of each school are all keen to see their students doing sport, but they don't have sufficient staff or resources to provide it. Taking on all the partner schools means there are regularly over 2,000 students attending our sports classes twice per week. This year they are especially pleased with us because we have improved the foundations and appearance of the spaces around their schools that can be used for outdoor recreation and sport class.

We have a positive ongoing dialogue with each of them, offering support and advise on how to continue this work in stages. Creating a suitable schedule was not easy at partner locations so it has to be closely monitored and adjusted. Now everything is running smoothly, although the distances that the coaches have to travel makes it difficult at times, especially during this rainy season.