Basketball Coaching and Playing Project in Mauritius

From beaches to national parks, here are the absolute best things to do in Mauritius:

The Capital Port Louis
Head To Caudan Waterfront Shopping Mall
Check Out China Town
Visit Aapravasi Ghat – Unesco World Heritage Site
See the sights, smells and sounds of Port Luis Bazaar!

South & West Region
Explore Black River Gorges National Park – Endemic Birds
Dolphin Experience
Le Morne Cultural Climb – Unesco World Heritage Site
Enjoy White Sandy Beaches on Le Morne or Flic en Flac

South & East Region
Scuba Dive or Snorkel in Blue Bay Marine Park
Experience Local Culture & History In Mahebourg
Climb Lion Mountain & Kestrel Valley
Ile Aux Cerf Island

Central Region
Holy Temple of Grand Bassin
Kanaka Volcano
Bois Cheri Tea Plantation
Guava Fruit Picking (seasonal)

North Region
Visit Triolet Temple Shivala in Triolet Village
Head to Grand Bay for shops and pristine beaches of
Pamplemousse Botanical Gardens
Visit the Sugercane Factory Museum

Basketball in Mauritius
Basketball is a popular community youth sport, played mainly outdoors due to the year round sunshine. There is a national league that plays weekly to a high standard and many of the school basketball coaches also coach the local league teams. Opportunity to play abroad is limited and therefore the project encourages talented basketball players and coaches to come to Mauritius to share their knowledge of the game.

Your Basketball Coaching Placement
The basketball coaching takes place within school grounds in numerous locations around the island. You will support Physical Education lessons with a focus to enhance the practical delivery of coaching basketball to different age groups. After school camps are run weekly and you will be required to prepare coaching sessions for these keen basketball players.

Your Basketball Coaching Role
A typical day will involve 4 – 5 hours of coaching per day to children ranging from the ages of 11 through to 17 years. The ability of the players will be from grass roots to high performance but your role will be to deliver clear skills through structured drills working on passing, shooting, positioning, movement, awareness and most importantly technique. You will be supported by local basketball coaches to help you deliver the sessions, at the same time you will be required to lead the sessions autonomously.

A key requirement will be to identify talented individuals and provide focused coaching for them to ensure that they can reach their full potential. The hope is that these children are set on a pathway to possibly play for junior national teams.

Sports Camps
During school holidays a series of basketball camps are run daily during the week and your role will be to help organise these and become part of the basketball coaching team. During the  camps there is organised inter-college tournaments where you will be able to see the impact of your basketball coaching placement.

Criminal Records Check
We may ask you to complete a criminal records check in order to take part in this experience. We can accept those that have been done in the last two years if you have the certificate. In the UK it can be done through the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS), otherwise please search for your local service provider. We may also request a reference from a reliable source.

Basketball Gap Year, Student Internship and Career Break Experience in Mauritius
Mauritius is a top travel destination and for those who enjoy the outdoor life there is a myriad of adventure activities to experience from kite surfing, scuba diving, mountain biking, hiking and exploring the natural environment. Take a gap year, head out in your summer holiday or plan a career break and be part of an exciting basketball coaching and playing project in Mauritius, developing basketball skills for young people that could have a positive impact on their lives.

You can arrive from the first weekend in March (preferably on the Sun) until the last Sat in November. Arrivals/departures outside this window, may incur an additional charge.

Minimum duration is 4 weeks but the longer you can give to the experience the more value you will get from it.

We prefer you to come on an even duration of weeks such as 4, 6, 8 and so forth.

Visa
British Nationals will not require a visa to enter Mauritius for up to 90 days. If you are not a British National then we suggest you research your own requirements. When you book, we’ll provide you with all details should you need to apply for a visa.

Equipment Donation for Mauritius
We are dedicated to sustainable development. This is why part of the fee you pay goes towards buying decent equipment for beneficiary organisations in Mauritius. You will often use this equipment during your project and it is always left with the community when you leave. In some cases, an equipment donation may not be appropriate so a financial contribution is made instead.

Social Life in Mauritius
Mauritius is known as paradise island and is spoilt for choice on pristine beaches. On public holidays the locals certainly know how to enjoy themselves at the beach and are so warm and welcoming, they will often ask you to join them! The national music and dance is Sega and you can often here the African skin drums being played by the locals. In the north and west of the island there are several resort towns with plenty of restaurants and bars as well as surf and up market clothing stores. Every weekend you will be free to explore and experience the fun way of life in Mauritius!

Travel and Adventure in Mauritius
Mauritius, an Indian Ocean island nation, as mentioned is known for its beaches, lagoons and reefs. However the mountainous interior has a lot to offer including Black River Gorges National Park, with rainforests, waterfalls, hiking trails and rare endangered wildlife like the Fruit Bat, Pink Pigeon and Mauritian Kestrel. The Capital Port Louis has sites such as the Champs de Mars horse track, Eureka plantation house and 18th-century Botanical Gardens.

The national sport of Mauritius is football and its most popular sport to date. The national football team is called Club M and represents the country in international matches. Mauritius also has solid teams in volleyball and basketball, all competing to a high standard. If water-sports are you thing then Mauritius will spoil you with an array of aquatic activities from scuba-diving, to kite-surfing to sailing on the crystal seas all over the island.

The highlights of this trip is the climb of Le Morne to see the underwater waterfall and this UNESCO World Heritage Site with significant cultural importance for Mauritian people.

Accommodation
For the duration of your stay in Mauritius, you will be staying in a basic but comfortable house, with dorm style accommodation with all the facilities you need.

Food
Breakfast, lunch and dinner can be prepared in groups or individually as there is a supermarket close by and good storage at the accommodation.

Airport Pick-Up
You will be met at the airport by a member of the team and taken back to your accommodation.

Training
Full project induction and orientation will be provided during your intro week.

Support
Pre-departure help and advice; local in country team; 24 hour emergency support.

Transport
Transport to and from your sports project and intro week locations will be provided by our in-country team but you will be required to contribute to local costs of fuel. Transport will include public and private: taxi, bus, boat, bicycle. Participants will be expected to walk to and from locations when travelling short distances.

Flights
Travel Insurance
Visa
Vaccinations
CRB/DBS Check
Airport Drop-Off (but we will help you get local transport)
Spending Money

Preferred Duration

4 to 6 weeks will give you a good amount of time to settle in and develop the relationships that are important for the programme and you. Anything longer has even more value if you can commit to it.

Pre-requisites

You need some basic knowledge in the sport you want to be involved with as you will need to run training drills alongside this. You are expected to be friendly, adaptable and creative when working with the kids during their coaching sessions.

Ideal for

Basketball Coaching Experience in Mauritius; Gap Year Sports in Mauritius; Career Break Sports Opportunities; Student Sports Internships

Suitable for ages 18 to 80

Most participants are between 18 and 25, so please be aware of this. We do welcome older people because of the value and experience they bring to the community.