Football in Argentina
Consistently among the favourites for World Cup success it is no surprise that Argentina’s favourite sport is Football. When talking about Argentine football, you immediately start discussing past and present football stars such as Tevez, Messi and Maradona to name but a few. Although your task will not be to find the Maradona, you will soon discover that football is played in every field, street and alley way. Moreover, coaching football in Argentina is a great opportunity to see this street football in its most raw form, where some of the top players in the world have picked up their skills. This project represents a priceless opportunity to understand the Argentine way of playing football while creating a huge impact on the local community, helping develop their skills and providing them with values and commitment towards the sport.
Your Football Coaching Placement
The volunteer coaching project in Argentina allows you to coach football at the local soccer school and clubs, players of whom are based in the shanty towns of Buenos Aires and enables kids to stay away from drugs and crime by giving them the chance to play football. This will give you valuable experience of coaching football at the grass roots level with the potential to also work in a more structured environment with local clubs and coaches. Over 40 young players are supported by the school at any one time which offers a safe, secure environment for young athletes to practise and play football. The players are typically aged between 4-16 years old and come mainly from disadvantages areas in Buenos Aires. By choosing to participate as a volunteer football coach in Argentina, you will give young football players much better access to structured football training while also gaining a much deeper insight into Argentinean football.
We welcome football volunteers with varied levels of coaching experience. We just ask that you have played on a regular basis, have a good understanding of the game and possess a basic grounding in coaching principles. The emphasis is not on developing South America’s next international football star but about providing the opportunity for children from less advantaged backgrounds to develop socially through the medium of sport and build friendships over common grounds. From here you will be providing enthusiastic young Portenos the chance to play the sport they love in an organised and fun environment. Whatever your background, rest assured that you will be able to offer something positive to the children by choosing to be a volunteer football coach in Argentina.
Your Football Coaching Role
The football coaching takes place on weekdays, coaching underprivileged children in the shanty areas, leaving you plenty of time to explore Buenos Aires and the surrounding areas. As a part of a structured team you will assist the coaches by giving advice on how to set up new drills and exercises. You will see that skills represent a crucial part of argentine drills hence by introducing more principles of tactical movements, passing and team play, you will add a new dimension to their football training which you will soon see your players will truly appreciate. You will also be asked to help out with the educational side of the project, helping to teach the kids English in homework sessions before training.
Summer Camps
Summer camps in Argentina run throughout January. These camps attract thousands of kids each year, and are run in conjunction with a government sports initiative aimed at getting kids out and doing something constructive with their summer holidays. Volunteer sports coaches are required to coach: football, hockey, rugby and tennis.
Your Football Training Placement
The team is an amateur team located in the suburbs of Buenos Aires. The team comprises of local and international amateur and semi-professional players (hoping to make it to professional status). Their players age between 16-25 years making it an ideal team to make friends and also enjoy the social side of football in Argentina.
You will have the opportunity to train with the team taking part in all physical and fitness sessions; these include drills, strategy techniques and possibly the chance to play at a competitive level.
Criminal Records Check
We require 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), in the USA further details can be found on Travel.State.Gov, otherwise please search for your local service provider. We may also request a reference from a reliable source. You must supply these to us before departure and also take a copy with you to present to the in-country team.
Why do we require a criminal background check?
1) Ensuring a safe environment is conducive to learning, productivity and overall positive experiences for everyone involved.
2) We implement thorough screening processes and we are committed to safety and integrity, fostering trust among participants and the local community.
3) Conducting background checks serves as a preventive measure, deterring individuals with questionable backgrounds from attempting to participate in our programme.
4) Safeguards vulnerable people from potential harm within the programme.
Gap Year, Student Holidays and Career Break Football Opportunities in Argentina
Coaching and playing football on a football gap year or career break in Argentina is a great way to experience the Argentine passion for football and a totally new culture. By volunteering in Argentina on a football project you will soon make life long friends from your football coaching and playing experience abroad.
