About Youth Soccer Coaching in Ghana

World Endeavors volunteers with a passion for sports can make a unique contribution to Ghanaian youth in this coaching program. Soccer, the most popular sport in Ghana, has a powerful ability to cross social borders and bring people together. Volunteers assist with local youth soccer clubs that draw participants from the city and surrounding towns. These teams give local youth the chance to make friends, exercise, and form community by participating in the sport they love. Many teams struggle, however, with a lack of resources. Volunteers assist the club’s coach or coach a team on their own, teaching the participants athletic skills, strategies, and team-building. This program is an unbeatable opportunity to form connections to Ghanaian kids and celebrate the unifying power of sports.

A Typical Day in the Life of a Volunteer in Ghana

World Endeavors volunteers in Ghana can expect their days to be a combination of meaningful volunteer work, cultural experiences, and free time for relaxation and reflection.  The sample schedule below represents a typical day for a volunteer in Ghana.  Keep in mind that when volunteering abroad, a typical day can be anything but typical!

7:30 am: Breakfast with your host family or at the volunteer site.  Breakfast in Ghana often consists of ampesi (a dish consisting of a cassava, cocoyam, yam, and a plantain mixture that is boiled with onion and fish, and then pounded and boiled a second time).

8:00 am: Walk or catch the tro tro (local bus) to get to your project site.

8:45 am – 12:30 pm: Work at volunteer placement.

12:30 pm – 2:00 pm: Lunch with your host family or at the project site.  Lunch in Kumasi often consists of fufu (cassava, plantain, or cocoyam dough), palm fruit, fish, beans, eggplant, and groundnuts combined and eaten over rice.

1:00 pm – 3:00 pm: Work at volunteer placement.

3:00 pm – 7:00 pm: Free time for exploring town, visiting the internet café, browsing through the Kumasi Central Market, going to the zoo, playing soccer with local children, or hanging out with other volunteers.

8:00 pm – 9:00 pm: Dinner with your host family.  Dinners in Ghana often include rice and boiled yams with stew (okra, fish, bean leaf, peanut) or soup.

9:00 pm – 10:00 pm: Relax at home, chat with your host family or fellow volunteers, read a book, prepare for tomorrow’s volunteering, or plan a weekend trip to Elmina, the Cape Coast Castle, the coast, or one of Ghana’s national parks.

Project and class schedules, meals, and free time activities may vary depending on the details of your placement.

Eligibility

Volunteers must be 18 years of age or older. Successful volunteers are hardworking, flexible, and open to truly immersing themselves in Ghanaian culture.