Coach Development sends Billarocks to Berlin
Since last year, Grassroot Soccer has taken great strides with our Coach Development program. It has evolved from a former Kimtern’s (Trevor Prophet) site-level initiative into an organization-wide movement. Most, if not all, sites are holding regular 1-on-1 development sessions with their coaches, Skillz UP – “Unleashing Potential” is well underway, and coaches are taking advantage of development opportunities outside of GRS.
When the new batch of interns arrived in Kimberley in 2012, Trevor helped transition them into their new lives and roles with GRS Kim. This included handing over the reigns of the coach development program that he piloted himself. Those reigns were passed to worthy hands, as Eric Saito took over, a former teacher who holds a Masters Degree in Education. This is Eric’s favorite role as a GRS intern and he averages four 1-on-1 sessions per week. Last month Eric created a “Coaches Corner” in the office. This is a place where he posts opportunities for coaches to apply for outside of their lives as Skillz coaches. One of the first opportunities sent to him by HQ was an internship in Berlin to learn about sport-for-development in Germany. He received the information a week before the application was due and took the necessary measures to inform the coaches. The only coach (and one of few who met the age requirements) to bite was Lerato (Billarocks) Rooibaatjie. Lerato sought Eric for assistance and together they updated her CV, wrote a cover letter, and sent in her application. One of the organizers of the internship called both Eric and Lerato to gauge whether she would be a good candidate, and about a month later she received a call from the Department of Sports and Recreation South Africa (SRSA) saying that she was selected to go to Germany.
Since last year, Grassroot Soccer has taken great strides with our Coach Development program. It has evolved from a former Kimtern’s (Trevor Prophet) site-level initiative into an organization-wide movement. Most, if not all, sites are holding regular 1-on-1 development sessions with their coaches, Skillz UP – “Unleashing Potential” is well underway, and coaches are taking advantage of development opportunities outside of GRS.
When the new batch of interns arrived in Kimberley in 2012, Trevor helped transition them into their new lives and roles with GRS Kim. This included handing over the reigns of the coach development program that he piloted himself. Those reigns were passed to worthy hands, as Eric Saito took over, a former teacher who holds a Masters Degree in Education. This is Eric’s favorite role as a GRS intern and he averages four 1-on-1 sessions per week. Last month Eric created a “Coaches Corner” in the office. This is a place where he posts opportunities for coaches to apply for outside of their lives as Skillz coaches. One of the first opportunities sent to him by HQ was an internship in Berlin to learn about sport-for-development in Germany. He received the information a week before the application was due and took the necessary measures to inform the coaches. The only coach (and one of few who met the age requirements) to bite was Lerato (Billarocks) Rooibaatjie. Lerato sought Eric for assistance and together they updated her CV, wrote a cover letter, and sent in her application. One of the organizers of the internship called both Eric and Lerato to gauge whether she would be a good candidate, and about a month later she received a call from the Department of Sports and Recreation South Africa (SRSA) saying that she was selected to go to Germany.
She will be there from May 10th to June 9th, spending
the first half meeting with governmental and non-governmental sports organizations learning about
sport-for-development in Germany. She will then be
placed as an intern in one of Germany's sports
organizations. The trip is fully funded by the Youth
Development through Football project in partnership
with the SRSA and the Sport for Social Change
Network (SSCN).
After being accepted Lerato hastily shifted her focus towards obtaining a passport and visa. With Eric’s help and pressure from HQ, Lerato was able to submit her passport and visa application on time. “It's been a ton of work - mostly on Lerato's part. She put in the time and effort and truly deserves this opportunity,” said Eric of the process.
When asked about the incredible adventure ahead of her, Lerato said, “this is a once-in-a-life-time opportunity.” Lerato is most excited to live in Germany for a month, and is looking forward to meeting the people and experiencing a foreign culture. Though the excitement is boiling, Lerato is nervous about traveling alone and being away from everyone in Kimberley for a month. She also hopes not to get lost!
Lerato is eager to learn more about the sport-for-development field. Working with GRS has shown her the power of sports and she is interested in learning how sport-for-development works in other countries. Lerato says she is “excited to go to Germany and to come back and use what [she] learned.”
She will capitalize on this opportunity to develop her skills, meet new people and build connections. Although she does not have firm plans after GRS, Lerato believes this opportunity will open doors for her. She hopes to supplement her learning on this trip by pursuing certified facilitation courses, for she is “passionate about education because it is something that builds communities.”
On behalf of all of GRS we are sending Lerato off with pride and confidence that she will represent our organization as well as her home in Kim to the best of her ability. Gigantic Kilos to Lerato, Eric, and GRS Coach Development for making this happen, inspiring our coaches to reach their full potential, and spreading awareness around the world for the great work we do with Grassroot Soccer, and of course here in Kimberley.
After being accepted Lerato hastily shifted her focus towards obtaining a passport and visa. With Eric’s help and pressure from HQ, Lerato was able to submit her passport and visa application on time. “It's been a ton of work - mostly on Lerato's part. She put in the time and effort and truly deserves this opportunity,” said Eric of the process.
When asked about the incredible adventure ahead of her, Lerato said, “this is a once-in-a-life-time opportunity.” Lerato is most excited to live in Germany for a month, and is looking forward to meeting the people and experiencing a foreign culture. Though the excitement is boiling, Lerato is nervous about traveling alone and being away from everyone in Kimberley for a month. She also hopes not to get lost!
Lerato is eager to learn more about the sport-for-development field. Working with GRS has shown her the power of sports and she is interested in learning how sport-for-development works in other countries. Lerato says she is “excited to go to Germany and to come back and use what [she] learned.”
She will capitalize on this opportunity to develop her skills, meet new people and build connections. Although she does not have firm plans after GRS, Lerato believes this opportunity will open doors for her. She hopes to supplement her learning on this trip by pursuing certified facilitation courses, for she is “passionate about education because it is something that builds communities.”
On behalf of all of GRS we are sending Lerato off with pride and confidence that she will represent our organization as well as her home in Kim to the best of her ability. Gigantic Kilos to Lerato, Eric, and GRS Coach Development for making this happen, inspiring our coaches to reach their full potential, and spreading awareness around the world for the great work we do with Grassroot Soccer, and of course here in Kimberley.
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