Local children learn traditional African games through UCLan's sports coaching exchange
Sports coaches from Zambia and Rwanda have come to Preston to teach local school children about traditional African games and exchange best practice ideas with Preston sports coaches as part of an exchange project with the University of Central Lancashire (UCLan.)
Seven sports coaches are spending a week in Preston from Saturday 26 March as part of the Zambian Leaders Exchange Project.
They are working with UCLan sports coaching students, Preston City Council Sports Development and three local schools in a bid to share ideas on coaching at community level and the best ways to engage with young people through sport.
Pupils from St Gregory's primary school and Corpus Christi Catholic Sport College spent a day working alongside the African coaches to learn traditional games.
Cliff Olsson, a senior lecturer from the School of Sport, Tourism and The Outdoors, has helped to co-ordinate the project. He said: "This project is all about coaching at a community level and sharing ideas on the best ways to do this. It very much links in with the legacy of the London 2012 Olympic Games where during the bidding process, London made the promise to 'reach young people all around the world and connect them to the inspirational power of sport'."
During the visit UCLan will host a webinar for the International Community Coach Education System (ICES) project, lead by UK Sport. It will bring together community coaches from around the globe to discuss ideas on how to get more young people involved in sport and ways to use sport as a channel for education and development.
All of the visiting coaches have been presented with an Olympic branded Adidas tracksuit by Preston City Council.
The Sport Development Manager at Preston City Council, Steve Daly, commented: "We are proud to be part of the International Coach Education Scheme (ICES) which looks at the sharing of good practise and for different cultures to learn from each other.
"2012 is an important year for England but also for Preston as we are the European City of Sport and it is also the Year of the Preston Guild 2012. It is important that we celebrate such events and embrace culture and diversity and there is no greater way of doing this than the sharing of experience and knowledge."
The project has been organised by UCLan, Preston Sports Development and Preston Sports Partnership in conjunction with the ICES project. It ties in with UCLan's existing links with Zambian aid agency 'Sport in Action' and for the third year running, sports students will spend two weeks in Zambia delivering sports related activities to the local children and surrounding area.
The trip to Zambia forms a unique module looking at sport and international aid and development that is offered to year two students from the sports studies, sports development, sports management and sports coaching programmes.
Thanks to the extensive partnerships with the University of Zambia, Nkrumah College of Education and Zambia Sport in Action, the module provides opportunities for UCLan students to help some of the poorest young people in Africa in some of the most challenging environments.