This episode follows the successes of 18 year old SHARON CHEPKEMOI and her boys football team Galarc FC. Below are some highlights from the podcast, including our interview with STEPHEN RIGBY from Ambassadors Football Kenya, an organisation that trains football coaches in Kenya to be good role models.
Listen below:
Highlights:
Sharon: "Boys in our community struggle with drinking, drugs, gambling and crime. There is a lack of positive projects for them. If it weren’t for the football team, they would be idle and might become involved in these dangerous activities. Instead, they are busy during the day [with football] and tired at night, so they go home and sleep."
Sharon's Players: "Football helps us to come together in unity and peace. Sharon is a good role model for us, and she’s the best coach to train us. I think we are going far. I feel I’m at home in the team - she’s like a mum to us!"
Sharon: "Coaching isn’t just about football technique. Boys in my team also learn to communicate better, sharing [their] stories and problems. I help them to have these conversations and build relationships. Teamwork is about knowing that my strength can be your weakness."
Stephen: "We encourage the coaches we train to hold up a mirror to themselves, to be aware that their actions are what will influence the young people they’re working with. Working with youth and entering into people’s lives can be upsetting; you need a strong sense of who you are and where your strength comes from."
Sharon: "It can sometimes be a challenge being a female coach for a boys’ team. Girls can be afraid in our community, and when I started some people were asking "why?". But it’s nice; I feel good.
Learn more about Sharon's Cluster here