Football Academy Support in Ghana

Working with the academy management team, coach, and students will be a part of your placement. After the students have left from school, the academy activities begin at 3:30 p.m. with Coach Dodu, the on-site academy coach. 

There are irregular events including weekend football games, scouting, joint teams training, and seasonal tournaments in addition to the scheduled training and growth sessions. Volunteers always play a crucial part in operations and are given the opportunity to organise workshops, run training sessions, map out routes, and implement new practices.

Who will I be working with?

You'll be given a spot on the academy staff team, with whom you'll spend every day at your placement sites. In this team are Nana Kwabena, the general manager of the Academy Organization, Coach Dodu, who oversees the activities of the on-field training, and Kwame, who is in charge of administration and public relations. 

After the first introduction, a member of our volunteer support team will also pay you visits at your placement site on occasion to make sure you're settling in and having an impact there.

What do we expect from a volunteer?

Sports or coaching qualifications or expertise are not required for this placement; instead, the team and you will discuss it during your initial meeting to determine what level of students would be best suited based on your experience and confidence. The best qualities of a volunteer are zeal, empathy, and the capacity to adapt to other cultures. By being open to new experiences and viewpoints while also bringing your own to the table, you will make the most of your trip. 

We expect volunteers to visit their placements Monday through Friday; however, we can make an exception for long weekends or other travel-related reasons.

What can you expect from us?

We will be available to help you with your placement and trip as a whole at any time of day. If you have any questions or need any assistance, from setting up and modifying your schedule to switching your placement, there will always be someone to speak to you. To help you quickly feel at home, our team members who live in the volunteer house will also provide advise on travel arrangements and the surrounding area.

What should I bring?

Regarding your placement, we suggest bringing any sports or coaching equipment you can, as these items are not available in our local areas and the only things you can find at the markets are cheap children's footballs and worn football boots. Once you have received confirmation that you are a volunteer with us, you may inquire about this with us, and we can ask the academy NGO team for an update to see what supplies they are most in need of right now. 

You should bring your shirt, gear, and boots if you enjoy playing football!

What Happens During School Holidays?

During school holidays if a volunteers placement falls within these dates then we can arrange either a holiday school depending on the number of volunteers or we can run sports clubs and competitions for the local children at one of the fields in town. 
The school holidays usually fall three times a year; few weeks around easter, few weeks around August and a few weeks during December.

• 07:30am - Volunteer transport leaves the volunteer house to project sites
• 08:00am - School starts (Academy volunteers can choose to assist with PE/Sports lessons during school hours)
• 10:30am - 11:00am - Morning Break
• 12:30pm - 01:00pm - Lunch Break
• 03:00pm - School closes
• 03:30pm - Football Academy Activities Begin - Training onfield and Workshops etc.
• 05:30pm - Once training has finished you are then free to go home and relax or hang out with the academy team who will most likely challenge you at Fifa!
• In their free time, volunteers are free to go shopping in the local markets, return to the volunteer house or visit the local swimming pools.