The Sports Development Experience is the perfect project for the sports enthusiasts! Get involved with creches, schools and community outreach programs coaching sports and at the same time learn about sports administration in the NPO sector while having a lot of fun in the sun!
| Starting days | Starting days are Monday to Friday in the South African school term (see below for dates). Closed from November to 15th of January |
| Minimum Requirements | 2 weeks and longer subject to visa requirements. A minimum age of 17 years old and older. |
| Cost | £850 for 2 weeks and £350 for each additional week |
| What is included | Food, shared accommodation, meeting you at the airport, airport collection and drop-off, weekly transport to and from your project, donation, pre-departure support, in-country staff, 24- emergency help and more |
| What is not included | Flights, visas, travel insurance and spending money |
| Best for | Gappers, career breakers, families, post-retirement gappers, couples, sports students, Physical Education teachers, sports lovers |
Project Description
Sport is such a great way to develop not only healthy bodies but also healthy minds but in the poorer areas it can be very difficult for children to get proper coaching, and sports facilities are very limited. This is where the Sports Development Experience project plays such an important role. Established in 1992, the sports school facilitates fantastic sports outreach programs into schools and creches. Aside from physical education, cycling, golf, soccer, touch rugby, hockey, bowls, cricket and even recently swimming are just a few of the sports that are coached which gives some of the talented youth who normally would not have access to take part in these sports, the opportunity to do so and excel.
There is a great program for the little ones called “kids in traffic” that teaches foundation phase learners at creches and playschools the rules of the road with road sign props and bicycles with the aim of instilling road safety from an early age. Foundation phase learners also have general physical education so the sports experience project has so much variety with age group, locations, and socio-economic background of the youth you will be assisting with
At the Sports Development Experience you would also be involved with sports administration, setting up for matches and tournaments and general maintenance on sports grounds and with equipment so it is a great all-around sports project for those crazy about sports and wanting to uplift youth from disadvantaged areas with sports development …. or even those looking at studying sports development and coaching as a career
Coaching can take place within the various schools and creches, driving ranges and golf courses and some at the sports school grounds depending on the school term and season as some sports are seasonal. For those that enjoy cycling, the cycling program has some incredibly beautiful scenic routes and is highly popular both with volunteers, coaches and the youth….but make sure you stick to the group and don’t get lost like some past volunteers!
If you have an interest in a particular sport, please let us know so we can do our best to accommodate you.
If you would like to assist in a specific sport, the seasons for the different sports are as follows:
- Competitive Bowls, Tag Rugby, Golf and Cycling: All year round
- Cricket: January – mid March, and September – mid November
- Tennis: April – end of May
- Hockey: Mid-March until September
School terms for 2025
| Term | Start | Ends |
| 1st | 15th of January | 28th of March |
| 2nd | 8th of April | 27th of June |
| 3rd | 22nd of July | 3rd of October |
| 4th | 13th of October | 10th of December |
Accommodation
The Sports Development Experience volunteer accommodation is a comfortable, self-catering flat located just a few minutes’ walk from Knysna town centre, providing easy access to shopping malls, restaurants, takeaways, gyms, nightlife, entertainment, and essential services. The flat features a fully equipped kitchen with a dining table, fridge, kettle, induction plate, and all necessary utensils for meal preparation. The bathrooms are fitted with showers, sinks, and toilets. For leisure, there are TVs and access to a pool for hot summer days, as well as a private garden area with a picnic table for outdoor dining. Laundry facilities are available for personal use, and we provide laundry detergent. The property is secured with perimeter beams and situated in a quiet, safe neighbourhood. Accommodation options include shared or private rooms, depending on volunteer numbers. Additionally, there is WIFI, and arrangements can be made for couples, friends, and families to stay together. There is a cleaner once a week.
If the volunteer flat is full, we have other self-catering options that are walking distance to the town centre and its amenities and very comfortable.
Food
You will receive a food allowance during your Sports Development Experience volunteer project to cover your basic essentials for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. As part of your induction upon arrival in Knysna, you’ll be taken on a grocery shopping trip allowing you to select specific foods that meet your dietary requirements. A fully equipped kitchen is available for you to prepare and cook your meals. Additionally, the area offers plenty of grocery stores, excellent restaurants, and take-away options for your convenience.
Location
You will need to fly into George Airport between 09h00 and 16h00 for your airport collection where you will be met by your Volunteer International Adventures representative and driven to your volunteer accommodation in Knysna. On completion of your project, you will be driven back to George Airport in time for your return flight which must be any time after 10h30. If arriving by coach from Cape Town, you will be fetched and dropped off at the coach depot in Knysna. Arrivals and departures must be Monday to Fridays and not weekends.
Knysna is one of South Africa’s favourite towns based around the beautiful Knysna estuary with views of the iconic headlands. It is not known as the jewel of the Garden Route for nothing and is surrounded by magical forests, farmlands and a breath-taking coastline dotted with blue flag beaches which are great for swimming, barbequing or just simply watching dolphins surfing in the waves. It is also home to the famous elusive Knysna elephant which are the most southern free roaming elephants in the world and there are still hot debates about the numbers with some saying there is only one left and others a small herd of about 4.
The area that Knysna is situated is the Garden Route of the province of the Western Cape and it is a dream for animal lovers and extreme sports enthusiasts as there are numerous private wildlife reserves, national parks, whale watching, predator sanctuaries, primate sanctuaries, elephant sanctuaries, wolf sanctuaries, skydiving, paragliding, sandboarding, numerous interesting markets and so much more so boredom is not an option.
Our projects take place mainly in the local townships in the poorer areas where we do our best to try and lighten the load for the teachers, schools and NPOs assisting in the area with hands on help and financial support
For more information or to book, either fill in the contact form or please email info@volunteerinternationaladventures.com