Rebecca Nixon, one of our volunteers sent this report July 2011;

We now have 140 students, with 52 boys so I have organised a Tournament involving all the boys in the Secondary. The school football team was split equally between the four teams as well as defenders, strikers and goalies. The team captains are each of our Senior 4 boys who are each strong characters and I asked them to think of the team names. I have fixtures, results and team notices up and the kids are all  really excited! Which is absolutely lovely to see-I am seeing kids on the pitch that I have never seen before and they are all really getting involved!

The girls are also cheering along at the football matches, as well as Primary members and the villagers. I have now also organised a Netball Tournament with 2 leagues, once again involving all the girls! Since Term 1 the girls have literally not being practicing netball, which I was horrified at, they eat posho and beans everyday which, makes these girls fat and don't exercise!

Also I am getting fatter from no netball so have been forced to start cycling to Mubende and back-which of course highly amuses every Ugandan I pass-as they think along the lines of... why would there be a Mzungu girl cycling at 7am on a Sunday morning, with no bag?! So the girls are also taking part and being pretty active which is good.

I have also organised four team houses: Musangi, Mount, Bishop and Kapffa, which the children are really excited about, house captains have been allocated and it means that Sports Galas at end of terms will now be more competitive and more organised! I am also now currently collecting in entries for the house emblems competition.

Our Netball referee from the Primary-Mr Bishashara has also recently made four houses in the primary section (on his own initiative) -which is brilliant and is organising inter-house competitions. He is brilliant and has a lot of enthusiasm and time for sport. 

March 2011

Engage For Africa February Visit 2011

St Zoe’s 

It was nice to drive into St Zoe’s following a two year break to see more than just a football pitch at the school. Funds had been released from the HUGs Sports Fund in 2010 for the school to purchase new equipment and materials for new sports to played at the school.

When we pulled up at the school pupils were playing volleyball, netball and football. One of the issues I noticed on my visit in 2009 was the fact that girls at the school don’t play any sport and it’s mainly the older boys that play football on the school pitch. This surprised me as when I spoke to younger pupils and the girls they expressed an interest.

During the two days at St Zoe’s myself and Phil Hayward coached all boys and girls at the school using their new equipment. Basketball, netball, athletics, football, volleyball were all played as part of a round robin where pupils had the chance to be coached and compete in games, a special thanks goes to Naomi and Becky as without them we couldn’t have coached so many children.

Prior to any coaching all pupils at St Zoe’s were presented with their premier league football kits donated from primary schools in Merseyside & Cheshire. This part of the project plays a massive part during the day and beyond, as every pupil have their own dreams when they put on the shirt weather it be at school or in their local village. The T Shirt is a talking point of happiness.

The need for structured coaching on a regular basis at St Zoe’s is necessary due to the number of pupils, the enthusiasm, work ethic and talent the pupils possess.

Sports Forum

To progress to the next level I feel the Sports Centre of Excellence requires a sports forum that would consist of the following staff members: 

Paul,Margaret,Naomi, Rebecca, Godfrey 

At the start of each calendar month the forum would meet to discuss a number of topics such as:

• Coaching sessions for each age group after school/during lunchtime (30 mins coaching only)
• Talented pupils in each year group highlighted per sport
• Sportsboy& girl from previous month agreed and date confirmed for trophy to be awarded in front of school
• Possible fixtures against local schools and teams that will be competing
• How to raise the standards to increase the High Quality coaching
• Equipment/Facility issues

Areas that need to be addressed as a matter of urgency: 

• Basketball Court with hoops and back boards up
• Full Size football pitch, area graded, marked out, goals painted white, up and with nets on
• Perimeters of all sports areas measured and marked using thin wooden strips that need to be hammered into ground
• School Sports Notice board put up in school for pupils to see latest events, photos of team, sports news from around the world, motivational sports quotes from legends, Athletics record holders per age from St Zoe’s etc

St Zoe's Football Team

Overall Review

Timescales must be kept to and all funds used for the development of the sports school must represent value for money.

I feel St Zoe’s has massive potential to produce talented sportsmen and women in the near future that can go on to great achievements in the sports industry. The talented sportsboys and girls at the school must be used as positive role models as so many pupils will look upto them at school in their everyday life. With the right coaching starting from an early age and with all sports areas up and running I can’t see why the pupils wouldn’t flourish in St Zoe’s Sport School of Excellence.

The drive and energy at the school from the children is there to see, with help from HQ Coaching, HUGS and the staff at St Zoe’s, the schools sports will now go from strength to strength. The recording and evaluating of activities is key and the fact the pupils must get a competitive edge in sports that will come through competing against other schools is massive to their short and long term development.

Phil Hayward

Good Shepard Special School

I was overwhelmed on my return to Good Shepard school to see so many changes. Not only the building structure, but also a whole farm has been growing since my last visit. I couldn’t believe how many different fruit and vegetables were growing in what was wasteland two years ago. Now masses of produce is growing daily and is used for the pupils and to sell to local villagers.

I’ve with worked in hundreds possibly thousandsof schools in my years of coaching I can honestly say I have not met pupils that are so caring, loving and fun at the same time. We spent a full day coaching each class various sports skills at the school on their short pitch that is on a slight hill. The pupils play as if the slope on the hill is not even there. 

At one end of the pitch is a netball post and the other end behind the goal was the school cow. To the right of the pitch what was once a bog, where the children had to go if their ball went, now there’s a pond where the school stock their famous tilapia fish, just another of the bright ideas from Sister Theresa. 

It was great to see old faces I remembered when the school was opened two years ago with 24 pupils, the school is nearing 200 pupils now. To see Asumpta taking shots at Phil was just one many success stories at this school. From discussions with school staff, Sister Theresa and Peter Mount I feel the school has set realistic targets and has exceeded previous ones set in all areas of numeracy, literacy etc. The main area I feel the school is lacking in is sport.

Overall Review

The sports area needs to be improved so grading work will need to take place on the side of the hill to make a level, larger playing field. The sports area will have a 50x30yds football pitch, a basketball court and a volleyball court. These are the sports that have been requested by the staff and pupils.

Next steps would be to get realistic quotes setup and for funds to be raised to get the work started. The area the pupils have at the moment is stopping so many pupils at the school taking part in sports, keeping fit, having fun and improving in a range of sports.

Matthew Houghton

Class 5 Good Shepard School

For more pictures of our visit click here