Basketball Coaching and Playing Project in Mauritius

From beaches to national parks, here are the absolute best things to do in Mauritius:

The Capital Port Louis
Head to Caudan Waterfront shopping mall
Check out China Town and fabric shopping district
Visit Aapravasi Ghat a Unesco World Heritage Site
See the sights, smells and sounds of Port Louis Bazaar!

South & West Region
Hike Black River Gorges National Park spotting endemic birds and native flora and fauna
Sail out on a Dolphin or Whale watching experience
Climb Le Morne Mountain, a cultural Unesco World Heritage Site
Relax on white Sandy Beaches of Le Morne or Flic en Flac join in the island national dance of Sega

South & East Region
Take the plunge and scuba dive or snorkel in Blue Bay Marine National Park
Experience local markets and the history of Mahebourg the old grand port
Climb Lion Mountain and Kestrel Valley
Explore Isle Aux Aigrettes conversation island and spot giant tortoises

Central Region
Pay your respect at the holy temple of Grand Bassin at the mouth of and extinct volcano
Take in the viewpoints of Alexandra Falls, Chamarel Seven Colored Earths and Black River Gorge NP
Sip the flavoured teas of Bois Cheri Tea Plantation
Get a taste of guava fruit picking (seasonal) or get active on zip line adventures

North Region
Kayak on Isle De Ambre and weave through Mangroves
Head to Grand Bay for shops, nightlife and pristine beaches
Walk the Pamplemousse Botanical Gardens
Visit the Sugarcane Factory Museum

Basketball in Mauritius
Basketball is a popular community youth sport, played mainly outdoors due to the year round sunshine. There is a national league that plays weekly to a high standard and many of the school basketball coaches also coach the local league teams. Opportunity to play abroad is limited and therefore the project encourages talented basketball players and coaches to come to Mauritius to share their knowledge of the game.

Your Basketball Coaching Placement
The basketball coaching takes place within school grounds in numerous locations around the island. You will support Physical Education lessons with a focus to enhance the practical delivery of coaching basketball to different age groups. After school camps are run weekly and you will be required to prepare coaching sessions for these keen basketball players.

Your Basketball Coaching Role
A typical day will involve 4 – 5 hours of coaching per day to children ranging from the ages of 11 through to 17 years. The ability of the players will be from grass roots to high performance but your role will be to deliver clear skills through structured drills working on passing, shooting, positioning, movement, awareness and most importantly technique. You will be supported by local basketball coaches to help you deliver the sessions, at the same time you will be required to lead the sessions autonomously.

A key requirement will be to identify talented individuals and provide focused coaching for them to ensure that they can reach their full potential. The hope is that these children are set on a pathway to possibly play for junior national teams.

Sports Camps
During school holidays a series of basketball camps are run daily during the week and your role will be to help organise these and become part of the basketball coaching team. During the  camps there is organised inter-college tournaments where you will be able to see the impact of your basketball coaching placement.

Criminal Records Check
We require you to complete a criminal records check in order to take part in this experience. We can accept those that have been done in the last two years if you have the certificate. In the UK it can be done through the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS), in the USA further details can be found on Travel.State.Gov, otherwise please search for your local service provider. We may also request a reference from a reliable source. You must supply these to us before departure and also take a copy with you to present to the in-country team.

Why do we require a criminal background check?
1) Ensuring a safe environment is conducive to learning, productivity and overall positive experiences for everyone involved.

2) We implement thorough screening processes and we are committed to safety and integrity, fostering trust among participants and the local community.

3) Conducting background checks serves as a preventive measure, deterring individuals with questionable backgrounds from attempting to participate in our programme.

4) Safeguards vulnerable people from potential harm within the programme.

Basketball Gap Year, Student Internship and Career Break Experience in Mauritius
Mauritius is a top travel destination and for those who enjoy the outdoor life there is a myriad of adventure activities to experience from kite surfing, scuba diving, mountain biking, hiking and exploring the natural environment. Take a gap year, head out in your summer holiday or plan a career break and be part of an exciting basketball coaching and playing project in Mauritius, developing basketball skills for young people that could have a positive impact on their lives.

You can arrive from the first weekend in March (preferably on the Sun) until the last Sat in November. Arrivals/departures outside this window, may incur an additional charge.

Minimum duration is 4 weeks but the longer you can give to the experience the more value you will get from it.

We prefer you to come on an even duration of weeks such as 4, 6, 8 and so forth.

Visa
Most nationalities will not require a visa to enter Mauritius for up to 90 days. If you are from a country that requires a visa for entry then we suggest you research your own requirements. When you book, we’ll provide you with all details should you need to apply for a visa.

Equipment Donation for Mauritius
We are dedicated to sustainable development. This is why part of the fee you pay goes towards buying decent equipment for beneficiary organisations in Mauritius. You will often use this equipment during your project and it is always left with the community when you leave. In some cases, an equipment donation may not be appropriate so a financial contribution is made instead.

Social Life in Mauritius
Mauritius is known as paradise island and is spoilt for choice on pristine beaches. On public holidays the locals certainly know how to enjoy themselves at the beach and are so warm and welcoming, they will often ask you to join them! The national music and dance is Sega and you can often hear the African skin drums being played by the locals. In the north and west of the island there are several resort towns with plenty of restaurants and bars as well as surf and up market clothing stores. Every weekend you will be free to explore and experience the fun way of life in Mauritius!

Travel and adventure in Mauritius
Mauritius, an Indian Ocean island nation, as mentioned is known for its beaches, lagoons and reefs. However the mountainous interior has a lot to offer including Black River Gorges National Park, with rainforests, waterfalls, hiking trails and rare endangered wildlife like the Fruit Bat, Pink Pigeon and Mauritian Kestrel. The Capital Port Louis has sites such as the Champs de Mars horse track, Eureka plantation house and 18th-century Botanical Gardens.

If water-sports are your thing then Mauritius will spoil you with an array of aquatic activities from scuba-diving, to kite-surfing to sailing on the crystal seas all over the island.

The highlights of this trip is the climb of Le Morne mountain to see the underwater waterfall and this UNESCO World Heritage Site with significant cultural importance for Mauritian people.

Accommodation
For the duration of your stay in Mauritius, you will be staying in a basic but comfortable house, with dorm style accommodation with all the facilities you need.

Self Catering Facilities
Breakfast, lunch and dinner can be prepared in groups or individually as there is a supermarket close by, there are two self catering kitchens and good storage at the accommodation.

Airport Pick-Up
You will be met at the airport by a member of the team and transferred to your accommodation.

Training
Full project induction and orientation will be provided during your intro week.

Support
Pre-departure help and advice; local in country team; 24 hour emergency support.

Transport
Arrival and departure transfers will be provided by our in-country team. We will utilise an array of transport to and from your sports project and you will be required to contribute to local costs of fuel of ticket purchases. Transport will include public and private transport: taxi, bus, boat, bicycle. Participants will be expected to walk to and from locations when travelling short distances.

Flights
Travel Insurance
Visa
Vaccinations
CRB/DBS Check
Airport Drop-Off (but we will help you get local transport)
Spending Money
Food

Preferred Duration

4 to 6 weeks will give you a good amount of time to settle in and develop the relationships that are important for the programme and you. Anything longer has even more value if you can commit to it.

Pre-requisites

You need some basic knowledge in the sport you want to be involved with as you will need to run training drills alongside this. You are expected to be friendly, adaptable and creative when working with the kids during their coaching sessions.

Ideal for

Basketball Coaching experience in Mauritius; Gap Year Sports in Mauritius; Career Break Sports Opportunities; Student Sports Internships

Suitable for ages 18 to 80

Most participants are between 18 and 25, so please be aware of this. We do welcome people above this age range because of the value and experience they may bring to the project will be highly beneficial, so we can discuss this on a case by case application.