Hockey Coaching Volunteer Project in India, Udaipur

Hockey in India
Hockey is India’s official national sport and India’s national squad has earned a strong reputation on the world stage, consistently winning gold and silver medals at the Olympic Games. The speed and stick skills of India’s top hockey players really are something to marvel at. However, while there are many club teams throughout India, the sport remains elitist, largely due to the expensive equipment needed to take part. This means thousands of children do not get the chance to play and enjoy hockey in India. Therefore, by joining one of our hockey coaching volunteer projects in India, you can provide more sporting opportunities for young Indian hockey players, providing decent equipment, organising hockey coaching sessions and building or improving sports facilities in the community.

Your Hockey Volunteer Placement
Your hockey placement will be based in local schools around Udaipur. Access to hockey is very limited because, culturally, Indians only recognise activities as valuable if they have a direct benefit on their children’s career. The chances of becoming a professional hockey player are slim, so the schools rarely channel funds into playing hockey, or any sports for that matter. The schools are therefore very keen to welcome our volunteer hockey coaches into their schools to engage young people in sport. As part of your placement you will run coaching sessions in two schools in Udaipur, the first is an international school with modest facilities where you will run daily sessions working with different age groups, as well as the school hockey teams. The second school is a school for children with speech and hearing impairments. The children are hugely enthusiastic about sport and the school has its own hockey teams that compete in small tournaments throughout the year.You do not need coaching qualifications to join our hockey coaching project, just some experience of playing or coaching at a fairly good standard, be it school, club, university or county. This is because our aim is to provide more opportunities for young Indian children to play and enjoy hockey, not on finding India’s next Olympic hockey star – although you never know!

Your Hockey Coaching Role
Your role in the schools will be to organise hockey coaching sessions and matches for the children. The schools generally cannot afford to have their own Physical Education or sports teachers, so your involvement will have an immediate impact. These hockey sessions may take place during the school timetable but, usually, you will run after school hockey clubs. You will soon discover how effective your hockey sessions can be since many of the children are very talented but have simply never played in an organised team environment. By introducing the basic principles of passing, tackling and position holding, your hockey players will improve quickly. Organising hockey matches or sports days with other schools are also a great ways for children to develop a real sense of belonging with their team mates. The physical and health benefits of playing regular hockey are also an important part of your hockey coaching project.You hockey coaching schedule can include the following: Warm up routines and stretching guidance, rules and regulations of the game, positional play , dribbling and stick work technique, passing, different grip for styles, scoops and flicks, goalkeeping skills and techniques, corner moves and positioning, penalties, teamwork and strategy, goal scoring and shooting technique, hand / eye coordination and reflexes, as well as offensive and defensive team co-ordination.

CRB/DBS (Criminal Records Bureau) Check
It is required that participants complete a CRB/DBS (Criminal Records Bureau) check in order to take part in this project. We can provide this service for you at an additional cost because some people may already have one that is valid (please get in touch for more details).

Gap Year Hockey in India
A hockey gap year in India is the perfect way to combine gap year travel in India with a gap year hockey coaching project in India. Thousands of gap year volunteers travel to India on their gap year each year and our gap year hockey projects give you the chance to coach gap year hockey to disadvantaged hockey players while meeting other likeminded gap year volunteers.

Start dates are every week of the year with your activities starting on a Monday. We therefore request you arrive anytime on the Sunday before to receive a free airport pick-up and transfer. Early or late arrivals will incur an additional charge for the transfer and extra night including food, so arriving on the Sunday will be your better option.

Your trip will finish on the Saturday morning when you will need to vacate the accommodation.

Note: The first week is centred around Udaipur and the surrounding area for a comprehensive orientation and induction week with the sports project starting on the proceeding Monday. Therefore, if you want to do at least 2 weeks coaching you should come for a 3 week trip.

Please also note that India is known for it’s festivals, so during some periods of your trip this may disrupt normal schedules. However, our in-country team are there to make sure you are kept busy and enjoying all aspects of your India experience.

Visa
British Nationals will not require a visa to enter India. For a stay up to 30 days you can get an evisa which is emailed to you. For longer stays up to 60 days, you are required to get a tourist visa. Anything over 60 days we will need to send you a letter of invitation. To read more about visa requirements you can click here.

Accommodation
Volunteer camp with shared rooms (2-8 people per room); Basic but comfortable; Shared toilet and shower facilities; Communal areas for socialising and relaxation designed with an authentic Indian style; internet access and use of a TV with international cable channels; Single and double rooms may also be available – contact us.

Food
3 meals a day are provided on weekdays, and then 2 meals per day on weekends; Basic but nutritious vegetarian meals are provided. Meals are of a typical Indian fare.

Airport Transfer
Included on arrival date. Ask us for details if you are arriving early/late.

Training
A full orientation and project induction takes place in the first week centred around Udaipur and the surrounding areas. You will also receive full training relevant to your coaching role in the schools.

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

Donation
Part of your fee is used to buy decent equipment for the project and community you work with. If you wish to bring further donation, please make sure that this is in the form of equipment and not monetary donations.

Flights; Travel Insurance; Visas; Vaccinations; Spending money; In country travel; Payment for transport to / from placement; Laundry service; Extra activities not on itinerary. Departure Transfer.

Preferred Duration
There is no preferred duration but we believe that the longer you can stay the more you will experience and benefit. Please take into account that the first week of your project will be a cultural orientation in the city of Udaipur.

Typical Hours
Monday-Friday; 4-5 hours a day; Occasional work at weekends but usually free for personal time and travel. Please be aware that some public holidays may cause disruption to times / days during your volunteer project.

Pre-requisites
No prior coaching experience or qualifications are required, but a basic understanding of the game and/or playing experience is necessary. It is important that you can speak English. Volunteers are required to provide a valid CRB/DBS check in order to take part in the project.

Ideal For
Sports Gap Years and Career breaks; Gap Breaks; Gap Years and Volunteer Travel in India; Hockey Coaching in India; Sports Volunteering in Asia.

Suitable for ages 18 to 80

Most participants are between 18 and 25, so please be aware of this. We do welcome older people because of the value and experience they bring to the community.