The First Ever Sports Coaching Camp Wraps Up in Mankulam as a Great Success

~ Many Lessons Were Learnt, Many Hearts Were Touched And Many Bonds Were Built....

At the Foundation of Goodness, we consider sports as being one of the simplest yet most effective means by which, gaps can be bridged between individuals, communities and countries. It is with this intention that opportunities are given for children and youth by way of establishing a sporting complex and training programs for various sports at our state-of-the-art sports complex in Seenigama, Down-South of Sri Lanka. It is our dream to replicate the success in the South to the North of Sri Lanka. Although, the Learning and Empowerment Centre in Mankulam is yet to develop, as far as infrastructure is concerned, the first ever sports coaching camp in Mankulam was successfully conducted between 2nd and 5th June 2011 providing an opportunity for young school children to engage in sporting activities including  professional coaching for the very first time in their entire life.

Born to, and lived through traumatic experiences brought forth by the civil war in Sri Lanka, the positive energy that was converted in to concrete fears and phobias in these children can only be reversed through energy demanding activities such as sports that will also provide impetus for personality and self-confidence development. Not only do sports act as an avenue through which children can sublimate their apprehension towards past experiences, but it also becomes a stand point through which they can join forces with other children to learn the importance of sharing, caring and working towards achieving a single goal.

Cricket, Netball and Volleyball, being the most famous sports played throughout Sri Lanka, were selected as points of focus for the initial coaching camp. The Foundation of Goodness coaches, Anjula Mendis assisted by Rod McCabe conducted training for cricket.  Volleyball coaching sessions were conducted by Jayan Manoj and Nadeeka Dilrukshi assisted by Navoda Sarani conducted coaching in Netball. 85 children in total from the Mankulam Maha Vidyalaya participated at the coaching camp where 35 boys received training in cricket, 15 girls and 15 boys were trained in volleyball and 20 girls were trained in netball.

The coaching camps included the following activities:

Cricket

• basic warm up and warm down stretching,
• relevant exercises,
• lesson on identifying and using equipment,
• basic introduction to cricket,
• pitch preparation (matting) and measurements
• fielding, batting and bowling drills.

Volleyball

• Warm up, warm down and stretching
• Exercises
• Services, dipping, rotations, volley pass, spike step, jump step and receiving

 Netball

• Running drills and continue runs
• Moving practice
• Ball handling
• Developing skills
• Shooting and three feet practice
• Games
• Warm up, warm down and stretching

While the boys and girls thoroughly enjoyed themselves during coaching sessions, we were also able to identify certain areas that need further attention. Most children showed up in their school uniforms and school shoes because they lacked sports track bottoms, tshirts/shirts and shoes. In the process of training, some children even tore their clothes. Therefore, providing proper clothing that suits sporting activities while, acknowledging the weather conditions in the area is highlighted as something that we should focus on in the future.

The most alarming realization however, was to witness that these children did not have enough energy to continue training due to lack of nutrition. It was brought to our attention by school authorities that most students could afford to consume only one meal a day that was sponsored by the World Food Programme.  Therefore, the ability to provide a nutritious meal after coaching sessions will not only ensure that these children remain in good health, but it will also help to do-away the hunger they feel at night by having to skip dinner due to poverty.

Among such difficulties to fulfil their basic needs, it was truly heart warming for us to see how hunger or improper clothing could not defeat the enthusiasm in their actions, or how lingering post-traumatic stress could not erase the hopefulness in their eyes.

While, this first ever sports coaching camp is just a little step forward for the long journey of realizing our vision to bring out the best in sportsmen and sportswomen that the north of our country is capable of producing, it also acts an indication for us to realize just how much most of us take for granted in everyday life.

It indeed is our wish that sports will become one major avenue through which children from north of Sri Lanka find solace to gather the little pieces of their lives that have been shattered all over due to a war that ravaged for decades, destroying not only materialistic possessions but also, peace of mind and the conducive environment from which children could grow up to harness the innate purity that they harbour in themselves. It is in all glory and gratitude that we salute our sponsors and donors, on behalf of grateful citizens from North of Sri Lanka, without whom, our humanitarian endeavours will not be successful to uplift thousands of lives in this moment of utmost need.

"Kindness Is A Language Which The Deaf Can Hear And The Blind Can Read."

- Mark Twain

2011.06.14

Proud sponsors of the sporting equipments:

• David Crusz from Knox Restaurant - Melbourne/Australia
• Harry Solomons from Kingsgrove Sports- Sydney/Australia
• Marylebone Cricket Club and Gunn & Moore - UK
• Mahinda Wijesinghe & Friends – Australia
• Harbourne Cricket Club - UK
• Leeds Grammar School - UK
• Moreton Cricket Club - Australia
• Willows Cricket Club - New Zealand
• Rod McCabe – Australia