Pre-departure: Xabi's expectations

I will begin with a short introduction, my name is Xabi Martin, I am from Bilbao, Spain, and I am starting an exciting project with Sport and Cooperation Network (SCN) in the distant and colorful India.  I hope this trip will be magical, will continue to give me the opportunity to learn new ways of life, and to see if it is always as valid and correct as others think.

I have high expectations to continue training as a person and as a coach, to meet people that will share their life experiences with me and I am sure we will become friends for the rest of our lives, and I will be proud every time I tell a story of my time with them.

I have known the impact of cooperation for several years after taking the specific course in INEF in Madrid, together with the group DIM, a new field where licensed Physical Education teachers and coaches are continuing our variety of work.  The level of the cooperation that fills a person, makes one feel valuable and useful.  The long projects through SCN are a challenge for me, I hope being with the kids in India is a good experience for everyone, and we can open many doors for future collaborations.

Now to discuss the project in India, YFC Rurka Kalan, I hope the people are passionate for football; therefore we will already have something in common.  I hope to learn their football, their sports, and their organization, to be able to see spectacular sports together with them, something that I am passionate about.  If everything goes well, we will watch the Athletic Bilbao matches and I can recruit new supporters!

In 2008, I had a very rewarding experience when I worked on a cooperation project in Peru together with the people of ADDVES, their president, and my friend Juan Abanto, at the head.  We worked on the Villagol Project, where they created sports schools in the human settlement Villa el Salvador, where they performed instructional training course for sports educators and encouraged female football with the participation of a girls team in various tournaments.

Sports are my life and I have made my passion my profession. I always see the good side of education through sports and the positive values generated by of team sports, such as football.  Values like the sense of belonging in a group, team values, being together with a friend, and being able to do something for him, which in turn is good for you; there is no better sensation than that, being together in victory and defeat.

In conclusion, I would like to talk about the factor that I see as the most important and most popular these days, the role of the coaches, instructors, and trainers, with their performances, they represent a person very important in child’s education, not only in their sports education, but also personal growth.  The example will always be in a sporting group, knowing how to interpret the needs of each environment, each family, and each child.

That is all…LONG LIVE FOOTBALL!  LET’S GO YFC RURKA KALAN!

SMILE!

Written by Xabi Martin Nebreda, Sport Network's volunteer

My experience at Sport Network

My name is Alonso Berrelleza; I am Mexican, and 26 years old. I completed a four months internship at the NGDO Sport and Cooperation Network, from 25th April until late August.

How did I get to Sport Network? To be honest, my main objective was to travel to a different country, immerse myself in the culture, meet new people from other parts of the world and enjoy the experience of living in a foreign country. But I also needed to do an internship in the frame of my master studies in International Economic Relations and Cooperation that I was studying in my city, Guadalajara, Mexico.

With these clear ideas, I started to seek an internship on the Internet. I wanted to engage in the field of sports, since my previous experience in the field was very satisfying. I couldn’t have made a better decision.

I found Sport Network when I Googled “sport and cooperation”, this NGDO was the first result found by Google. I have read a little bit about the organisation on their website and then sent an email expressing my interest. The positive response from Carlos de Cárcer, General Director, was almost immediate.

In the first email, I received all the information about how to get to the office. From my first day and throughout the four months at Sport Network, I participated in different activities, such as administrative tasks, collaborated in different cooperation projects that the Foundation is implementing in Africa, Central-America and in Madrid. Thanks to this I could learn more about the work of NGOs in this field, their administration and planning, the implementation and completion of projects, and their tough financial situation of these days.  

Gently I dig into the topic of sport s and development, its history and the different kind of projects that NGOs are carrying out currently.

One of the most enriching experiences was the opportunity to join Sport Network’s team to Rome (Italy) to participate in the final session of the MIMOSA (Migrants Inclusion Model through Sports for All) project. This event gave me the chance to meet new people, NGOs and projects from different European countries, all of them sport-related with the aim to help in human issues, such as migration, social inclusion and humanitarian aid. 

Finally I can say that, without any doubt, it was a great personal and professional experience, the fact that I have been an intern in a Foundation, surrounded by people who are as engaged in topics like sports and development as Carlos and María, helped me a lot in defining more clearly towards which field of profession I want to devote, which is no other than, continuing in the field of sports to help people.    

Moreover, no less important was the work together with Sport Network’s collaborators like Carlos, Esperanza, Marta, Oscar and María, as well as other interns, namely Maira, Laura, Makoto, Lena and the IT staff who provided me great support during my stay. This was essential for my integration and development at the Foundation.

I have beautiful memories about all of them, experiences, valuable friendships and one can never know, maybe the possibility of a future collaboration with them.

Thus, it remains to render thanks to Carlos and Sport Network for the opportunity they gave me to live this great experience. I take nice memories and unforgettable moments with me and I really hope that this friendship and collaboration doesn’t end here, but it can continue for a long time in the future.

Thanks a lot!