A credit-eligible sports internship in Pokhara, Nepal, with our own coordinator and Nepali lessons. From 4 weeks, $985 for 4 weeks.
Sports internship · Nepal
Coach soccer, basketball, volleyball or your own sport around Pokhara while you earn credit, at the foot of the Himalaya. From 4 weeks, no application fee.
Apply for this internship See the priceAbout Nepal
Pokhara is a lively city in western Nepal, beautifully set on Phewa Lake at the foot of the Annapurna range. In and around the city you support our local team, who bring sports to kids and teens in the neighborhoods and surrounding villages. Many of them love to play but rarely get the chance to train in an organized setting.
Kids get PE at school, but organized sports after school are still rare, and that is where the project comes in. As a coach you inspire them to stay active and build a healthy lifestyle, and through the sport they love most you build confidence, discipline and life skills.
Our programs are supported by local sports students and young coaches. That makes it easy to connect with the kids, gives the local young people a chance to practice their English, and leaves you with friends your own age in Pokhara. Pokhara is a lively tourism hub, and the project focuses on the neighborhoods and villages around it, where organized youth sports are still developing.
The project
We founded the project ourselves. Together with local schools and organizations you help the kids of Pokhara stay active and enjoy sports every week.
Soccer is the most popular sport in Nepal, played on streets, schoolyards and open fields. Cricket is rising fast with the national team’s successes, and volleyball, often called the national sport, is played everywhere. Basketball and track are gaining ground among young people in cities like Pokhara, and thanks to the mountains, trekking, running and outdoor training are woven into daily life.
Practices run five days a week at local schools and sports fields in and around Pokhara. The schools draw kids from different neighborhoods but have limited facilities and little PE, so your arrival is hugely appreciated. You quickly become a familiar face in the community.
Each day you coach about three hours, mostly kids between 6 and 13. That leaves plenty of time to explore Pokhara, relax at Phewa Lake or follow Nepali lessons, and on weekends our cultural and adventure trips to mountain villages, temples and nature reserves, which always give back to local communities.
Sports you can coach
Pick one sport or combine two. Every sport below has a local coach you work alongside.
Soccer is played fanatically around Pokhara on schoolyards, open fields and in the neighborhoods. The enthusiasm is huge, but good coaching and structure are often missing. Many participants grow up in challenging circumstances; sports give them a safe, positive environment to work on confidence, discipline and teamwork.
Give after-school practices and support regular sessions on local fields with a team of local coaches and international volunteers, bringing structure, better technique and understanding of rules, tactics and team play.
The basketball project sets up practices and creates safe places to play for kids in and around local neighborhoods and schools. Basketball is still developing in Nepal and gets less attention than soccer or volleyball, so the basic rules and techniques are not always known. That is where your knowledge helps the local coaches.
You do not need to be an experienced or certified coach: basic knowledge of the game and enthusiasm to lead practices are enough. The kids are motivated, eager and love learning from you. Because the sport is still small, we encourage you to combine it with another project.
Organize practices, clinics and scrimmages with our local staff, focusing on dribbling, passing, getting open, positioning and shooting, and over time set up small tournaments and school workshops.
Volleyball is growing in and around Pokhara, especially among young people and girls, because it is accessible and needs little equipment. Local schools and sports initiatives run practices and small tournaments, and school programs introduce kids early. Volunteers from different countries bring new ideas and drills.
Promote volleyball at schools, help run free after-school practices, explain the rules and organize fun, structured drills, encouraging boys to join too.
We encourage you to introduce your own sport. It is fun and has real impact, because kids get to know new sports and a wider range of options. We help you set it up and, where needed, support it financially so it keeps going after you leave.
Lead practices for kids at local schools and fields, bring structure, rules and good coaching, supported by other volunteers and our local staff and partners.
Where you live
The house is in Pokhara-7, Parsyang, near Smata Chowk, with the Jem Shopping Complex, bakeries, cafés and good local restaurants within walking distance. It has two spacious bedrooms on both the first and second floor plus a small extra room on the roof, and three bathrooms in total.
The two balconies are the highlight: a pleasant spot to relax, and in clear weather you see the Annapurna range from the roof and the house. There is a kitchen and dining area, comfortable common rooms on both floors for group meetings, lessons and hanging out, a washing machine, reliable water, fans in every room and 24-hour fast Wi-Fi.
For students
A natural fit for kinesiology, exercise science, sport management, physical education, coaching, recreation and leisure studies, event management, marketing, education, social work and international development. Whatever your major, you are placed as a sports coach first; your assignments are built around that.
Besides coaching you can spend part of your week on your academic assignment. Past interns have set up a large sports event, built a new sport into the curriculum, run a research project with the kids and organized a fundraiser. Office days are possible if your school requires them.
We sign internship agreements, provide a named supervisor on site, fill in your school’s evaluation forms and write a final report. Many US and Canadian students earn credit through their department or study abroad office; ask them early about funding such as study abroad scholarships.
Internships run 8 to 24 weeks and can be aligned with your semester, summer or J-term. We can always tailor the internship to your learning goals in a personal call.
Pricing
One price covers your program. No application fee, no deposit, no surprises.
$0 application fee · $0 deposit
Not included: flights, travel insurance, visa fees and personal spending. Dinner is not included; eating out is cheap and part of the experience. Flights, visa, vaccinations and insurance are also on you, and we advise on all of them.
Apply for this internshipGood to know
No certificates or sports degree required. You support local coaches and are never on your own. Basic knowledge of the rules of your sport and lots of enthusiasm are what matter. You do not need to speak Nepali; everyone speaks the language of sports.
No, you can coach almost any sport. The project is still young and we are expanding our programs, so introducing a new sport is a great way to leave your mark.
Lessons take place at our location, daily after dinner, taught by a professional teacher, 20 hours in total. Extra hours can be arranged.
Yes. Tell us in advance and the team in Nepal takes it into account; vegetarian food is everywhere in Nepal anyway.
There are always other volunteers and interns at the house, usually between 5 and 15, from several countries. Ask us how many are booked for your dates, and we add you to a group chat before you leave.
After the intro call you get our welcome pack and a personal dashboard that walk you through the visa, vaccinations, insurance, flights and what to pack.
Your team on the ground
Niraj is from Pokhara, in the Kaski district, and finished high school with English as his major. He is a big sports fan and has worked as a trekking guide in Nepal for five years, guiding travelers from all over the world, which taught him to communicate well, stay flexible and work across cultures.
He speaks and writes fluent English and Hindi, and people describe him as friendly, reliable and professional. Making you feel welcome and safe is what he cares about most.
Ready?
Tell us your sport and your dates. We tell you honestly whether Nepal is the right fit, and connect you with your coordinator before you commit to anything.
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