A credit-eligible sports internship in Tinkong, Ghana, with our own coordinator and all meals included. From 4 weeks, $1,145 for 4 weeks.
Sports internship · Ghana
Coach soccer, track, basketball, rugby or volleyball at the schools and academy of Tinkong while you earn credit. Three meals a day included. From 4 weeks, no application fee.
Apply for this internship See the priceAbout Ghana
Ghana has made real progress in education, and after-school activities are the next step for many communities. In rural areas there are fewer teachers and facilities, so young people have fewer chances to develop their talents in sport.
Our project is in the rural village of Tinkong, just north of the capital Accra. Many young people here spend their days on the street with little motivation or outlook. Together with our local partner, the Live Now Foundation, we use sports to get them moving and growing: teamwork, communication, discipline, leadership and confidence.
Kids who would otherwise not play in an organized setting get weekly sessions. The site also has its own soccer academy, playing in the second tier of Ghanaian soccer, where talented teens train under professional guidance. The aim is not to produce pros but to offer structure, a positive environment and perspective. The program is open to every kid in the community, whatever their family can afford.
The project
The project is called Akansie Tumidi, The Power of Sports in the local language Twi. We founded it ourselves, and it runs from a compound on the edge of the village with a school, a day center, a training field and the Live Now Academy.
As a volunteer you deliver sports lessons at the primary and junior high schools of Tinkong and surrounding villages, coach youth teams and work closely with the local community. Whether you are in bustling Koforidua or rural Tinkong, your effort makes a visible difference in the lives of the kids you work with.
Soccer is by far the most popular sport in Ghana; the national team, the Black Stars, has a rich international history. Volleyball, track and boxing are popular too, and traditional games like oware are played in every village. Sports are a source of pride here and a strong way to build community.
You work alongside our local team and the other volunteers, and together you can organize sports days where schools and athletes compete. From experience we know the competition between the volunteers gets just as heated.
Sports you can coach
Pick one sport or combine two. Every sport below has a local coach you work alongside.
Developing in track and field is not easy in Ghana: schools have little budget for sports and there is no athletics club nearby. The ambition is to start one ourselves, and that is where you make a big difference. Some experience in the sport is useful.
You are assigned to the local schools. The athletes vary in talent and experience, but you will be surprised by their speed, strength and endurance; many dream of representing Ghana at the Olympics or a world championship. Events range from sprints and middle distance to long jump, high jump, triple jump, shot put, javelin and discus.
Support our local coaches at practice, add strength and conditioning work, and help organize sports days where schools and athletes compete in a fun, competitive setting.
Basketball is seen as the next rising sport in Ghana. There is plenty of talent and the Ghana Basketball Association has worked hard on a training and development program. Through our ties with local schools and division teams of various levels, and with the GBA, we can place coaches in the better training camps, or in relaxed, social teams where fun and friendship come first. You choose how involved you want to be.
Teach the basics of team play with the local coaches, join practices and games, bring your own ideas such as tournaments or your own sessions, and make the game fun so players feel they belong.
Rugby is a growing sport in Ghana and gaining popularity in communities like Tinkong. The sport is still fairly new, but many young people show real passion and aptitude. With limited resources and little structural support, coaches who want to share their knowledge are badly needed. Experience helps, but enthusiasm and commitment matter most.
Players range from beginners to talented teens dreaming of a professional rugby career, and their physical strength, speed and dedication will surprise you.
Help local coaches run practices and matches, teach tackling, passing, running and scrum basics plus strategy and teamwork, and organize tournaments or sports days between schools and teams.
Soccer is the most popular sport in Ghana, and Tinkong is no exception. Through our own academy, the Live Now Academy, young players get a unique chance to develop and take their first steps toward a possible career. The academy has its own team in the second division of the Eastern Region and has already produced players dreaming of a pro career in Ghana and abroad.
We welcome every level of experience, from enthusiastic amateur to licensed coach. If you know the basics and kick a ball now and then, you have enough skill to help; enthusiasm and commitment are what count.
Lead practices and games for your assigned team, introduce team structure, movement and positioning, and work with our local coaches and other volunteers to create a safe, supportive environment where kids grow on and off the field.
Volleyball clubs are scarce in Ghana and schools have little budget for the sport. Our ambition is to give young people in Tinkong and the surrounding area a structured place to develop in it. Some experience is useful, but enthusiasm and commitment matter most.
The players vary in talent, but their perseverance, energy and eagerness to learn stand out. Many dream of playing at national level.
Support our local coaches at practices and games, teach passing, setting, attacking and serving plus team strategy and communication, and organize sports days between schools and teams.
Where you live
On the edge of Tinkong lies our compound of about 5 acres with the soccer academy and its own gym, the school, the day center for children with disabilities, a large training field and the volunteer house. Tinkong is our base, and from here Accra and Koforidua are easy to reach.
The cozy family house hosts up to about 15 volunteers and interns. There are two bedrooms with bunk beds and a few rooms with larger beds; 35 boys of the academy live next door. The big living room has a large TV showing all the European leagues, and in the kitchen everyone gathers around a large oval table where Kessiwa, our cook, prepares the meals (you can always fry your own egg). After dinner the board games come out.
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. Flights, visa, vaccinations and travel insurance are not included; we advise you 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. We are not looking for the next Ghanaian international; we want to help kids of all backgrounds build life skills through sports. Basic knowledge of the rules of your sport, lots of enthusiasm and conversational English are what matter.
Yes. Tell us in advance and the team in Ghana arranges suitable meals.
Any weekend of the year. There are no sports projects during the Christmas break.
There are always other volunteers and interns at the house, usually between 10 and 20, 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 decide whether this is for you. If you go, 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
Emmanuel coordinates the volunteers in Tinkong: he plans your activities, oversees the day-to-day and supports programs that give kids, teens and adults practical skills for an independent life.
He believes in the power of sports and education, and makes sure the programs are well organized, have real impact and fit the needs of the community, while creating a positive, supportive environment for volunteers and participants alike.
Ready?
Tell us your sport and your dates. We tell you honestly whether Ghana is the right fit, and connect you with your coordinator before you commit to anything.
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