A credit-eligible sports internship on Saint Lucia with our own coordinator. From 4 weeks, $1,595 for 4 weeks.
Sports internship · Saint Lucia
Coach basketball, rugby, tennis, ultimate, soccer, sailing or swimming alongside national teams while you earn credit. From 4 weeks, no application fee.
Apply for this internship See the priceAbout Saint Lucia
Saint Lucia is a small, enchanting Caribbean island of about 180,000 people, known for its volcanic landscape, rainforests, towering peaks and crystal-clear sea. The capital Castries is its bustling heart, with markets full of spices, fruit and local food, and a culture shaped by African, French and British influences.
Saint Lucia is more than its wedding-and-vacation image. Away from the resorts, many young people have few chances to play organized sports.
Our partner United Through Sport uses sports to give the island’s youth a positive outlet and teach life skills: teamwork, decision-making, leadership and communication. One core program is swimming lessons, because many kids on the island cannot swim despite being surrounded by ocean. Our Women Empowerment program gets girls and women into sports to build confidence, leadership and resilience.
The project
As a volunteer you work closely with the island’s national teams and involve them in the activities you organize. You work in neighborhood communities and in the national stadium, alongside local coaches who are role models for the young people they train.
Cricket is by far the most popular sport, deeply woven into the culture, played by men and women alike. Soccer is everywhere, with kids playing on every street. Netball, a mix of basketball and korfball mostly played by women, is big too, and track, rugby, basketball and swimming are widely practiced.
Your week runs from Sunday to Thursday. A typical day: a preschool session from 11 to 12, lunch, a school session from 1 to 3 and an after-school session from 3:15 to 5. Fridays are for arrivals and orientation; weekends are free for the beach, the island and trips to neighboring islands.
We run this project together with our partner United Through Sport, and our coordinator Joël Martin is your point of contact from day one.
Sports you can coach
Pick one sport or combine two. Every sport below has a local coach you work alongside.
Basketball is popular with the island’s youth but gets little government funding, so facilities lag behind other sports. Clubs and leagues exist, but there are few youth teams and female participation is low. Your focus is motivating local kids to play, with fun first.
We are connected to local clubs where you meet coaches and players of a higher level: your chance to teach a team some tactics and prepare them for a league championship.
Coach after-school practices in local communities together with local coaches, develop several teams’ skills and confidence, and gradually bring in your own programs and tournaments.
Rugby arrived on Saint Lucia in the early seventies and the island is pushing to get on the world stage. You work with the national team and coach kids from local neighborhoods with the emphasis on participation and fun, alongside experienced players, coaches, physios and match officials.
No certificates needed. Depending on your experience you lead sessions or support activities, and act as talent spotter for future national players. If the national team plays a tournament during your stay, you tour with them, Caribbean party included.
Coach youth sessions built on games and activities, and help the men’s and women’s national teams with drills, gym routines, nutrition advice and their world ranking.
Tennis used to be a sport for the wealthy, expats and tourists. With the new state-of-the-art National Tennis Center in Beausejour, six beautiful courts our partner may use, and a national league, many more locals now play. The tennis association has added tennis to school programs.
Most of your stay you work at the center; you also visit schools, where facilities vary, so you adapt to what is available. The local coaches pick up your methods and keep them going after you leave, and you can use the center in your free time.
Work with the Tennis Association to run sessions for kids across the island, lead school clinics with local staff nearby, and introduce basic skills and techniques.
Ultimate is still little known on Saint Lucia but has huge potential as a beach sport with Olympic ambitions. It was introduced by a former intern of our partner organization, so the focus is on promoting the sport and teaching the rules so kids can play on their own and leagues can grow. Easy to combine with rugby, soccer, tennis, netball or cricket.
Run preschool and after-school sessions that teach the rules and core values in a safe setting, and help the sport take root on the island.
The soccer project builds the foundations of the game in the neighborhoods and at schools. The project gives young people structure, friends and a place where they belong. You also work with popular clubs to prepare players for league matches. Soccer is growing fast on the island with men’s divisions, a women’s national league and youth leagues.
Give after-school practices with local coaches and other volunteers, teach the rules, tactical insight and skills, as part of the island’s coaching staff.
Sailing was traditionally for tourists and wealthy expats. Our Boats on Wheels project, launched in 2022, brings boats and expertise to remote fishing villages so kids from coastal communities learn to sail, build confidence and discover opportunities in the maritime sector and tourism. The program follows a structured 9-week curriculum with theory, games and drills on land and sailing on the water.
Because sailing runs two days a week, you combine it with other coaching or with program support: recruiting participants and schools, improving the curriculum, risk assessments, outreach, fundraising and promotion. We ask for a passion for sailing, basic sailing experience and enthusiasm to work with kids.
Guide kids through their first steps in sailing with local coaches, teach practical skills and theory, and help grow the program on your other days.
Saint Lucia is surrounded by clear blue water, yet many residents cannot swim and child drownings are not uncommon. Swimming lessons in local communities teach skills that can save lives, and we hope kids go on to join the local swim team. There are options to coach competitive swimmers too.
Lessons are outdoors and in the sea, so bad weather can cancel a session; then you join another sport or take time off.
Teach beginner technique with our qualified staff, build relationships with the kids, and bring your own ideas such as one-on-one lessons.
Where you live
On Saint Lucia we have a beautiful villa close to an idyllic Caribbean beach and just outside the lively center of the capital Castries. Rooms are shared with up to four people.
The villa is home to an international group of volunteers, which makes for a sociable atmosphere: exploring the island together, beach days and trips to neighboring islands.
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. Lunch and dinner are not included. Flights, insurance and vaccinations 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. We are not looking for the next star; we want to help kids of all backgrounds build life skills through sports. Basic knowledge of the rules of your sport and lots of enthusiasm are what matter.
On one of the arrival Fridays, when many volunteers and interns arrive together for orientation and icebreakers, and you have the weekend to settle in. Airport pickup is only possible on Fridays. Arrival dates 2026: Jan 30, Feb 13 and 27, Mar 13 and 27, Apr 10 and 24, May 8 and 22, Jun 5 and 19, Jul 3, 17 and 31; the program stops on Aug 28. Arrival dates 2027: Jan 29, Feb 12 and 26, Mar 12 and 26, Apr 9 and 23, May 7 and 21, Jun 4 and 18, Jul 2, 16 and 30; the program stops on Aug 27.
Possible, but we advise against it: you miss the orientation and join an existing, often close-knit group. If you must, or the flight is much cheaper, book a hostel near the airport for the first nights and use the Friday pickup. Tell us and we will help.
Only breakfast is included on Saint Lucia, and vegetarian options are available.
There are always other volunteers and interns at the villa, 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 get our welcome pack and a personal dashboard that walk you through entry requirements, vaccinations, insurance, flights and what to pack.
Your team on the ground
Joël is your coordinator in the Caribbean. Half Saint Lucian and half English, he has excellent contacts with the island’s national teams, so you quickly meet internationals. He is deeply involved and makes sure you have an unforgettable time on the island.
As a former professional soccer player he knows everything about the game, and even more about his club Arsenal.
Ready?
Tell us your sport and your dates. We tell you honestly whether Saint Lucia is the right fit, and connect you with your coordinator before you commit to anything.
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