Whether there are other volunteers working in the project of your choice depends entirely on the size of the project, the number of volunteer places available, the duration of the volunteer placement and, of course, the popularity of the country.
It is quite possible that other international volunteers or sports coaches from your home country will be working on the same project as you. The projects we list are not just “voluntourism” projects. They are sports initiatives or established organisations that still need help. Their capacities are therefore limited in terms of needs and opportunities.
Living as a volunteer in a new country, with an unfamiliar culture and “still” unfamiliar people can be challenging and have both advantages and disadvantages.
Having a like-minded person on site gives you a sense of security and makes it easier to integrate into the project and the new environment. As a newcomer, you will feel more at home in the project together, uncertainties will be reduced more quickly and you may appear more self-assured. Volunteers who have been working in the project for a longer period of time will be able to answer your questions more quickly, give you tips and advice that you may not have thought of, and may be able to allay some of your initial fears and anxieties.
Working with children and young people in a team with like-minded volunteer trainers – outside the project mentor – can encourage spontaneity, generate different training ideas and help to identify and solve potential problems more quickly. It can also make it easier to organise and carry out leisure activities, as you will have free time together and may share the same interests.
Despite these advantages, there is always the risk of private conflicts, sporting rivalries or social distancing from local life. Different nationalities play a role here, as do personal preferences or different training methods. Depending on the character, there may also be misunderstandings in communication or the feeling of not being truly independent on a personal level. Being embedded in a like-minded group of other international volunteers eliminates the additional effort of local integration. A social “bubble” can develop, which ultimately limits your own experience abroad. This can also have an impact on your work in the project.
Being the only overseas volunteer can be a personal challenge. You may feel lonely, under pressure or overwhelmed by the initial challenges, country and people. You may not be as open to new things as you first thought. There are just too many impressions coming at you. It is important to understand that adaptation takes time, flexibility and curiosity.
Nevertheless, being the only sports coach on a project has many advantages. You get to know a new culture and a new country faster and more intensively, you are thrown in at the deep end, so to speak. Whether it’s working with colleagues and the children and young people in the project, or in everyday life with the host family. You will make more local friends, integrate better into the community and build trust more quickly. You will grow with your responsibilities. Be it in your personal development, your flexibility, your independence, your communication skills or your ability to make decisions.
Working on the project on your own or in dialogue with your mentor also means being able to make independent decisions, determine your own daily routine or implement your own ideas for a training activity. Taking responsibility and finding your own solutions to certain problems will build your confidence and personal skills. Outside the project and in your free time, you will be more flexible, able to follow your own interests and needs, not subject to social pressure, and more involved in the local community.