First I flew to the beautiful island of Zanzibar, where I could enjoy the beach to its fullest, because I traveled a lot on the island with a volunteer organization, World Unite! However, my activity on site was athletics coaching at the local club "Zanzibar Amateur Athletics Association ( ZAAA )”. I coached athletes in various disciplines of athletics, for about two to three hours, morning or afternoon. The club was relatively well equipped with a new stadium, but gear such as disks, spears, balls, etc. were rare. I designed a new training plan every day and worked with two other coaches. The athletes were very nice, but there were complications with the coaches sometimes...
After four weeks on the beautiful island, we went by plane via Dar-es-Salaam to Moshi in Kilimanjaro. There, I opted for Voluntourism with World Unite! This offer consisted of a combination of volunteer work and excursions. I worked there in the veterinary practice "Mawenzi Vet”, where I went with four vets to various homes and treated animals. It was very interesting and I saw many new things.
Athletics Coaching in Zanzibar
For the first time on a scooter to work!
At 10.30 a.m. on my first day, Freddy, an employee of World Unite! picked me up from my residence and we took the “daladala” to the office. There, we met two men on scooters. I had never sat on a scooter and now I did, for the first time in Africa. I was terrified of falling off as we drove to the Amaani Stadium. After a few minutes I got used to it and it was really cool! The Amaani Stadium was a newly built stadium almost of international standards with tartan track, ball, discus, hammer ring, spear, a long jump system, a device for pole vault and an obstacle course. Class! I was thrilled! The first thing they showed me in the stadium was the room with the computers that are used by newspaper journalists and the pictures of the presidents of Tanzania and Zanzibar. That was it for the moment, because the athletes had already finished their training in the morning. I was asked to return in the afternoon to pick up the timetable for my work.
Amaan Stadium
At 3.30 p.m., I arrived at the stadium and got to know the athletes and Paralympics. I was amazed and happy that people with disability are promoted in an African country and were so sporty! Well, I got my schedule and looked at the athletes I was going to train. Then I had to give a little speech. Man, I was taken by surprise! Without much time to think, I introduced myself and told the first things that came to my mind. So sweet – they all applauded! After I had discussed the schedule with the coaches, a younger trainer named Abdallah drive me to my flat at Mombasa. Of course, he wanted to drop me off right in front of my front door, so he knew where I lived, but I saw through his game. I got off 400 meters from my place. As he waited, I stood at a stand in the line to buy something. Luckily, it took forever and as he did not want to wait, he left.
My first real working day began at 5.40 a.m. I drove to the stadium on the daladala, since the training was to start at 6.30 a.m. It was still dark at the time. After a few stations I asked a fellow passenger for Amaani stadium, because I was not sure where I had to get off. Unfortunately I got out at a station too early and had to walk. I immediately met one of the Paralympics who went to the stadium with me. We arrived 15 minutes late, but it did not matter.
After a few greetings, my group gathered around and started with the "warm-up”. The senior manager told me about some of the "Tanzania Competitions" in Dar-es-Salaam in late July. I understood that they wanted to take me there, but I did not want to go. Let's see! After the "warm-up" came "activities" and the "stretching”. Then, we started with the main program. I started with spear - showed the technique, made a line-up and corrected the athletes. Professionally, I have no athletics disciplines and have only knowledge of workouts. So I was glad that our coaching team consisted of three coaches. As I realized later, mine was a group of beginners, but also very good athletes who started at high Championships. I also wondered why these athletes wanted to be coached by me. At 8:15a.m., the first event coaching was over and we went to the long jump pit. Thereafter sprinting, where we took the times of the individual athletes. The races were started by a shot with a pistol. But one of the girls always started too early, always with the command "On your marks". Six failed attempts later, I decided, somewhat annoyed and melting in the sun, to give the go without the gun. Then it worked. At 9:30 a.m., we finished the training and discussed the units to follow in the next couple of days . Many of the athletes gave me a handshake or thanked me.
When everyone had left the stadium, I was taken by surprise. There was a guy among the athletes who worked at the radio station and wanted to interview me!. As with the training, my English skills failed due to the excitement. I managed to somehow answer his questions and he recorded my answers on his mobile phone.
Overall, I enjoyed my work as a coach very well so far!
On my second working day we started again with the javelin. Thereafter 400 meters sprinting. Even children came to me and asked if they could sprint 200 meters. But of course! Three young men appraised me for long distance running coaching, who seemed best fit in my opinion for medium distance running. Unfortunately, the older coach was against it because he did not want to train medium distance runners, only long distance. In the discussion after the training, an athlete spoke again on the subject of medium/long haul. Now the coach agreed, and the training was scheduled for the next day. In my little speech I encouraged the group to participate in ideas for training so that we had fun together while training.
As planned, during my third work day, they were running for 3 and 5 kilometers. The times were fine. After the runs, a journalist came up to me, this time from television. He made recordings of training, and even though I did not want it, I had to give an interview. I thought it was horrible, but all loved it! Then he invited me to a TV show. I was very skeptical and said, thanks, but I had already planned a trip with other volunteers.
On the last day of my work we took group photos and I got a homemade boat, typical of Zanzibar, from an athlete. Totally sweet! I was extremely happy and wanted to give him and his friends also a little something. Unfortunately, I did not see them again, and I regret not getting them something! Nevertheless, the boat has a place of honor in my cabinet at home.
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