UNDERPRIVILEGED YOUTH IN ZAMBIA TO EXPERIENCE

GAME ON! YOUTH SPORTS PROGRAM

 Opportunity to learn athletic skills and importance of making healthy lifestyle decisions

Underprivileged youth in Lusaka, Zambia will soon be taking part in an innovative sports programming initiative aimed at enhancing both athletic and life skills, thanks to a unique partnership between the International Alliance for Youth Sports (IAYS) and Children International.

Through Game On! Youth Sports, the signature program of IAYS, Children International staff will be working with youth in Lusaka, providing them with opportunities to play sports in an organized setting that stresses fun while promoting the importance of making healthy lifestyle decisions. The official launch will take place on Feb. 18 at the Word of Life Community School in Lusaka, Zambia.  

Acklas Sakala, a youth programs coordinator; and Sven Mugamya, a health programs coordinator in Zambia, recently attended a special week-long training session in the Philippines along with representatives from other countries that was conducted by IAYS and Children International staff.

“Acklas and Sven are talented and dynamic individuals and we are looking forward to seeing their efforts make a difference in the lives of youth throughout Zambia,” said Cindy Daub, IAYS’ Director of International Relations.

The training addressed several important topics, including positive coaching and administration techniques, basic and modified sport specific skills and drills, monitoring and evaluation, program sustainability, community building and the importance of life skills and utilizing teachable moments in order to combat negative influences which may hinder a youth’s participation in sports and physical activities.

“I can see that Game On! is going to be wildly popular in our Zambian agencies,” said Jeremy Parker, Global Programs Coordinator for Children International. “What a great way to teach youth these valuable skills on such a large scale.”

In 2006, IAYS began its international development by piloting the Game On! Youth Sports program in Zambia under the direction of Clement Chileshe, president of Sport in Action, Children International’s featured partner organization. Through the efforts of Chileshe and his dedicated team, IAYS was able to expand its efforts by helping under-privileged youngsters combat negative lifestyle influences by using Game On! as a mechanism for social change. The growth throughout the African region has been tremendous.

In early 2008, Children International, Inc., a nonprofit humanitarian organization dedicated to bettering the lives of impoverished youth, their families and communities, contacted IAYS in its hopes to bring a youth sports component to its agencies worldwide working directly with marginalized youth in their respective regions.

After piloting Game On! Youth Sports, from 2008-2010 in four selected locations, and later bringing those agencies together in Guadalajara, Mexico for a 10-day training in 2011, the decision was made to bring Game On! Youth Sports programming to all active Children International agencies in the western hemisphere, beginning with Zambia.

About Children International:

Established in 1936, Children International is a humanitarian organization with its headquarters in Kansas City, Missouri. Children International’s programs help more than 340,000 children and their families in 11 countries around the world including Chile, Colombia, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Guatemala, Mexico, Zambia, Honduras, India, the Philippines and the United States. For more information about Children International or to sponsor a child, visit www.children.org.

About International Alliance for Youth Sports:

The International Alliance for Youth Sports (IAYS) was established in 2003 as a division of the National Alliance for Youth Sports (NAYS) by Founder and President Fred Engh. The goal of IAYS is for all children throughout the world to have the opportunity to gain the benefits of sports. Game On! Youth Sports is the featured youth sports program of IAYS, which offers educational training and guidance to youth sports leaders worldwide as well as addresses issues that hinder youth sport participation throughout the world, including lack of trained volunteers, lack of programming support, nonexistent facilities and poor equipment. For additional information on the Children International and IAYS partnership, or for more information on how to get involved in Game On! Youth Sports, contact IAYS at international@iays.org or at 1-800-688-KIDS.

 

Mercia Takavarasha and the Sport Aid Foundation currently working in communities throughout Zimbabwe participated in the 2011 Olympic Day Celebration in partnership with the Zimbabwe Olympic Committee!

At this exciting event, more than 3,000 participants and spectators were in attendance, which was a first in Kwekwe, Zimbabwe. It was before this exciting event that International Alliance for Youth Sports (IAYS) headquarters was informed persons assisting in their successful Game On! Youth Sports program were to help successfully organize the event and officiate the sports games. In addition, it was at this event that Global Gear Drive donations of sporting equipment sent in 2009 were also put to good use.

 Sport Aid Foundation, together with the Kwekwe schools and the community at large, helped organize the 2011 Olympic Day Celebrations in partnership with the Zimbabwe Olympic Committee. The celebrations attracted boys and girls under 20 years of age. The disciplines focused on soccer, running, volleyball, handball, netball and basketball for all ages and tennis for those only under 14. The Deputy Mayor of Kwekwe graced the occasion as well as she had always encouraged Sport Aid Foundation to take the Game On! project to the whole province.

Game On! Youth Sports- Zimbabwe began in 2006 after IAYS hosted the African Sports Summit in Lusaka, Zambia that same year. Mercia Takavarasha and colleague Clifford Chiduuro were in attendance and the programs concept was quickly well-perceived with plans in place to start the program in Gweru, the midland province of Zimbabwe, in a high density suburb of Mkoba. The official Game On! trainer included IAYS’ African Game On! Repesentative, Clement Chileshe, also President of Sport In Action, and his team of trainers in February of 2008. To date, a total of 15 schools are participating in the program in three out of ten districts in the midlands province region. More schools are approaching the Sport Aid Foundation for additional training in the Game On! program.

Game On! Youth Sports was founded in 2003 by the National Alliance for Youth Sports’ (NAYS) international division, IAYS. IAYS utilizes the Game On! Youth Sports program to help enhance the lives of children and youth worldwide by using sport as a mechanism to combat negative lifestyle influences such as crime, drug abuse and under-age sex. Game On! focuses on building life skills activities into their sports and practice sessions to allow youth the opportunity to understand the positive benefits sports have on their physical, mental, emotional and social well-being, allowing children to not only become positive athletes, but quality leaders in life.

To learn more about Game On! Youth Sports, please visit www.iays.org for more information or contact IAYS at 1-800-688-KIDS.

 

IAYS’ ONE WORLD. ONE TEAM. initiative kicks off and begins providing assistance to this year’s featured communities in great need of further support!

This year, the International Alliance for Youth Sports (IAYS) launched its newest initiative called ONE WORLD. ONE TEAM. in order to begin providing specific donations of sports equipment and proper educational support to those in great need of assistance.

ONE WORLD. ONE TEAM. was created to better address the large requests for support  from communities worldwide looking to enhance the lives of their youth through sport. This year, IAYS has selected six featured communities and this fall has officially started providing these communities with donations of gear and educational support based on the needs specified within their application.

“It is the goal of ONE WORLD. ONE TEAM. to better familiarize our dedicated volunteers each year with those directly benefiting from their efforts and support,” states Cindy Daub, Director, International Relations. “By requesting specific donations of gear from our volunteers in addition to raising funds to help off-set all related shipping costs, we are hopeful that IAYS can reach its goal to provide these communities with the resources they need.”

ONE WORLD. ONE TEAM. aims to utilize its two featured programs, Game On! Youth Sports and Global Gear Drive, in order to fulfill the objective of this new initiative. This fall, IAYS has begun preparing shipments to two of its featured communities already, Sports4HOPE, working in the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Baseline Baseball and Softball Foundation, working in Lagos, Nigeria. To view all of the featured communities this year, please visit IAYS’ website, www.iays.org.

Although additional donations to other applicants will also be fulfilled given the amount of items received throughout each year, IAYS is excited to remain focused on ONE WORLD. ONE TEAM. in their hopes to greatly enhance youth sports programs worldwide. To become a part of the ONE WORLD. ONE TEAM. initiative, lend your support today by contacting IAYS at international@iays.org or via telephone at 1-800-688-KIDS. You can also stay updated on this exciting new initiative by following IAYS on Facebook and Twitter!

IAYS to kick off its newest initiative,

ONE WORLD. ONE TEAM., July 1st, 2011

ONE WORLD. ONE TEAM. is an initiative of the International Alliance for Youth Sports (IAYS) committed to uniting dedicated volunteers throughout the U.S. with featured communities worldwide in great need of support. The initiative is designed to help provide selected communities each year with educational support and collected equipment through donated funds received throughout the year.

After having piloted the initiative this past year, in which the effort received a tremendous response, IAYS is in its final stages of confirming their newest list of featured communities. Those selected, for a minimum of one year, will be receiving donations of gear and educational support based on each community’s specific needs as requested within their application for support.

“To date, IAYS has shipped countless amounts of donated sports equipment to communities in great need all across the world. Now, through ONE WORLD. ONE TEAM., we are making sure that not only are these communities receiving gear but they are being taught on how to use it properly. That is something we have always taken great pride in.”- Fred Engh, IAYS Founder & President

IAYS receives numerous requests each year from communities looking to enhance the lifestyle of their youth through improving their current sports programs. However, due to the lack of funding and access to resources such as equipment, many communities are unable to do so. ONE WORLD. ONE TEAM.’s mission is to now change this reality by utilizing the support of its dedicated volunteers each year who share with us in our passion to create change in the lives of youth through sport.

“Each year, our volunteers and supporters have never let us down. Now that they will have the chance to feel a sense of connection to another community that is in great need of their support, we know this effort will be a win-win for everyone involved!”- Cindy Daub, Director, International Relations

The final list of featured communities will be posted on IAYS’ website, www.iays.org, on or before July 1^st, 2011. For more information on ONE WORLD. ONE TEAM., or for those looking to get started today, please contact IAYS directly at 1-800-688-KIDS or via email at international@iays.org.  

 

ONE WORLD. ONE TEAM. assisting Youth Initiative Canada’s efforts in Kenya

 

The International Alliance for Youth Sports (IAYS), through its ONE WORLD. ONE TEAM. program, will be providing much-needed sports equipment and educational resources to Youth Initiative Canada (YIC).

YIC represents a growing network of young people who are peace builders, athletes, musicians, leaders and mentors.

Through the YIC’s Beyond Hoops program it works with organizations as implementing partners in its efforts to use the sport of basketball as an intervention to reach out to talented youth in Nairobi, Kenya who don’t get opportunities to excel in education and athletics because of the limitations brought forth by life challenges and financial barriers.

YIC engages young people in multi-dimensional programs through sports and music that are geared toward creating sustainable development, gender empowerment and HIV/AIDS awareness in Kenya.

Through ONE WORLD. ONE TEAM. organizations and individuals interested in contributing sports equipment can do so by becoming official sponsors of YIC and directly impact its efforts in Kenya.

ONE WORLD. ONE TEAM. focuses on matching volunteers interested in donating equipment to a specific community seeking assistance so that these individuals can organize and host equipment collection drives based around those needs. This increases the likelihood that the children living in that particular region of the world will have fulfilling experiences and continue being active for years to come because they will be receiving the exact type of equipment they desperately need.

  

IAYS teams up with Sports4HOPE to aid children in war-torn region

 of the Congo

 

 

Sports4HOPE, an organization that aims to work in underdeveloped regions that have suffered from debilitating violence and war, has teamed up with the International Alliance for Youth Sports (IAYS) and its ONE WORLD. ONE TEAM. initiative.

Through the ONE WORLD. ONE TEAM. and Global Gear Drive’s efforts, IAYS will provide new and gently used sports equipment for approximately 300 children in the villages of Bogoro, Kagaba and Vilo located in the Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo.

The equipment will be used to support the development of an inter-community sports league that Sports4HOPE is creating in an effort to reconcile the broken relationship that exists between three tribes involved in a massacre in the Ituri Region of the Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo.

The IAYS collects new and gently used sports equipment from parks and recreation agencies and individuals nationwide that it distributes to children in need in underdeveloped regions of the world. Through ONE WORLD. ONE TEAM. communities can choose a specific region that they want their donation to go to, as well as receive reports on how the equipment is being used and the impact it is having on the children there.   

For more information on IAYS and it’s ONE WORLD. ONE TEAM. initiative, contact IAYS at international@iays.org or 1-800-688-KIDS!

The Baseline Baseball & Softball Foundation in Lagos, Nigeria is the

first organization to receive shipments of much-needed sports equipment through…

 

Through ONE WORLD. ONE TEAM., an initiative of the International Alliance for Youth Sports, organizations and individuals interested in contributing sports equipment can do so by becoming official sponsors of a community in need. By matching volunteers interested in donating equipment to a specific community seeking assistance these individuals can now organize and host equipment collection drives based around those needs. This increases the likelihood that the children living in that particular region of the world will have fulfilling experiences and continue being active for years to come because they will be receiving the exact type of equipment they desperately need.

Several organizations and individuals stepped up to raise both equipment and funds to help make a difference for children in Lagos. Those include the following:

Ali McLoota and Ashley Trice – These two high school students in Ocean City, Maryland hosted a Sweet Sixteen party that raised $682 in donations.

The Berkshire (Pennsylvania) Baseball and Softball Club donated more than 200 items of baseball and softball gear collected over an extended period of time, in addition to Carle Place Middle & High Schools located in Long Island, New York.

Matt Stoltz and the Lincoln H.S. Sports & Entertainment Class in Wisconsin raised more than $3,000 to help support Lagos, as well as other communities in need.

The Baseline Baseball & Softball Foundation was created to help assist communities in increasing the number of youth participating in sports activities, particularly baseball and softball. It applied for assistance from IAYS to help provide schools throughout Lagos with better baseball and softball equipment to support the growth of their current programs already in place. A mini tournament will also be run to formally celebrate the arrival of the new gear.

IAYS LAUNCHES

ONE WORLD.

ONE TEAM.

 

This 2010-2011 year, IAYS is proud and excited to launch a new initiative called ONE WORLD. ONE TEAM. in order to provide maximum support to our communities requesting our guidance and support throughout each year. The initiative was created after assessing the needs of hundreds of communities around the world who contact us each year in need of youth sports equipment and educational resources to help assist them in improving the youth sports experience for their children. JOIN US in our efforts to help provide support  to children in communities such as this young boy living in the  Democratic Republic of Congo so he too can enjoy the wonderful gifts sports Can bring to ALL children worldwide.

In August of 2010, IAYS received a touching Global Gear Drive application from a new and upcoming organization called Sports4HOPE. Sports4HOPE is a non-profit organization who seeks to prevent and reconcile conflicts by inspiring hope, improving the quality of life, and empowering youth in conflict-affected areas through sport and peace education. Through their willingness to participate in IAYS’ ONE WORLD. ONE TEAM. initiative, IAYS now has the ability to help Sports 4 Hope in their efforts to improve the lives of children in villages throughout the Democratic Republic of Congo.

IAYS plans to not only provide their communities with quality youth sports equipment based on their requests, but further programming support and guidance as needed in the future. To learn more about Sports4HOPE and IAYS’ support, please stay updated on our website to hear more about this exciting new relationship!

 

IAYS teams up with Youth Icons in Ghana to assist them in their efforts to enhance the youth sports experience for ALL youth in their region!

Recently, the International Alliance For Youth Sports (IAYS) agreed to provide support to Youth Icons in Ghana to help them in their efforts to raise awareness and improve the health and lifestyle of their youth through sport!

Youth Icons Ghana is a youth oriented, non-profit, NGO whose goal is to inspire young people to inform themselves of the challenges that await them in their lifetimes while also taking action to address them. Throughout the year, their organizations runs a series of projects geared towards the empowerment of young people. They share with IAYS in the belief that sports are a major tool to help empower our children to succeed and obtain important sport skills and life skills allowing them to improve their overall health and well-being.

Nana Yaw Osei-Darkwa, Executive Director of Youth Icons Ghana, states, “We would like to collaborate with IAYS to help give Ghanaian children an opportunity to derive from sports the many positive values it teaches.”

Currently, IAYS is aiming to help Youth Icons by providing them with better sports equipment and helpful educational resources, such as IAYS’ newly developed Life Skills Manual, in order to assist them in running their Paintsil’s Peace Kid Project. This effort is aimed at promoting peace through sports among children in divided communities in Ghana and is currently being headed up by its ambassador and national football star, John Paintsil, who currently plays for Fulham FC in the English premiership.

 

In exchange for IAYS’ support and guidance, Youth Icons will be an official advocate for IAYS in its efforts to make a greater impact throughout their region and Africa at large. IAYS will begin working with them in January of 2011 and continue in what they hope to be a long and mutually beneficial relationship.

IAYS is a division of the National Alliance For Youth Sports, also a charitable, 501 (c)3 organization dedicated towards enriching the lives of all children by improving their overall youth sports experience throughout the U.S. and worldwide. More information on the organization can be found on www.nays.org or www.iays.org. To speak with someone directly, please call 1-800-688 KIDS.

Youngsters in Zambia enjoying sports equipment donated through the Global Gear Drive

Youngsters in poverty-riddled Zambia have been enjoying opportunities to play a variety of sports, thanks to receiving much-needed sports equipment through the Global Gear Drive.The Global Gear Drive, created by the National Alliance For Youth Sports, collects new and used youth sports equipment that it distributes to underprivileged children around the world.“People are beginning to look at sports from a different perspective,” says Clement Mubanga Chileshe, the Sport in Action coordinator. “We’ve ignited something that we haven’t seen in Zambia before.”Sport in Action is one of several groups that comprise Kicking AIDS Out!, an international network of organizations working together to use sport and physical activity as a means to raise awareness about HIV/AIDS and motivate behavioral changes among youngsters.“I am one of the players in the Sport in Action under 12 football team,” wrote Peter Lungu. “I love soccer and thank you for giving me the sports attire and the balls. You have helped me to play soccer with joy and happiness. Thank you for giving me this attire because it has made me happy and my parents are happy too. Thank you very much. May the Good Lord be with all for the good job you are doing.”In recent months several shipments of sports equipment have been sent to Zambia, as well as other regions of the world.

For more information on how to get involved with Global Gear Drive, please email gear@iays.org .

Supreme Council for Sport in Africa signs official Memorandum of Understanding with IAYS

The Supreme Council for Sport in Africa (SCSA) is working closely with the International Alliance for Youth Sports (IAYS) to introduce positive sports experiences to children throughout Africa.The SCSA and the IAYS recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding to implement Game On! Youth Sports programs throughout Africa.Sonstone Y. Kashiba, secretary general, and Edward Zhakata, director of communication, signed the Memorandum of Understanding for SCSA, along with Fred Engh, the founder and president of the IAYS, and Clement Chileshe, the Game On! Youth Sports regional representative for Africa.The Memorandum of Understanding was signed during the annual International Youth Sports Congress and the International Summit on Game On! Youth Sports, which was held in Orlando, Florida, U.S.A.The two organizations are working together to use sports as a means of peaceful interaction and to introduce sustainable Game On! Youth Sports programs throughout Africa with necessary cooperation with governments, sports confederations and local organizing committees. Game On! Youth Sports is already in place in many countries throughout Africa, including Zambia, Cameroon, Kenya, Rwanda and Uganda, and has had a positive impact on thousands of children.

Historic African Summit on youth sports hosted by National Alliance For Youth Sports set for May 23, 2006

Cal Ripken Jr.-backed Game On! Youth Sports program the focus of first-ever event; more than 100 African delegates to attend in Lusaka, ZambiaMore than 100 delegates from throughout Africa will take part in the first-ever youth-sports-focused African Summit in Lusaka, Zambia, May 23-26, 2006, to learn how to bring sports to children throughout the African continent. This historic event, hosted by the National Alliance For Youth Sports (NAYS) – the world’s leading advocate for positive, s afe youth sports – is focused on uniting Africa under the Game On! Youth Sports banner, and providing leaders in their respective countries with a valuable tool to combat HIV/AIDS, as well as the drug abuse and crime that are destroying countless young lives every day.Game On! is a NAYS program that was developed to show the people of Africa the power of sports in dealing with the negative influences young people face in their growing years. The program has garnered respect and support from several key leaders, including baseball legend, youth sports activist and Game On! spokesman Cal Ripken Jr.NAYS Founder and President Fred Engh called the Summit a “truly historic occasion.”“This marks the first time in history that people have gathered from throughout a continent to explore how something such as sports can play an important role in reducing crime, violence, drug abuse and HIV/AIDS,” said Engh, who founded NAYS 25 years ago. “Children need, more than ever, a program to build their self confidence and give them hope; one that will be truly effective in fighting crime, violence, drug abuse and HIV/AIDS throughout Africa and the world.”Game On! is designed to give all children the necessary initiation into the skills and knowledge of selected sports. Using the success of Game On! in Dominica, a country in the Caribbean, attendees will be given the basic information and programming that will allow them to initiate the Game On! concepts and programs in their respective African countries.“The environment faced by today’s African child presents a spectrum of AIDS, loss of parents, obesity, hunger, war, boredom, illiteracy and many other stressful aspects,” said Clement Chileshe, the African representative for Game On! Youth Sports. “There is a cry that is increasingly piercing my ears and heart every day I wake up; it is the cry of the child, the cry that calls for help. Regardless of the child’s background and experience, I have seen sport provide a safe, fun, educative, interactive and developmental platform. It puts a smile on that child and turns the cry to laughter.”Leisure time is one of the most important elements affecting African youth today. Without the positive influences that sports can provide for children, the threat of crime, violence, drugs, HIV and other negative behaviors stand to destroy the civility of respective countries. Equally important is the health of children. Statistics clearly point to the strong benefits sports play in helping children maintain a healthy lifestyle.The goal of Game On! Youth Sports is to allow all children the opportunity to be introduced to sports by teaching them the skills and knowledge of individual sports through the school system – and also allow them the opportunity to participate in sports under a supervised program in their leisure time.