Children International, proud partner of IAYS, hosts highly successful Game On! Youth Sports workshop for Peace Corps, Guatemala!
In September 2012, the International Alliance for Youth Sports (IAYS), a division of the National Alliance for Youth Sports (NAYS), signed a formal letter of collaboration with the Peace Corps in Washington, D.C. Since that signing, where both IAYS and Peace Corps staff were in attendance, many strides have been taken in order to help Peace Corps Volunteers jump-start youth sports programs in the communities in which they work.
It is the hope of IAYS that through Peace Corps Volunteers and their strategic partners in the field, such as Children International, the organization will now continue to forge sustainable relationships with motivated community members worldwide looking to enhance the overall well-being of their youth through sport. Before entering into this mutually beneficial relationship with Peace Corps, IAYS began frequent communication with several Peace Corps Volunteers worldwide, specifically in Guatemala, looking to use youth sports as a project of focus for the schools and communities in which they were working. Due to their great level of interest, IAYS began to offer its featured training program, Game On! Youth Sports, as a mechanism to do so. This is where Children International came into play… and in a big way!
“IAYS and Children International have been working very closely together in order to get youth sports programs, specifically Game On!, into each of their agencies worldwide,” said Cindy Daub, IAYS’ Director of International Relations. “Ultimately, IAYS now has the ability to impact thousands of youth by giving them the opportunity to benefit from sports. It is because of this amazing partnership and Children International’s dedicated staff that IAYS is continuing to reach more children worldwide. They did a truly amazing job with the training and we are very thankful.”
Once IAYS learned of the Peace Corps’ great interest in learning more about youth sports while also being given the opportunity to access resources such as sports equipment, IAYS quickly pursued the opportunity and began working with Peace Corps Guatemala headquarters immediately. After IAYS President & CEO Fred Engh visited their staff in Guatemala directly along with IAYS’ Latin American Representative, Mario Melgar, IAYS saw a great opportunity to forge connections between Children International and Peace Corps directly. IAYS later requested that the Children International staff, which had already received training in Game On! earlier in 2011, host a two-day educational workshop. A diverse group of Peace Corps Volunteers in the country were given the opportunity to learn the same knowledge and tools in order to get sports into the communities in which they currently work.
IAYS is very excited to move forward in further collaboration with Peace Corps and begin piloting sports programs in selected regions in which volunteers work in 2012. IAYS also credits and values their partnership with Children International, specifically their Children International Guatemala agency, that has generously taken on this training and now looks to expand the program in the Philippines, India and Africa in January of 2012.
For more information on IAYS’ partnerships, steps in the field of sport and development or ways to get involved, please contact IAYS directly at international@iays.org or via phone at 1-800-688-KIDS. All those interested are also encouraged to visit our website at www.iays.org.
PAN AMERICAN GAMES XVI ANNOUNCE CHILDREN INTERNATIONAL AS SOLE CHARITABLE PARTNER WITH SPECIAL THANKS TO GAME ON! YOUTH SPORTS
The Pan American Games XVI are taking place in Guadalajara, Mexico, Oct. 14-31. The games will host 10,000 athletes from across Latin America who are currently participating in 35 sports.
In 2008, Children International, a U.S.-based humanitarian organization actively working in Mexico, joined hands with the International Alliance for Youth Sports (IAYS) seeking to implement sports into their youth agencies throughout Latin America and worldwide; and IAYS and its featured youth sports program, Game On! Youth Sports, was the perfect fit.
After having trialed the program in four selected agencies, Children International and its agency located in Guadalajara, Mexico later hosted an extensive 10-day training in order to effectively train and educate Children International staff on all key areas of Game On! Youth Sports. A few of the core topic areas the training included were administration, coaching, basic and modified sport skills development, safety and first aid and lastly, the program’s most featured component, life skills.
“We are pleased that Children International is having such tremendous success with the program. IAYS is extremely proud to be affiliated with Children International and we were dually excited when hearing that they have been named the Pan American Games’ sole charity partner due to their dedication to youth sports,” said Cindy Daub, IAYS Director of International Relations.
As part of the Children International and Pan American Games’ partnership, children and youth participating in Children International’s sports programs will be able to play organized sports in the new arenas. Much like the mission of the Pan American Games, Game On! strives to increase youth participation in sports as well as providing the necessary training and improving sports’ infrastructure. The officials of the Games have invited 100 children from Children International’s sponsorship program to participate in the following events:
Official kick-off parade
- Opening ceremonies procession
- Closing ceremonies
- Pan Am Games pep rally in Tlaquepaque near Guadalajara.
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 & 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 with offering educational training and guidance to youth sports leaders worldwide. The IAYS 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 more information, visit www.iays.org.
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.
International Alliance for Youth Sports signs agreement
with Guatemala’s General Direction for Physical Education
The International Alliance for Youth Sports (IAYS) recently signed an agreement with the General Direction for Physical Education (DIGEF), a Guatemalan government agency, to bring sports to children throughout Guatemala through its Game On! Youth Sports program.
Game On! Youth Sports, the signature program of IAYS, teaches life skills and values through sports and has been successfully implemented worldwide. The Game On! program was first introduced to DIGEF in August, where a pilot training was conducted by IAYS staff .
Through this strategic partnership close to 4,000 teachers and students of physical education will have access to the complete Game On! Youth Sports curriculum and later implement the program within each of their respective schools and communities. DIGEF covers the 333 municipalities of Guatemala.
Pictured: (from left) Gerardo Aguirre, Director General of DIGEF; Fred Engh, President and Founder of International Alliance for Youth Sports; Julika Quan, Vice Director of Projects for DIGEF; Mario Melgar, IAYS Latin America Representative; Carlos Aguilar, Vice Director of National Programs and Sports Events; and Ignacio González, Director Advisor of DIGEF.
IAYS meets with Peace Corps volunteers in Guatemala to change young lives through sports
The International Alliance for Youth Sports (IAYS), as part of its ongoing efforts to change the lives of underprivileged children worldwide through sports, is working with Peace Corps volunteers stationed in Totonicapan, Guatemala.
Fred Engh, president of the IAYS, and Mario Melgar, the IAYS’ Latin American representative, visited Totonicapan recently to finalize plans that include providing a variety of sports equipment and educational support the Peace Corps volunteers’ efforts to introduce the sport of volleyball to local Mayan children.
The IAYS, through its Game On! Youth Sports program, works with communities in need worldwide to establish quality sports programs for children and provide the equipment needed to participate in them. Game On! was created to address issues that hinder sports programming for children and give them the opportunity to participate in a variety of sports, and experience a healthier lifestyle, with less chances of choosing negative activities.
For more information visit www.iays.org.
IAYS and Children International’s Game On! Youth Sports
training in Guadalajara, Mexico a HUGE SUCCESS
Representatives from countries throughout Latin America participate in
special 10-day training program to change children’s lives through sports
Since 2008, Children International has been working closely with the International Alliance For Youth Sports (IAYS) with the hopes of implementing youth sports programs into each of its agencies worldwide – and IAYS’ Game On! Youth Sports program seems to be the perfect fit.
With successful Game On! programs already in place at four of Children International’s agencies, the two organizations conducted an extensive 10-day training in mid-February in Guadalajara, Mexico featuring representatives from nine agencies of Children International throughout Mexico, Guatemala, Dominican Republic, Colombia, Honduras and Chile.
The training, led by IAYS’ Director of International Relations, Cindy Daub, and IAYS’ Latin American Representative, Mario Melgar, was highly interactive and covered all the key components of an effective youth sports program. The participants received education and training on areas including administration, child protection, coaching, life skills, monitoring and evaluation, as well as a variety of other important topics. The attendees will use the information provided to implement Game On! programs in their respective countries.
“Before Game On, I used to think of sports as a mere competition; now I know that we can practice, enjoy and have fun while doing sports; and that leads to developing skills,” said Jael Rodriguez, a Game On! training participant from Honduras. “I believe we never stop learning!”
IAYS is a division on the National Alliance For Youth Sports (NAYS), a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization based in West Palm Beach, Florida. IAYS created Game On! to address issues that hinder sports programming for children and to give them opportunities to participate in sports, and experience healthier lifestyles that involve fewer chances of taking part in negative activities. Game On! Youth Sports programs have been held throughout Africa, India, Central America and the Caribbean.
One of the many unique aspects of Game On! is that besides teaching sports skills, encouraging participation and promoting positive competition in a fun atmosphere, it also integrates a variety of life skills into the sessions. Children learn the importance of staying in school, how to make sound decisions, resist peer pressure and resolve conflicts.
To date, IAYS has implemented Game On! programs in both schools and communities worldwide, including Africa, Asia-Pacific, the Caribbean and now, in the coming months, throughout Latin America. IAYS currently works to build strategic partnerships with organizations like Children International, who have a shared dedication toward improving the lives of ALL children through sport.
“Of all the trainings IAYS has done, I believe this one was a true eye opener for us all,” Daub said. “The participants in attendance could not have been more motivated and enthusiastic. Children International did a remarkable job hosting this training and they should be very proud of the investment they have made in youth sports.”
Children International and IAYS look forward to a promising future and hope to make a tremendous impact in the lives of all the children within each of their agencies throughout Latin America and worldwide.
“Every participant, including myself, has been surprised and grateful for participating in this training, as it has given us a better sense of self and leadership,” said Brittany Belinski, Program Officer of Education and Youth for Children International. “This training reemphasized why Children International and IAYS teamed up. Our work and goals are similar and it’s a pleasure being part of that shared mission.”
Established in 1936, Children International is a nonprofit organization with its headquarters in Kansas City, Missouri. Children International’s programs benefit more than 335,000 sponsored 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, visit www.children.org.
For more information about IAYS or the Game On! Youth Sports program, contact IAYS at international@iays.org or call 1-800-688-KIDS.
Special Latin America Game On! Youth Sports training off to a great start!
Youth sports facilitators from Guatemala, Honduras, Colombia, Ecuador, Chile, Mexico and the Dominican Republic are currently in the midst of a special 10-day training program in Jalisco, Mexico held by the International Alliance for Youth Sports (IAYS) and Children International. The training is being conducted by Cindy Daub, IAYS’ Director of International Relations and Mario Melgar, IAYS’ Game On! Latin American Representative.
The group recently completed a comprehensive three-day coaches training which covered the topics of teaching basic motor skills to children at the beginning level, modifying youth sports activities for children at advanced levels, reviewing mechanics and fundamentals skills, understanding the parent/coach relationship, gender and age differences, the important qualities of a coach and a review of the recommended coaching methodology.
This special training is providing youth sports facilitators with information on how to implement the IAYS’ Game On! Youth Sports program to make a positive difference for children in their communities through sports. As the training program continues the youth sports facilitators will also learn about youth sports program administration, monitoring and evaluation, life skills and child safety.
“The training program is progressing successfully,” Daub said. “There is a lot of enthusiasm from the attendees to share this information with others back home and start the Game On! Youth Sports program in their communities.”
Game On! Youth Sports was developed by IAYS as a means to provide countries with guidance and program support for those involved in youth sports at the school, after-school or community level and encourages participation from parents, teachers and teens.
One of the many unique aspects of Game On! Youth Sports is that besides teaching sports skills, encouraging participation and promoting positive competition in a fun atmosphere, it also integrates a variety of life skills into the sessions. Children learn the importance of staying in school, how to make sound decisions, resist peer pressure and resolve conflicts. Game On! Youth Sports programs have been held throughout Africa, India, Central America and the Caribbean.
Since 1936, Children International has been providing assistance to children and families struggling in terrible poverty. Children International is a nonprofit, humanitarian organization dedicated to easing the burdens of poverty on poor children.
IAYS and Children International kick off special 10-day Game On! training
The International Alliance for Youth Sports (IAYS) and Children International kicked off a special training program in Jalisco, Mexico for more than 15 youth sports facilitators on Monday, Feb. 7.
The training will be led by IAYS’ Director of International Relations, Cindy Daub, and the Latin American Representative, Mario Melgar. Representatives from Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Colombia, Ecuador, Chile, Dominican Republic and Mexico are participating in this first-ever 10-day training to gain valuable information on how to successfully implement the Game On! Youth Sports program in their community and make a positive difference in the lives of children through sports.
The training is also addressing a variety of key subjects designed to help them return to their countries and train fellow community members in key aspects of youth sports programming, including administration, coaching, monitoring and evaluation, life skills and child safety.
Game On! Youth Sports was created by the IAYS to address issues that hinder sports programming for children and to give them opportunities to participate in sports, and experience healthier lifestyles that involve fewer chances of taking part in negative activities. Game On! Youth Sports programs have been held throughout Africa, India, Central America and the Caribbean.
One of the many unique aspects of Game On! is that besides teaching sports skills, encouraging participation and promoting positive competition in a fun atmosphere, it also integrates a variety of life skills into the sessions. Children learn the importance of staying in school, how to make sound decisions, resist peer pressure and resolve conflicts.
Game On! also encourages participation from parents, teachers, teens and volunteers wishing to coach teams and organize games. By providing volunteer training, IAYS teaches parents and volunteers interpersonal communication skills which improve their relationships with children in their community. Training also enables teens to co-captain many younger teams and serve as positive role models.
Since 1936, Children International has been providing assistance to children and families struggling in terrible poverty. Children International is a nonprofit, humanitarian organization dedicated to easing the burdens of poverty on poor children.
IAYS’ President & CEO Returns from a Successful Trip to Quiché, Guatemala
Quiché Guatemala and the Barbara Ford Center join a growing list of communities around the world introducing Game On! Youth Sports!
Game On! Youth Sports is a program of the International Alliance for Youth Sports (IAYS) aimed at enhancing the sports experience for all children worldwide. During recent months IAYS has been working closely with the Barbara Ford Center located in Quiché, Guatemala with the intention to prepare for the launch of a successful youth sports program within their community.
Quiché is located northwest of Guatemala City and has historically been one of the most populous regions of Guatemala with a current population of 655,110. IAYS began working with them after Sister Virginia Searing, head of the Barbara Ford Center, realized a strong demand for youth sports and the tremendous effects it could have on ALL children’s lives.
Sister Virginia stated, “Our Center realizes that one of the strongest ways to reach young people is through sports and through the Game On! program and its philosophy, we also feel we can teach children life skills that can help them be better citizens for all of Guatemala.”
IAYS recognizes that a major challenge in their efforts to help bring sports to this community will be to deal with the significant dropout rate of children who today have ample leisure time. IAYS and the Barbara Ford Center believe that by working together to help build an effective sports program in this community the children will be more motivated, healthy and active which can prevent them from turning to other negative influences and anti-social behaviors. Guatemala statistics today show that out of the 169,000 children in elementary school, a mere 13,000 will move to the next level, leaving relatively few to finish at the high school level.
“We are convinced that IAYS will greatly support and help guide Quiche in their efforts to build the power of sports for all youth in this wonderful community. It truly was a tremendous experience and we are excited to move forward!,” Fred Engh, CEO & Founder of IAYS states.
Game On! Youth Sports representative for Guatemala, Mario Melgar, mentions, “As in sports, one must be prepared to succeed and we are going to succeed in helping thousands of children throughout Quiche!”
IAYS remains excited to help Quiché, and all communities, flourish by assisting them in their efforts to implement a successful Game On! Youth Sports program and is excited to use them as one of their greatest models and testimonials for future growth and expansion.
For more information, please contact IAYS at international@iays.org or via phone at 1-800-688 KIDS.
IAYS & Game On! Youth Sports prepare for their international Training of Instructors along with their proud partner, Children International, in Guadalajara, Mexico this coming February, 2011.
For the past year, IAYS and Children International have been working closely together with the goal of implementing Game On! Youth Sports into their various Sponsorship Operating Agencies worldwide. Game On!, which has been rapidly expanding since its inception in 2003, is currently being run in communities and schools throughout the Caribbean, Latin America and Africa. The program was created to provide children with fundamental, sport-specific motor skills that enable them to excel in sports activities. It also focuses on teaching important life skills to help them lead healthy lifestyles and avoid making negative decisions involving drugs, violence and diseases such as HIV/AIDS.
In 2010, Children International began piloting Game On! in four of its Sponsorship Operating Agencies (SOAs)— Guadalajara, Mexico; Valparaiso, Chile and the cities of Cartagena and Barranquilla, Colombia. In Guadalajara, Mexico, 25 adults and youth leaders are already serving as volunteer coaches to over 200 children and youth participating in soccer, kickball, basketball and volleyball, and other outdoor games such as flag football and dodge ball. About the same number will be participating in Colombia and Chile. In 2011, CI intends to launch the program in five more Agencies in the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Honduras and Guatemala. For 2012 and 2013, the hope is to launch the program in the Philippines and in Zambia as well.
Children International’s President and CEO Jim Cook said, “Children International is excited to work with IAYS on real community development at the grassroots level. Using sports as a medium to teach parents and children new skills will improve their lives and help remove the stigma poverty places on their lives.”
Game On! Youth Sports was created as a mechanism to help populations of underserved, impoverished youth who are at-risk of dropping out of school or taking part in risky behaviors, such as gangs, early pregnancy, drug abuse or crime. IAYS believes sports are the outdoor classroom of life where by participating in quality sports activities, the overall lifestyle and well-being of our youth will be improved.
“Millions of children in the U.S. benefit physically and socially from playing sports, but for millions of children around the world this simply isn’t the case,” said IAYS Founder Fred Engh. “Children International, working hand in hand with IAYS, is bringing organized sports to children throughout their agencies worldwide to show the world that sports aren’t simply throwing or kicking a ball, but more so, the opportunity to teach life skills that can enhance the lives of children everywhere.”
IAYS greatly appreciates the opportunity to work with Children International and is excited to embark on this new, wonderful opportunity to help even more children worldwide through sport. Stay tuned for more information on IAYS and Children International’s mission to help children and teens worldwide through sport on www.iays.org!
Game On! Youth Sports training held in Cartagena, Colombia |
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| Game On! Youth Sports, as part of its ongoing efforts to improve the lives of underprivileged children worldwide through sports, recently conducted a three-day training for 40 volunteers in Cartagena, Colombia.The training, hosted by Children International Cartagena, was led by a contingent of International Alliance for Youth Sports (IAYS) staff which featured Arturo Sanchez Alvarez, the IAYS representative for Latin America; IAYS Master Trainers, Kate Cowan and Kate Dilworth.Game On! Youth Sports is the signature program of the IAYS. The philosophy of Game On! Youth Sports is based on the notion that once children have developed basic sports skills they are equipped with the confidence and motivation necessary to participate in the many physical and social activities that life offers.The Cartagena training focused on teaching new volunteers the basic principles of Game On! Youth Sports. It also covered how to adapt a variety of sports to achieve maximum participation and motor skill development, how to use sports to teach life skills and how to serve as a coach for a community sports team, among many other areas.This specialized training empowers individuals, including youth, to assume leadership roles in the program. It also encourages them to play integral roles in the community development process.The IAYS is working with Children International to develop high-quality, community-based sports league programs focused on life skills development within communities in Mexico, Colombia, Chile, Zambia, Dominican Republic, Philippines, Guatemala and Ecuador. Children International is a U.S.-based humanitarian organization which helps more than 335,000 poor children worldwide.Children International Cartagena has planned supplemental trainings for their Game On! Youth Sports coaches covering first aid, conflict resolution skills, communication skills and sport-specific instruction. For more information visit www.iays.org. | ||
Mexican Municipal Government Allocates $100,000 forGame On! Youth Sports Program |
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