This semester, me and some of my friends decided to plan and facilitate a football skills workshop for the Bal Mela program held at our school. Bal Mela supports underprivileged children from the local community. My friends and I saw this as an opportunity to give back through our shared interest in football.

LO3 – Initiate and plan a CAS experience
The first step in making this workshop a reality was coming up with the initial idea to hold a football skills session for the Bal Mela program. My teammates and I brainstormed potential activities we could lead for the children. We then took initiative to develop a detailed schedule and assign responsibilities. As the group leader, I coordinated when we would meet to finalize preparations and ensure everything would run smoothly on the day of the event.

LO4 – Show perseverance and commitment in CAS experience
On the day of the workshop, keeping over 30 young kids engaged in drills and games while also teaching skills proved challenging. Some became distracted or didn’t want to participate. But through patience and encouragement, we persisted in getting everyone involved. There were obstacles, such as an activity becoming too chaotic, but we problem-solved as a team to adapt quickly. Our commitment to making this a positive experience for the children helped us overcome any issues and complete all that we planned.

LO5 – Demonstrate skills and benefits of working collaboartively
Planning and carrying out this event strengthened my ability to work collaboratively. My teammates and I had to compromise to combine everyone’s perspectives and skills. We supported each other through dividing roles and by flexibly adjusting when needed. Even when faced with setbacks, open communication allowed us to resolve issues as a unit. Being part of such effective cooperation reinforced the benefits of collaboration, which will help in future group projects.

Hosting the football workshop in Bal mela reinforced the importance and benefits of persevering through challenges as a team. While tiring, seeing the smiles and engagement of children who do not often get to play reminded me of the impact we can make in our local community. I am glad CAS provided this rewarding opportunity to give back through Football.