The Ultimate Challenge

For ten days, 16 members of youth organizations and young people from the MENA region have participated in an intensive course about teaching life skills and enhancing youth participation through sports.

Training of Trainers Sports in Amman. Photo: Lone Palmus Jensen

The field in King Hussein Garden is buzzing with energy. What first meets the eye is a medley of people jumping and frisbees soaring through the air. The ToT Sports course has reached its final day and the participants will have to put their knowledge to the test.

“Ultimate Frisbee is the ideal sport for teaching life skills,” Majbrit Mouridsen explains. She is one of the Danish trainers from GES (Global Education Through Sport), who has organized the course alongside with ActionAid Denmark. She continues, “It is self-refereeing and the participants has to cooperate and manage conflicts themselves, while being respectful and tolerant towards their fellow players.”

 The participants have been given tools to facilitate and manage workshops for youth groups. On this last day, they will use everything they have learned. A group of around 30 students have gathered on this Saturday to join the game and the new trainers will instruct and guide them. 

In a short break everyone seeks shelter in the sparse spot of shade in the big field. Exhausted, but energized, 23-year old Syrian student, Fares Diab takes a spot on the bench. He is one of the 16 newly hatched trainers and feels he has benefitted a lot from the course. “I now have some new methods, that I can apply to my teachings when I go back home. I teach deaf people and communicating through sport is a great opportunity.”

As the day is coming to an end, Majbrit reflects on the past ten days. She is very satisfied with the outcome of the course. “Everyone seems comfortable in their role as a trainer and they are able to lead, observe and help each other. They all passed the big test,”she adds with a smile.