KYRGYZSTAN INNOVATIONS IN COACHING KIDS (KICK)

Program Overview

The KICK program emphasizes sports as a medium for teaching important life skills such as conflict management and promoting mutual understanding among Kyrgyz coaches and youth from different regions and ethnic and religious backgrounds. Kyrgyz coaches participated in an intensive training, implemented small-grant projects in their communities, and had the opportunity to travel to the US to learn about American sports programming and adapt this new knowledge to their curriculum in Kyrgyzstan. KICK is supported with a grant from the U.S. Department of State"s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA).

Program Goals

• Increase Kyrgyz secondary school coaches’ knowledge of new training techniques and methodologies for working with youth including new sports, technology and conflict management
• Increase the capacity of Kyrgyz coaches to integrate this knowledge through sports-related community development projects and to promote sports in their schools and communities
• Promote cross-cultural exchange and information sharing between American and Kyrgyz coaches and communities

• The two US experts in Youth, Sports and Conflict Management travelled to Kyrgyzstan in December 2011, to observe sports programming and facilitate a Training of Trainers (TOT) for 30 high school coaches from all seven regions of Kyrgyzstan on international methodologies in teaching physical education, new team sports, technology, and conflict management; 
• 30 coaches submitted applications, and 20 of them have successfully implemented 17 small-grants projects aimed at introduction of new sports and methodologies in their schools and communities; 
• Five coaches from Batken, Jalal Abad, Issyk-Kul regions, and the cities of Tokmok and Bishkek travelled to St. Louis, MO, between April 2 and 12, 2012 and visited Webster Groves High School to get acquainted with contemporary methods of teaching physical education in USA, and build cross-cultural communication and professional relationships; 
• These 5 coaches organized a Youth Sports Camp in Issyk Kul for 50 school students from all regions of Kyrgyzstan in August 2012. The coaches were able to practice the methods of teaching physical education attained during the TOT and the exchange visits to the US, in particular, developing the life skills (e.g. tolerance, teamwork, leadership, decision making, etc.) in students through sports. 
• The KICK coaches prepared recommendations based on the new experience gained during the small-grant projects implementation process, the Sports Camp and the trip to the US. These recommendations will be offered to the country’s Ministry of Education and Science for potential introduction in to the physical-education curriculum of high schools in Kyrgyzstan.
 

 Proposals to modernize and enhance the physical education coaching at high schools of Kyrgyz Republic

For More Program Information

Please visit the project page at http://www.irex.org/project/kyrgyzstan-innovations-coaching-kids-kick  
IREX Kyrgyzstan
265A Prospect Chui, Room 106
720071 Bishkek, Kyrgyz Republic
Tel: + (996-312) 61-08-11 (Main)
Fax: + (996-312) 61-08-36