Evolution Sports Celebrate Students Giving Back to the Community

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Volunteers Week is celebrated between 1st and 7th June every year in the UK. At Evo during this week we are taking this opportunity to celebrate our volunteers here in Qatar and say thank you to them for the contribution’s they’ve made this season. As part of highlighting our current volunteers we want to also raise awareness about the benefits of becoming a volunteer and how it makes a positive impact in our community here in Qatar.

Throughout this season Evo has supported and developed over 60 volunteers across all the sports programmes. Working in partnership with various schools such as Doha College, Doha British School, DESS, ISLQ and Sherborne Qatar, volunteer opportunities have been made available to students between the ages of 10 to 18 years old.

At Evo volunteering is seen as an integral part of the club and is used in the local community to develop the ‘Evo Way’ which embodies the clubs values of; professionalism, respect, inclusion, pride, integrity and excellence.

There have been several standout volunteers throughout the year such as Ragini Gupta, Rhea Chawla, Skye Lawson and Lilly Sibley, who have all supported the Evo swimming programme. But, within this article we have interviewed 3 stand out performers who have been working with the Evo soccer programme this season; Doha College student Harrison Kendall and LLS B-Tec Level 3 students at Doha College Louis Frayne and Pablo Batista.

Q: What made you want to volunteer?

A: Harrison Kendall - “I wanted to volunteer as part of my service hours for the Duke of Edinburgh Award, and I thought it would be interesting as it’s something that I’ve never done before.”

A: Louis Frayne – “I started volunteering as part of my B-Tec Level 3 course I’m studying at Doha College and had chosen to do my hours with Evo.”

A: Pablo Batista – “As part of my B-Tec Level 3 course, I wanted to get my experience with Evo. I knew it would help me improve my confidence and teach me how to work with the younger students.”

Q: What have you learnt whilst volunteering?

A: Harrison Kendall – “I have become more confident, and have learnt to talk to larger groups of people through coaching football. In general I feel more comfortable around people, after being taken out of my comfort zone whilst I’ve been volunteering.”

A: Louis Frayne – “It’s been a good experience and I’ve developed and matured since September. I’ve learnt a lot about coaching young people, working in a real working environment and how to deal with different situations. In the months I’ve been volunteering I’ve learnt that I can get along with anyone and develop relationships.”

A: Pablo Batista – “At the beginning I found it difficult because I wasn’t confident. As soon as I learnt the kids names, built relationships and started to be given more responsibility by coach Gibby I became more confident. I’ve learnt how to communicate better from the coaches and I’ve seen how they speak to the players and adapt what they do when working with different age groups.”

Q: Would you recommend volunteering to other young people?

A: Harrison Kendall – “Yes, at Evo it’s a good environment to be in, where you can learn lots of different ways how to coach and it’s fun.”

A: Louis Frayne – “Yes, for those that want to do coaching as a career. There is no better experience in Qatar than with Evo. At Evo there are lots of opportunities and sessions that you can be involved in.”

A: Pablo Batista – “Yes, volunteering is a good experience and I recommend especially for those who aren’t confident and out-going as it helps boost your confidence.”

Q: What advice would you give to any young people who are interested in starting volunteering?

A: Harrison Kendall – “Just go for it and don’t hold yourself back. The coaches are always there to help you which makes a difference.”

A: Louis Frayne – “Try to enjoy yourself and get the most out of the experience. Make sure you analyze what the coaches do and the techniques they use to coach and work with the kids.”

A: Pablo Batista – “Learn the names of the players as soon as possible. Act confident, even if you aren’t and the players will listen to you. The coaches will help to give you the skills to communicate better and you will end up being more confident than when you started.”

If you would like to know more information about Evolution Sports Volunteer Programme or any Community initiatives please contact – [email protected]