Magic Bus activities with FoG

Magic Bus, India recently visited the Foundation of Goodness Sports Academy and conducted a training programme on the subject of ‘Problem Solving through Sport’ for both the FoG Staff and Beneficiaries.

Magic Bus is a non-governmental organization in India, who are ‘committed to changing children’s lives, one game at a time’ which they achieve through the process of ‘Learning, Leading and Earning’ through an activity based curriculum, and have a quarter of a million children attending their programmes every week.

The Foundation of Goodness have had the opportunity to interact with Magic Bus over the years, having established an exchange programme that has now taken place over many years, with a team from FoG visiting India in 2010 which was reciprocated by a Magic Bus team in 2011.

In July 2014, a team from Magic Bus returned, to visit the FoG Sports Academy in Seenigama, following which FoG Founder/ Chief Trustee Kushil Gunasekera spoke at the Magic Bus Maidan Summit in India in January 2015.

The most recent workshop took place in March, and the Magic Bus team, led by their head trainer Chirag, worked first with the Sports Academy staff and coaches, and then with selected sportsmen (mostly from the FoG Elite Squads) who attend training at the Sports Academy. Their purpose was to teach problem solving opportunities for rural communities through sport, specifically addressing issues such as alcoholism, poverty and gender inequality.

The Magic Bus activities were all broken down into three categories - the warm up or energizer session, the sub activity and the main activity. When transitioning from the warm up to the sub activity, the team would explain why they were doing that particular activity, and during the second transition from the sub activity to the main one, it was explained what could be learnt from this exercise. Thus, the main purpose behind these activities was experiential learning.

Magic Bus also introduces their concept for the betterment of every sport - a joyful environment, a safe environment, opportunity to all deserving people, experiential learning and the coach. They explained that once you combine all five of these elements, any trouble can be overcome through sport.

The first three days of the workshop were for the Sports Academy Staff and Coaches, starting with rapport building activities on the first day and continuing to both theoretical and practical activities on gender bias, stereotyping, generalizing, first aid and thinking out of the box. The next five days were dedicated to working with the Youth Leaders who represented each of the sports activities that take place at the Sports Academy (Club Cricket, Ladies’ Cricket, Netball, Volleyball, Badminton and Swimming).

On the last two days of the workshop, they focused on first aid and peer coaching, discussing future plans for the Youth Leaders to conduct Magic Bus sessions for their own communities. The Magic Bus Team presented a one year plan, during which time the Youth Leaders were to conduct one session every week for their community, and every four months, as the Magic Bus team stresses on the responsibility of the Youth Leaders in passing on the knowledge they had acquired. Magic Bus trainers would return to collect feedback, provide trouble shooting and monitor progress, with a final evaluation to take place at the end of one year.

The very first Youth Leaders’ community session took place on the 4th of April for 58 students, and although there were a few minor hiccups due to this being the very first session they ever conducted, it was a successful and fun filled afternoon for everyone. We look forward to a year filled with similar activities that will help uplift, develop and empower both the sportsmen and the local community.

07th April 2015