My

Story

Orly

My name is Orly Jesús. I work for the Ministry of Sports as an instructor in the most vulnerable areas in Tosagua in the providence Manabí, where I was born. I’m also just a few days away from becoming a licensed professional in physical activity and sports.

The situation in Manabí now is part of what I think the whole country of Ecuador is experiencing: insecurity, lack of resources, lack of professionals, lack of new ideas, and new methodologies. My community is very vulnerable, we have very few resources here. In our training, for example, we don’t have large football fields; they are small neighbourhood pitches where projects rarely reach. We also have kids coming without shoes.

However, the biggest risk is the insecurity. The children don’t want to leave the pitches out of fear for guerrilla groups coming along with drugs, alcohol – there are many negative influences. What we want to do is to rescue those children, so they don’t go down the wrong path. We’re not looking to produce athletes; we want to help kids have a better way of life and a better outlook on their future. I wish that when I was young, a project like this had existed. So, if I didn’t have it back then, now I’m doing it so they can change their way of thinking.

I applied to the Young Coaches project because it helps me as a professional. In these five days, I’ve learned more than I have in one or two years. I’ve learned about the specifics of football. I’ve also learned how to reach children, how to engage and support them, how to assess and how to apply a variety of learning approaches. These five days have helped me improve my activities, learn new methods, and see the skills and methodologies that international instructors have. It’s changed a lot. And now, when we apply this in our communities, we’ll bring new knowledge, new techniques, and new activities. I’m very grateful for that.

Going to the Young Coach Education in Ibarra was my first time on a plane. It was also my first time leaving the canton. I was a bit scared of the plane, but [the local coordinator from FUDELA] helped me and supported me, and at the airport I met a few of the other Young Coaches already. Once the plane took off, my fear disappeared. And then it was amazing to meet people from different places, different ethnicities, cultures, and ways of speaking, with new techniques, tactics, and movements in sports and recreation. Meeting new people has made this project very meaningful, and I’ll always carry it in my heart.

The group is very special, they’re all coaches working in vulnerable areas. They share things that exist in my community, and I learned from their strategies and methods too. On the first day, when we all met, I wanted to leave. But now, on the last day, I don’t want to go. But it’s time to return to my community to apply what I’ve learned.