Inspiring leadership through sport

The British Council (BC) was not unmindful of these universal strengths when it began seven years ago searching for a way to get young students all over the world involved in a program that would inspire tomorrow's leaders and imbue them with leadership skills.

BC collaborated with the Youth Sports Trust (YST), a decade-old organization that is renowned for its professionalism in developing quality sports programs in UK schools, and the outcome of that collaboration is defining the future.

Dreams + Teams, global

Jacqui Allan

``The British Council,'' says Ms Jacqui Allan, communications manager, Sport Education and Training Group of BC's London office, ``had lots of contact with people in education and with schools globally.'' But ``we wanted to reach many, many more young people. We realized that sport was something that every young person around the world could relate to; and we also understood the power that sport has as an educational and as a developmental tool,'' she said.

So, only four years ago the BC and YST jointly launched Dreams + Teams (DT - pronounced ``Dreams `and' Teams''), in just four countries. Today, Allan says, Dreams + Teams is ``in about 460 schools in 45 countries'' from Argentina to Zambia ``and has reached millions of youngsters and thousands of teachers worldwide.'' The USA is not one of them.

``This year alone, our biggest increase is in Africa,'' Allan says and continues, ``with a massive, massive increase to 19 countries on the African continent.''

Dreams + Teams, Thailand

``Dreams + Teams in Thailand started four years ago at three schools,'' Neeraya Kittisobhon, a teacher in Bangkok, says as she explains that ``the three schools are: Mahannoparam, Yothinburanaa and Nonsi Witthaya.'' The program in Thailand is a smash hit.

``After that, DT in Thailand increased by six schools, for a total of nine. My school, Satriwithaya,'' Neeraya explains, ``was part of the second phase expansion.'' The principal, Ms Fuangfah Praditpojana, has overseen the growth of DT to include 140 members, 20 of whom are trainers who tutor the newer members.

Eventually, DT expanded into fast track schools, which are heavily funded by the Thai government, making it possible for the schools to have a challenging curriculum. Indeed, ``Thailand has DT in many of its schools,'' adds Benjalug Namfa, PhD, director of Thailand's Bureau of Educational Innovation Development (BEID), in the Office of Basic Education Commission (Obec) in the Ministry of Education. In Thailand, DT is ``very successful'', Dr Benjalug proudly exclaims.

What is Dreams + Teams?

Thai School Directors (principals): Left to right Mr Amnuay Uttarapayom, Chakkhamkhanathon school; (Ms Jacqui Allan); Mr Chalerm Bunruangkao, Kuankanun school; Mr Tawach Muensrichai, Matthayom Watnairong school; Mr Manit Sriphetak, Sanpatongwittayakon school (standing, left); Mr Manop Nopsirikul, Yothinburana school; Mr Sawaeng Chantanom, Fakwanwittayakom school; Mr Kamol Boonprasert, Ratwinit Bangkaeo school (standing, right); Miss Fuangfah Praditpojana, Satriwitaya school; Mrs Suranee Dhasidhon, Mahannopparam school; Miss Patamarat Tempitask, Nonsi Witthaya school

The crux of DT is that it is an international program aimed at developing young leaders through sport. It runs training courses for overseas tutors who, upon returning to their native countries, train other young people to act as young leaders in sport.

``The new trainees then train other tutors, and so on. It's a cascade model,'' explains Allan. ``We train a maximum of 24 trainers at one time because it must be top quality, and almost all trainees go on to train others,'' she says.

``A main benefit of Dreams + Teams is its cultural awareness component,'' offers Richard Cotton, director of education, BC Thailand, as he adds that ``many of the participants will not have had much association with people of different cultures and nationalities.'' DT and the Young Ambassadors International Program ``help to make them global citizens,'' Cotton says.

Tutor-trainers are charged with organizing sports festivals in their local communities that involve training hundreds of children. It's a lot of fun and work, but it's much more. There are many important leadership skills taught along the way, especially building up to and during the one-day sport festivals.

For example, tutor-trainers challenge the new recruits to demonstrate leadership and personal development; take into account the diverse needs of the group; be active citizens in their community; consider the impact that their behavior has on others; and value and promote cross-cultural understanding. As trainees progress, they learn how to train other young leaders. All of this develops in a carefully structured leadership environment.

Linking the pieces

Because the sport aspect is so obvious, it's easy to overlook the second, but equally important, part of DT. It's the linking component. Schools in the UK are linked with schools globally via email and the DT website.

All schools are encouraged to maximize their activities by contributing to the website. Students can upload and download data, and access streaming videos and program-centric information. Blogging about their projects is encouraged. This adds an international and cross-cultural understanding to everything they do. ``The goal is to train youngsters to think globally, but act locally,'' says Cotton.

``Linking is critical,'' Allan says, and adds that ``a successful link is when you've attracted youth participation through sports, gotten them interested through worthy programs, and soon the DT model impacts a school's entire curriculum, such as geography or music, art, and environmental projects, not just sport,'' she concludes.

Dr Benjalug echoes the importance of linking. ``We [the BEID] want to use DT in many other areas, including drugs [education programs].''

Conference in Malaysia

The British Council and the Youth Sport Trust held a one-week Dreams + Teams-based conference in Kuala Lumpur last month to further leadership skills in young people throughout our region.

The British Councils of Thailand, Malaysia and the UK, in conjunction with the Young Ambassadors International Program, cosponsored the Kuala Lumpur conference, while the Olympic Committee of Malaysia (OCM) held hosting honors.

The Young Ambassadors (YA) operates out of the UK, is only eight months old and is the brainchild of YST. ``It's about taking young people and making them ambassadors - both in sports and in their communities. It, too, inspires children around the world to play more sports,'' says Allan.

Under the expansive title (take a deep breath here, you'll need it), `Young Ambassadors, Inspiring Young People, International Sport and Culture Festival, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia 2007' (the conference), the organizers brought together a full compliment of minds eager to be trained from six Southeast Asian countries: Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, the Philippines, Taiwan, Indonesia; and, the UK.

Participating were 10 DT groups - comprised of about eight members each; a bevy of Young Ambassadors, many students from each target country and one teacher for every two visiting students, DT members, government officials, representatives of the official OCM, and last but hardly least, 300 adorable Malaysian primary school children who participated in the games during the one-day sport festival (conferees).

Skills in action

And trained, they were. It was hard work. The ultimate focus of the combined efforts was to plan every detail of the sport festival for the 300 primary schoolers who would arrive in a few days to perform the activities organized by DT and YA.

Everything had to be considered, including safety issues, sports equipment, opening and closing ceremonies, team names, cheers and slogans; meals and liquid refreshments for 400 energetic conferees, laptop computers, Internet connections, transportation, the guests of honor, speaker's programs, awards, and souvenirs.

Now, slow all that down and add to the mix youngsters, ages 13-18, from seven countries and cultures who speak different languages. Many have never taken responsibility for managing an event of any kind, never met their international peers, and never traveled outside their homeland. Now, you're getting the picture. This is an awesome challenge even for career-hardened adults. But the kids responded to the challenge with commitment and imagination. Students were encouraged to constantly keep others updated through the DT website, so that DT groups worldwide could observe the progress in Malaysia.

Let the games begin!

The big day started at 7AM as YA readied to greet 300 Malaysian primary schoolers - the `festival participants' as they are called - who arrived at the OCM Sports Arena by chartered buses.

They were divided into lots of 30 and assigned to one of 10 DT groups. Each new `team' was taught team cheers, chose a group name, and learned how to play selected games and activities, such as ladders, ball skills, tag rugby, chicken eggs, and assault course.

Although sport is the common thread, athletic prowess is not a precondition to having fun. Nevertheless, the sportsmanship was exemplary, and the cheers, chants, raves and waves were phenomenal. Besides, the real winners were participation and inspiration.

Every child participated and every member of DT and YA had ample opportunity to coach, advise, assist, lead and demonstrate elements of leadership to the 300 little ones, and to each other.

Everyone was a winner and emotional electricity filled the Sports Arena. A few happy tears flowed as many of the little ones asked DT and YA for their autographs. One YA later said, ``I felt like a rock star. They wanted my autograph.'' Awards were given for best efforts, most helpful, and so on. Needless to say, the one-day sport festival was a resounding success.

Believe to achieve

Judith Hemery

You would think that after superbly staging a colossal sporting event, the teams and trainers would have a break, but learning and sharing never stop. Instead of celebrating, they prepared for the morning and afternoon sessions for the next day, during which there were testimonials to be made and group reflections - augmented with PowerPoint, MP3 tracks and photo montages - to present.

The many surveys - the compulsory completion of which was superbly task-mastered by Judith Hemery, education consultant, BC London - were all part of the self-reflection and program evaluation process.

Each member of Dreams + Teams soon had an opportunity to say a few words about how they felt, how the week's activities had affected them, what they had learned, and how they would cascade all the information and new experiences on to new DT members once they returned home. The results were poignant.

Repeatedly students would share sentiments like: ``Coming here was like opening up a whole new world for me;'' ``My best ever experience;'' ``This was my first time to go to another country;'' ``When I came here my English was very poor. It's much better now. I think I will study harder when I go back [to my country];'' ``Dreams + Teams will stay in my heart forever;'' ``I felt the little ones truly looked up to me;'' and ultimately, ``Now I believe I can achieve!'' The words were both touching and telling.

One survey question was, ``The conference could be even better if ... .'' Others were: How important is sport as a way of developing leadership skill? To what extent do you feel your respect for foreign cultures has changed as a result of this conference? Overall, how effective has the YA International Program been as an educational and learning tool? Weighty questions for teenagers, but their responses rose to the challenge. A few responses follow.

Results revealed

Lin Chi Ang likes to use his adopted Western name, Alex Lin. Alex is a Young Ambassador from Taiwan. His father farms while Alex leans toward being a doctor or medical researcher. He attends Cheng Kung Senior High School in Taipei City, one of the top three high schools there. An incredible 96 percent are admitted to college.

``At my school, we only emphasize academic achievement. So, like many Taiwanese students, I always feel stressed. I want to excel. So I don't do a lot of things for others. I only think about myself most of the time. So before I came here, I liked solitude. It allows me time to think about all the problems I face,'' Alex related in perfect English.

``But during the conference, I learned how to cooperate, how to let go sometimes, because you can't do everything by yourself,'' he said and then added, ``Now, I have become a little bit more outgoing than back in Taiwan, because I know [now] that there are many people I can talk to to help me solve any problem. To complete the job, I had to learn to rely on and trust my team members. That's very good.'' He also complained that ``the schedule of activities is too tight.'' Perhaps Hemery is listening.

A Young Ambassador from the Philippines, Donna May said, ``Before the conference, I had a very empty feeling inside.'' She thanked DT and YA ``for filling that feeling for me.''

``At each dinner table on the first night of the conference there were as many as four separate conversations going on in four languages. By the fifth night everyone at all the tables was speaking in a single language: English.'' That is an anecdote offered by an educator, trainer and Dreams + Teams project manager in Thailand's Bureau for Innovative Development in Education (BEID) Obec, Ms Wongduan Suwansiri.

Perhaps, the non-native English speakers needn't worry about their English that much. Lizzy Crowe, age 16, from Kent, England, said she is ``amazed at how well most students speak English, including the [primary schoolers]. Some of [the non-native English speakers at the conference] speak English better than we do!'' as she laughs.

Seventeen-year-old Joffy Hall is a native of Devon, England, who attends South Dartmoor Community College, which comprises Sports College and Leading Edge components. He served as a DT member for two years before being selected to join the conference in Malaysia as a Young Ambassador.

He said he ``definitely learned a lot about being a good leader. Before I came,'' he continued, ``I was in charge a bit too much. I did it all. Now, I've learned to share out, trust other people more.'' He said the conference is giving him ``the ambition to return to Devon and work just that much harder to make his school's DT program a success.''

``I have learned so much! Having to prepare for 300 little kids was incredible,'' exclaimed Phillip Norman, a 15-year-old East Londoner, who was chosen by his coach to attend the conference because of his outstanding athletic abilities.

He said at first he was reluctant to participate ``because the largest number of students I ever worked with was 60.'' But now ``I have more experience and I'm more confident when I speak in front of large groups,'' Phillip said.

When asked how she was selected as a participant, Amy Gullett, age 13, also from the UK said, ``I was chosen because of my dedication to my school,'' and volunteered that ``I definitely have become more self-confident.''

``Before, people would often ask am I happy,'' offered Lizzy Crowe. ``I would routinely answer yes. Now, when they ask that question, I don't just say I'm happy, I am happy!''

``I came to this conference to be a leader, to [learn to] be responsible and how to solve any problem together [with my teammates],'' proclaimed Asrafrushdy Bin Abdullah, a Young Ambassador from the Philippines. Judging by his exuberant personality, perhaps he's right.

Teachers as learners

The organizers of the Young Ambassadors International Program aim for all planning, logistics and ideas for the sport festival to come directly from the students. Thus, in keeping with student-centered learning methods, teachers and other adults were asked early on to take a back seat to the students and not to provide assistance unless specifically requested.

``The teachers,'' said Wongduan Suwansiri, Dreams + Teams project manager in Obec, ``are here to learn.'' Organizers were keen to have the students inspire the adults through the students' achievements.

Afterwards, Dr Benjalug said, ``I will take from this conference a reassurance that Thailand is on the right track, and that Thailand was wise to adopt the Dreams + Teams program four years ago.'' Dr Benjalug reported that a teacher confided, ``What I'm learning is to let go and allow the children more responsibility for their own learning.''

The students were not the only beneficiaries. The adults were sufficiently inspired by the youngsters' achievements as to return to their offices and support the students in building a global network of lifelong learning and cross-cultural consciousness that is anchored in sport.

Expanding the dream

A key component of the program is a requirement that each conference participant return home and maximize what they learned at the conference by cascading their knowledge and experience on to others, and to sponsor a one-day sports festival in their community.

Conference participants were asked to critically think about how they would accomplish these goals. In response, students offered to produce and host video conferences with their counterparts in their countries and around the world; conduct school assemblies touting the benefits of DT and YA; hold frequent press conferences and special conferences to teach teachers about the Dreams + Teams model.

Others students planned to bag groceries in exchange for donations; and finally, to hold a Global Sport Festival Day involving every DT school around the world and simulcast the activities through the DT website.

Inspiration is contagious

David Mathias: "You say you need refreshments for 1, 2, 3, 400 people? No problem!"

The closing ceremony was addressed by a true Malaysian hero and Olympic champion, deputy president of the Olympic Council of Malaysia, Datuk Dr Mani Jegathesan, fondly called the ``Flying Doctor''. He was a three-time Olympian in Rome (1960), Tokyo (1964) and Mexico (1968). Dr Jega's time of 20.92 seconds in the 200 meter dash in the 1968 games has never been broken in Malaysian athletics - even after 40 years.

He, too, inspired the youngsters by his presence and remarks and afterwards admitted that, ``I was equally inspired by them.''

There are no quotes by David Mathias, ICT development and training manager, BC Thailand. He was too busy running the ship. Without detracting from the support of BC Malaysia and Susana Galvan, its director of Education and Training, and all the others who worked tirelessly on the conference, Andy Hansen, consultant, Sport Education and Training Group, BC, UK, praised Mathias for his yeomanship in facilitating seamless orchestration of the program's activities and logistics.

``David has impressed us all with his dedication and hard work. He's done everything. And he's done it with such humor and grace. I can honestly say that without David, this conference would not have happened,'' said Hansen. The conferees must agree, as Mathias received the longest sustained applause of the closing ceremony.

It seems inspiration is contagious!

For more information about Dreams + Teams visit http://www.britishcouncil.org/dreams . For information on the Youth Sport Trust, visit http://www.youthsport trust.org/ .