Last week a transformative 6-day workshop was hosted at Kick4Life by Sascha Bauer, founder of Football for Worldwide Unity (FFWU), a German organisation dedicated to empowering coaches to become role models and community leaders.
Held from Monday, 8th September to Saturday, 13th September, the workshop brought together a diverse group of participants, including Kick4Life Academy coaches, coordinators, safeguarding officers, medics, life skills coaches, gymnasium instructors, and tutors. Representatives from the Ministry of Tourism, Sports, Arts and Culture and the Lesotho Sports and Recreation Commission also took part, underscoring the importance of collaboration across sectors to achieve positive youth development.
Unlike conventional coaching clinics, the FFWU workshop went far beyond athletic training. It focused on building emotional intelligence, communication skills, leadership abilities, and team-building capabilities, skills essential not just for player development on the pitch, but for fostering positive, life-changing experiences off it. Through a combination of indoor theory sessions and outdoor practical sessions, participants explored a wide range of topics critical to modern youth development, including social-emotional learning, guided discovery and reflective learning, trust and effective communication, conflict management, empathy and compassion, leadership, and age-appropriate coaching methods.
The workshop also connected directly to several of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including Good Health & Well-being, Quality Education, Gender Equality, Decent Work & Economic Growth, and Reduced Inequalities. These goals align with our mission at Kick4Life to create lasting social impact through sport and education.
The final day of the workshop featured a football festival with children from Kick4Life’s Soccer School programme. This event allowed coaches to put into practice the knowledge and tools gained throughout the week, using the football pitch as a platform for inclusion, empowerment, and joy. The festival brought the training to life and demonstrated how intentional coaching can ignite real transformation in young lives.
To conclude the workshop, all participants were awarded certificates of participation by Sascha Bauer and Kick4Life’s Acting Country Director, Rose ‘Mabathoana, who was present to officially close the programme.
In an interview with the Kick4Life Media Team after the workshop, Sascha Bauer, pictured below, reflected on the experience:
“The workshop was an incredible experience. I was especially impressed by the gender balance among the coaches and the diversity of professional backgrounds, which created a rich learning environment. Many coaches discovered that life skills are not separate from football but essential to performance and team cohesion. We introduced a guided discovery approach to coaching, empowering players to take ownership of their learning and decisions, both on and off the field. Kick4Life’s commitment to holistic development is inspiring, and I believe this training will have a lasting impact on both coaches and players.”
Kick4Life’s Academy Manager, ‘Mahapiloe Putsoane, also shared her reflections:
“We are, as Kick4Life, very grateful for this course. It actually opened eyes for our coaches that we do not necessarily need to be more concentrating on the technical and the physical part of the coaching, football coaching. We also have to look at ourselves as coaches, reflect, and try to include or incorporate empathy and all other social skills that will help us be better coaches. So thank you very much, Sasha and FFWU, for bringing this to us. Thank you to the management of Kick4Life for organising this.”
