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A substantial piece of SWB’s contribution to the growth of the women’s game has been through camps and clinics run in collaboration with other communities and organizations. In recent months, Women's Sports Corps Fellows in Nicaragua have taken the lead in this outreach, leading two football and leadership camps for girls in the Boaco (October 2019) and Bluefields (January 2020) regions of Nicaragua.
With continued support from the US Embassy in Managua, 5 WSC Fellows- all alumnae of Fútbol Sin Fronteras' program- implemented a 4 day camp and series of leadership workshops for 70 girls in October 2019. Camp participants ranged in age from 10-20 years old and represented 6 teams entered in the girls-only "La League" coordinated by Plan International. Each day, players traveled to camp from the within the city of Boaco and surrounding communities of Teustepe, Acedades, San Jose de los Remates, la Cruz, El Emplame de Boaco, and la Cuesta. Along with support from Plan International, our team of fellows collaborated with 8 of La League's female coaches (ages 16-20), sharing best practices for engaging girls and creating youth leadership opportunities through football and off field teambuilding actitivities.
January provided to be another busy month of camps for the Fútbol Sin Fronteras staff with our annual TEAM Camp in Granada for more than 150 girls from central Granada, La Villa, La Laguna, Diamante, and Fortín. Immediately after wrapping up TEAM Camp 2020, 5 FSF coaches- including 2 WSC Fellows and program graduates- traveled to Pearl Lagoon to again partner with the organization FADCANIC. This event in Pearl Lagoon is a result of the relationship between FSF and FADCANIC that was established at our first ever WSC camp in January 2018.
The 2020 collaboration with FADCANIC was equally as exciting and successful as our first camp together. From January 13-17 approximately 100 girls (ages 10-18) took part in the football clinics and leadership sessions offered throughout the week. Players came from Raiti Pura, Awas, Kukra Hill, Haulover, Karawala, Tasma Pouni, Puerto Cabeza, Bluefields, Bluff, and even as far as Corn Island to take part. In total 10 local coaches joined the camp, working alongside FSF staff to deliver soccer and off field sessions as well as participate in coaching seminars and discussions.