NFE in sport

D. Ethics
Any successful group initiative should be led by certain values and principles set by the group and respected during the process. Of course, this does not only refer to your young athletes, but also includes you as their leader:
• Lead by example – be on time, well prepared and well behaved.
• Show professionalism – be well prepared and ready to respond in any question raised by your participants.
• Respect your colleagues, participants, as well as their choices and decisions, even if you don’t personally agree with them.
• Promote the safety of participants (physical and psychological).
• Set boundaries – it is important to develop a good bond with participants, however, make sure that you put some limits to keep the roles defined.

E. Leadership
Your role in this context is by definition sharing a few leadership features. Of course, this doesn’t mean you should feel superior and impose restrictions or obligations to your athletes (after all this is by no means the essence of sports or non-formal education spirit), rather it means that you carry the burden to serve this role as good as possible. In other words, you should try to…
• Be self-confident – be sure about what you are doing and project this verbal and non-verbal assertiveness to your group.
• Manage delicate conversations by sensing the indicators of future conflict or discontent and keeping a certain level of safety for all participants.
• Manage your stress – and the stress of others! Don’t allow your anxiety to overrule your other skills and you will thrive for sure!

These skills will help you successfully serve your double role as a sports and NFE provider and for sure will help your young athletes enjoy a unique experience of learning.

But if you still wonder how a NFE method could be combined with the traditional sport activities, we have the answer right here!