Sport academy launched
2008-04-10
Jules Krige
AMBASSADORS in Sport (AIS), a Christian sports organisation, recently introduced their Hope Academy program to the Drakenstein Correctional Facility with celebrity football player Lee Sharpe. Lee Sharpe, a previous Manchester United left winger in the 90’s, was amongst the AIS representatives at the Drakenstein Prison. Sharpe showed the juvenile inmates some footballing skills which included tackling, dribbling, and striking for goals. The aim of the Hope Academy program is to bring hope to the lives of juvenile inmates through sport which teaches team dynamics, life skills and Biblical principles as well as offering high quality soccer coaching. Once some of the juvenile inmates have gone through the academy program, they may have an opportunity one day to help in the launching of fellow AIS academies in the region. Many say that gangsterism, sexual and physical abuse, drugs and loss of hope are causing young boys to perpetrate crime and that they end up in prison where they become involved in prison gangs and this can destroy their lives for ever. AIS started their program in the juvenile section of Drakenstein Correctional Centre in December. Currently there are about 400 juveniles in the medium penitentiary category that were able to qualify for the program and trials were done with approximately 120 juveniles.The trials were primarily soccer based. In January, 22 young men were chosen from the facility who would work with the AIS academy program over the next year. The program was started in February where boys from the academy were placed into their own cell which promoted teamwork. In March, AIS officially launched the Hope Academy program when a match was held on the prison grounds against Ambassadors in Sport’s 11’s team.
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