Day 38

Today was the start of the Communicare action soccer league. A 5 a side tournament between different areas in Cape Town, Ruyterwacht have a team, Woodstock has a team, Bothasig and Drommedaris also have teams. We found out early that Bothasig couldn't make it today and alstroemerias found out Joe had issues with getting the Ruyterwacht teams to Brooklyn where the games would take place.

Me and Harry went to Joe's picked up the girls team dropped them off and then I went and got the senior team while Harry helped with the girls. The girls drew 1-1 against the Drommedaris girls we coached yesterday, I was quite disappointed to miss this game as we had coached both teams. The boys then won a friendly 6-4, Harry and I both got on the pitch for this game, Harry scored a hat trick, and while I was on the pitch we didn't concede so both had some success. They then took on Adnans coaches team in a competitive game, we think the ref lost count but he gave the result as an 8-8 draw, I'm not convinced but oh well. 

 That was us done and we dropped off a few of the girls and headed home. After a quick change we went down to Mixas to watch the Man U game, over here we get near enough all English games on TV  which explains why everyone supports an English team over here. I predicted a 2-0 United win and Rooney first goal scorer so I was happy with the result but I think I'd prefer to be wrong and United lost, another dodgy ref decision as well. After a few drinks we headed back, it's been a few long days, late nights and early mornings that are catching up on us. I also think Saturday nights over here are overrated, Thursday's and Sunday's seem to be the nights to go out. 

Day37

So far this week we've had quite an easy schedule and most of the sessions haven't been too difficult. Today was no different, with no session until the afternoon. Joe asked us to get in about 10 as we were to have a meeting with Azille to discuss a new class we would be delivering. The learning centre has a basic computer skills class on a Monday afternoon but it has been very popular and there is now a waiting list to get on the course. That's where we come in, we are now going to be delivering a new class on a Thursday morning. Azille has sent over a presentation we must deliver and it looks quite basic so we should be able to do the class. Starting with the different parts of the computer, mouse, keyboard etc moving onto using Word and the internet with the eventual goal to set them up with an email address, quite simple for anyone the has been brought up with computers but difficult to those that haven't. We have so far managed to get 1 lady to sign up, hopefully more sign up in the next week or so.

We stayed around the learning centre until about 4 when everyone else went home, we instead of going home went off to the Italian club. We arrived about 40 minutes early and had a little kick around on the astro while we waited for the Drommedaris girls to arrive for their session. The conditions were awful, the wind over here is so strong, you can't complain about the weather we've had but that wind is horrible. Anyway the girls turned up, this is probably 1 of our worst ability groups, not because they're girls but because they have had little coaching, but they are probably the easiest to train, they work hard, they listen but unlike a lot of groups they have a laugh and a bit of banter. We did a shooting drill with them this week, their league starts tomorrow and after seeing them last time their general play isn't too bad but their shooting is off. Not helped by the wind but after a few tips and pointers improvement could be seen. We then decided to play a match, there were only 5 girls so Harry, myself and 1 of the coaches joined in to make a 4v4. Harry's team put up less fight than Arsenal did against Monaco midweek, we raced into a 4-0 lead, I must say Harry covered more blades of astro grass than anyone else and managed to drag his team back to 4-0. But it wasn't enough and I took the win to make it 3-1 in player/manager matches.

We finished up and went back to Berghof where we got changed quickly and went straight out. Today was Yonicks 18th birthday, so firstly happy birthday hope you had a good day. We were invited round to Joe's for SPOT NIGHT, it's basically a night where everyone in the local community is invited around for food and drinks and some fun, tonight was also kind of a birthday party for Yonick as well. It was a really good night and loads of people came out for it, Harry and I were knackered and left a bit early but not too early as we still managed to watch the talent show, my favourite was little Jordan, he is six years old walks out in front of everyone all shy in his Ben 10 jumper, music comes on and he's dancing all over the place, hand stands and everything, out of nowhere, nobody expected it. 

That's it for today. Tomorrow is the big start of the league, we are hoping a team turns up a bit short so we can get a few minutes, who knows.

Day 36 Week 6 26th February

Today we didn't have to meet Joe until half 1 which gave us a chance to catch up on some sleep and have a lazy morning. Unfortunately the builders are in and they had other ideas. Crashing, banging and drilling from around 8:30. Harry managed to sleep through it and didn't wake up till a little bit later. 

We both got ready and headed out for our daily run, we have now increased the distance to roughly 5km, I say roughly because Harry looked up the route on his phone and it says 1 lap is a 1km but I'm not entirely convinced. It does have a very steep part though and with the heat it is quite difficult, but in 5 weeks we've gone from struggling through 1 lap to doing 5 with some ease. Quite happy with that, improving the fitness levels, hopefully going home and running on flat ground in cooler temperatures should now be a lot easier.

We then had showers got ready and jumped in the car. We were stuck in a bit of traffic not helped by some of the traffic lights being out because of the electricity being switched off. We eventually arrived only slightly late. Joe wasn't even there, he arrived just after us, he'd had the morning off as he was working late with us tonight. We left the centre around 3:30 we went and did some shopping and then headed to Somerset West area I think it was called. We were coaching a team called De Beers, we originally weren't supposed to be coaching here, but 1 of the kids parents own a farm and bottles up fresh juice, she had donated some juice to 1 of Joes events free of charge so in return Joe offered us to her sons team. I've noticed that a lot over here, people really want to help each other and a favour is always returned by another. 

We were led down a gravel path then through a herd of cows and arrived at the club house. Nice little set up, goals, footballs, pitches and a big club house. We were taken to meet the coaches by Fiona, the juice lady. After a few jokes about last nights game, I'll get it out the way, we lost 3-1 we were absolutely awful, but as I'm writing this Spurs have just been knocked out of the Europa League, we were told there were 3 groups and asked how we would like to do the session. After some discussion I took the under 9s and Harry took the 2 smaller groups of under 10s and 11s. 

We had completely different sessions, Harry was a spectator for most of his session as the under 11 coach took over where as I was given the whole session. I'm going to be honest Harry is the better coach, he's the better footballer and wants to continue coaching and take it as far as he can, which is why I got a bit nervous about taking a session on my own with 3 coaches standing around watching and 2 of them were taking notes. My sessions are based around having fun but with purpose. I took a short warm up, at that age a warm up isn't really important but it's good practice and I used it to see what sort of group they were, I did a warm up a lot of people use, jogging around, shout out a number and the number relates to an action, header, touch the ground, sprint etc. They were a good group well behaved and followed instructions. I then did a passing session, all the boys stood in a circle passing across, I progressed to following your pass then onto a running around the outside while the ball is passed around progression. The last proved slightly difficult for the age group but they were laughing and having fun which was important. Lots of them were easily distracted and stood looking into the distance with hands on hips so I made a rule that if they stood there with their hands like that they'd have to do a 'chicken dance' I hope Joe took a photo of them doing it. As silly as it seemed by the end of the session the message had got across and when asked what they had learnt 1 boy said 'the chicken dance' I asked for more information and was told 'you always need to be concentrating and ready or you'll lose the ball' I was quite impressed. We finished the session with a possession game and then a match. The kids said they had fun and then the coach walked over, to be honest I didn't know what he was going to say, he had been taking notes probably expecting a serious session with lots of drills, but he said he was really impressed and that he liked my approach and how I used fun elements to get points across. Joe said he had also said to him that he had enjoyed my session which was really pleasing. I really enjoy this age group because you can have that little bit of fun but also because they are still very early on in their development.

Harry on the other hand ended up doing 15 minutes of a session and wasn't too impressed with the coach he had worked with. He doesn't seem to get any luck, we've been split up 3 times, 1st a kid gets stamped on, blood everywhere and he has to see to it, 2nd the tournament where the other coach tried to interfere and change the whole format when Harry was running it and 3rd today when the coach wouldn't let him do much. Oh well hope his luck changes.

We then had the journey home down what Joe called an unsafe area, both sides of the N2 were covered in those shacks you've probably seen on tv when they talk about the poorer side of Africa. 1 side was Khayelitsha, 1 of the biggest black townships in Cape Town, I won't go into details, let's just say you probably wouldn't take a nice walk through there, and people are advised if you breakdown whilst driving past to just carry on as far as you possibly can even if you do more damage than good, we have visited the area with Joe previously to see Grassroots soccer and I will not be rushing back.

Anyway home safe now and the week is nearly over, 1 more session to go and then the start of the Communicare league on Saturday, it's not been a bad week which is good. 

Day 35

Today is exactly 5 weeks since we left and 7 until we arrive back home. Time is going really quickly at the moment and we are quickly approaching March, with lots planned we will be gone in no time at all.

Today we had an early start, we were supposed to meet Joe in Brooklyn but he was stuck in traffic, so after stopping for directions we head to the crèche on our own. Today was the turn of Ysterplaat, crèche and pre primary school. In total we had 3 sessions, the 3rd was in a different building around the corner. The first 2 sessions were with 4-5 year olds with just over 20 kids in each. We played traffic lights to start followed by relays. The first session went really well, the second wasn't as good but still the kids managed to pick up the activities and take part. These 2 groups were much quieter and very shy compared to all the other crèches but as always we had them shouting Arsenal and high 5ing throughout. We finished this crèche like every crèche we have with a sit in a circle ball rolling activity, like I've said before it calms the kids down but also provides them with skills and gives them chance to get a feel of the ball.

The final group were a lot more lively and we encourage it throughout, me and Harry have built up a good coaching relationship and we seem to work well together, when it comes to the crèches we definitely relax more and have a bit of fun with it which works really well. We've picked up little tricks and different techniques that we use to get the kids involved. We started with the movement activity where we give them a movement and then when I blow my whistle they have to run to a cone. It gets them moving in different ways and allows them to test what they can do. Definitely a favourite from some of the older kids in the crèches we've had. We then had them lined up in relays which they all did really well. Possibly one of the most advanced groups we've had which was great. We ended as always with lots of high 5s and shouts of Arsenal and also by accident found out they were easily impressed with our juggling skills. We'll remember that when going into the next crèche.

Our last session of the day was originally De Waveren school, the school we had problems with last week, however it had now been changed to Goodwood College. We were to meet Densel at the school, as from next week onwards he will be starting a football programme here. The plan was to coach from 1:45-2:45 and then the school bell would go and the school day would finish but any kid wanting to stay for an extra half hour could. We arrived to a large group of boys and girls sitting around, this was still school time so like a pe lesson, only half the kids had brought kit apparently half weren't told that their lesson would be taken by football coaches. Oh well we were to make do. We had around 50 boys and about 15 girls, with 5 balls. Densel took the girls 3 balls and the bibs and we took the boys 2 balls and no bibs. There wasn't much else we could do other than pick teams and play matches, 2 balls between 50 really isn't ideal and with limited space, kids with no kit and lack of equipment. It was their 1st week as well so we just said we wanted to have a look at them before we started coaching them. We ended up with a 12v12 game and a 8v9v9 game, about 20 minutes in the bell sounded earlier than expected and all the kids up and left, so it was a very short session and lucky we hadnt put on anything too difficult for them.

We rushed back to Berghof as we had both booked a haircut with the lady the comes in once a week to cut the residents hair. As you've seen from the photos our hair was getting far too long and out of control, Joe said he knew someone that cuts hair but apparently he had broken his hand, which is a shame, apparently he was really good and very cheap. We had been quoted quite a bit by a place just around the corner so after hearing that the lady only charges a maximum of R50 here at Berghof we booked ourselves in, it wasn't until she had finished we were told it would be costing R140, only £7 roughly but still more than expected. Oh well she did a good job and we are looking a lot better.

Tonight Arsenal play Monaco in the Champions League, going for a 2-0 Arsenal win, it should be comfortable but this is Arsenal after all. Joe has given us tomorrow morning off so a nice lay in before just 1 session tomorrow, quite an easy week so far, can't complain.

Day 34

Yesterday we were told we had this morning off and wouldn't be needed until 5 this evening. We weren't sure what to do, we couldn't go too far or do to much as we still needed to get back to Ruyterwacht. We looked down our to do list and 1 of the things we had on there was to visit the Cape Town stadium. They only do tours Tuesday to Saturday which is the same as our working week so we didn't think we would be able to cross that 1 off unless we went to a game. Fortunately we had this morning off and enough time to do it.

We decided we would chill out at Berghof for a bit this morning then go for a run and then go to the stadium on our way into work. Great idea. Our morning run went really well, we are improving daily, the heat and the fact half of the route is uphill is a challenge but a challenge we have accepted.

We took the short drive to the stadium and found the entrance, tickets were R90 for the both of us which is roughly £4.50. As we were on our way to work after we were in full Arsenal training kit, which of course was noticed by a group on the tour and we got talking with them. There were around 15 of us on the tour and it lasted around 45 minutes. We took a walk into the stadium, saw the press areas, the VIP areas, the boxes and pitch side, unfortunately no walk down the tunnel or into the changing rooms, apparently they were fitting a jacuzzi into the dressing rooms so we're off the tour, we finished the tour in the police rooms and in the holding cells. The tour guide told us tickets started at R40 and rose to around R250 for the VIP seats, which is roughly £2-£12 me and Harry are thinking about paying the R250 for box seats in a few weeks time. Anyone that's reading this that knows me knows that I did tours of the Emirates stadium and I know how difficult it is to take groups around but I must say ours is definitely bigger and better. The stadium was very nice though, just very plain, you'll see what I mean when you look at the photos.

We then went off to meet Joe, he had phoned earlier to say the session was off and instead we would be giving a talk to the coaches, chairman and board of Edgemead. Harry and myself aren't big public speakers, I can take you on a tour of the Emirates and give you numerous useless facts but this is all new to me. It was quite daunting sitting in front of 25 guys explaining who we were, what we're doing in Cape Town and our ideas of football coaching. These guys know their football, this is the biggest amateur club in the Western Cape, they have a former South African International as a coach, and here we are trying to talk to them about football. It was nice to be asked some proper questions, some of the groups we've done Q&As with haven't really tested us, it really made us think and we appreciated it. We haven't got an actual coaching session with their kids but after talking to various coaches we've volunteered to do a coaching course with their coaches. They have a lot of coaches with lots of experience but they are keen to learn, so we've offered to come back and put on coaching sessions for the the coaches to take part in, similar to the way we learnt. I'm really looking forward to doing that as it'll be something a bit different. We stayed around talking to lots of different people, they set out some food for us and offered us cool drinks which was a nice touch. We left at around 8:10 after exchanging email addresses, hopefully we'll be returning in earlier April.

Day 33

Today was our first Monday off since we arrived here in Cape Town. We planned to go get our hair cut, go for a run and then go to the beach. Unfortunately things didn't go quite to plan, firstly we were quoted a lot more for a hair cut than we had expected, it was roughly the same price as back home but after being told we could get it a lot cheaper we gave it a miss. We then cancelled the run as temperatures rose to over 30 degrees. Instead we got ourselves ready, our bags pack and off to the beach was the plan, we quickly stopped to check emails and messages and it was at that point we relieved a phone call. Apparently nobody was about tomorrow to take us to the crèche so we would need to go today to be shown where to go and meet the people in charge. A little bit disappointed we jumped in the car and left for Ruyterwacht. Half way through the drive we got another call saying don't worry they crèche has been cancelled don't come in, great, not what we wanted to hear. We decided that to make sure it wasn't a wasted journey we'd stop off at century city, which is like a big shopping mall to go get some lunch. Last time we were there we had an amazing milkshake from this little shop so we stopped off there again, we then went for food, I had a nice chip roll and Harry went for a Gatsby, these things need to make an appearance in London.

Harry had been going on for a while about seeing a concert while in Cape Town, he had seen that Jason Mraz was playing at the casino and tickets were cheap so we decided to cheer ourselves up we'd book the tickets from a place inside century city. Something to look forward to, I'm not a big Jason Mraz fan but Harry convinced me it would be well worth the £18 we were paying for the ticket. I might use this to convince Harry to come to a Stormers Rugby game with me, tickets are less than a fiver, he doesn't like rugby but I'd love to see a game before we leave. If not I might have to get 1 of the others to come, Joe if you're reading this I know the Stormers are your team or anyone else that wouldn't mind going let me know. 

From century city we head back, to be honest I didn't fancy the beach anymore, I've never been a beach person anyway, I have to be in the mood for it, Harry on the other hand was really up for it so I compromised, we went for a sunbathe by Sea Point. A nice area, no sand just grass and a nice view. We stayed there for a few hours cooking in the sun, I went for a walk about as Harry drifted off to sleep, wasn't really in the mood for sitting still in the sun. With Harry going red it was time to leave, after 32 days the ginger was showing signs of burning, (that's not a ginger joke, it's common knowledge that gingers have to be slightly more careful in the sun). We arrived back at Berghof and we decided we would go for a run to end our day, our longest run yet, things are improving finally.

We are starting to realise time is quickly going and have started to make plans, so a few blogs you might want to look out for:

Sunday 1st March - Jason Mraz concert 

Saturday 7th March - Hopefully going to the Stormers game

Monday 9th March - going on a tour of Cape Town, going to boulders beach (penguin beach)&Cape Point (nature reserve with animals walking about) to name a few places

Saturday 14th March - hiking up Table Mountain with Azille

Day 32

We decided today would be a lazy day. We would love to get out and be tourists but we were knackered after a busy week. We contemplated going to the beach but with the buses running every hour we decided against it. Instead it was a trip to the pub.

3 games of football with a side order of cheap alcohol and food. Our bill came to£18 roughly which included a tip, 4 beers, a coke, a cocktail, steak and chips and large ribs and chips. Not bad in my opinion. Great afternoon and I feel a lot more relaxed. Tomorrow we are going to go out and go back to being tourists.

Have a good evening.

Day 31

I've been looking forward to today since we were first told about it. We were helping organise and run a tournament for local teams in Ruyterwacht. The posters had been up for the last few weeks but we didn't know exactly who was going to turn up. Joe came up with the idea that we would have a speed ball type tournament, 1 for under 14s the other for over 14s. Two teams would start, winner stays on, 5 minute time limit or 2 goals for a win, if the game ended in a draw the team that had been on longer would go off. We decided on3 points fr a win and 1 point for a draw, points would be tallied and the top 4 teams in each category would play a semi final with the winners advancing to the final. 

I mentioned before that the tournament was designed as an official launch of the pitch that had been created on the big circle (roundabout) in the middle of Ruyterwacht the area had previously been a place of crime and negative activity, the area had been cleared up, lines were painted and goals were put up to create a pitch. I personally think it was a great idea, not only does it give the kids somewhere to play football but it's also something the community should be proud of. We heard there was some negativity around the circle being used for football from older members of the community and they are entitled to have an opinion, and without getting caught up in the politics behind their negativity I think over time they will see that it has been a positive community project and just shows how strong the community spirit is.

Cape Town gets a lot of bad press and Harry and myself have seen why over the last few weeks, but today highlights that even with all the crime, poverty and negativity around the area community spirit is strong. The local supermarket donated food and drink for the kids, a pair of football boots were donated as a prize, the neighbourhood watch provided security and road safety, 2 coaches help transport kids, goals and also helped ref games. It was great to see and everyone should be proud of what they achieved today and I'm pleased we were apart of it. The main organiser today was Joe and I don't think he gets the credit he deserves, he is clearly a big part of this community and without him today wouldn't have happened. He is supported by his family who all helped out today, Vinolia his wife was registering teams, his daughter Jodi was running around taking 100s of photos and both of his sons Yonick and Jaydon had teams involved. 

Onto the tournaments themselves, I took control of the junior tournament which eventually had 6 teams, I was refereeing and organising the teams, Harry was point keeper and was overseeing the senior team tournament. Some great football was on show and all teams wanted to win specially with prize money at stake. After 90 minutes of football both the senior and junior teams had 2 semi finalists, we stopped the football for a bit to take time to listen and watch performances and talks from different groups trying to inform the youngsters here that it is important to stick to the right path, some good messages. The guys talking were very passionate about what they were involved in and I hope the kids took something from what they heard. After a short break it was back to the football, with 4 teams going for 2 places in the semi finals in the junior tournament it was quarter final time. 10 minutes later we had our 4 teams. The senior tournament had 3 teams going for 2 places and after a few more games we had all 8 semi finalists.

We made the semi finals 7 minutes long with unlimited goals. Team Cedar took a 4 goal lead in under 3 minutes in the junior tournament and even with 2 late goals their place in the final was secured 4-2. Team Emirates narrowly won their semi final in the senior tournament and took their place in the final. The 2nd Junior team was won by The School Boys with a 4-0 comfortable win, their opponents had the highest points tally out of all 15 teams from the speed ball round but a place in the final was not to be. The final semi final was won by tournament favourites All Stars, a local club with Joes son Yonick playing for them.

Onto the finals, there was a short delay after an enquiry was made about 2 of the boys ages 1 from either team, we found out that both had an over aged player, both of which were banned from the final, both teams re grouped to find players that hadn't already competed for another team. Finally the final was underway, briefly having to be stopped for another enquiry, the final was to be 12 minutes long, team Cedar were the fan favourites with big support, they were younger smaller boys and everyone loves an underdog. They went down 1-0 early and it looked as though it would be a long game, but fortunately they managed to get the equaliser and came close to getting a 2nd, but it was the School Boys who scored the winner late on to take the prize money. 

Time for the main event, final of the seniors, All Stars were clear favourites, Harry and I took hold of the mic and decided to commentate which the crowd enjoyed, not taking it too seriously we managed a few laughs. All Stars went 2-0 down and it should have been game over, but they rallied and 2 quick goals put them on the front foot, with time running out a penalty shootout look like the only way to separate the 2 teams, it's what the crowd wanted and what the commentators wanted but it was Team Emirates that got the decisive goal and hung on for the win.

Great way to end the day, played in good spirits seeing good football, the prizes were handed out including the donated boots to the Team Emirates goalkeeper who was voted man of the match in the final. Hope everyone had a good day, would love to do it all again. Thank you for letting us get involved on this special day. Well done Joe and family for a successful day. Sorry if you're reading this I got a bit too involved in the match reviews. But the important thing to take from today wasn't the winning or losing but the community spirit centred around this facility that can be used by young and old. Thank you Ruyterwacht.

After everything was packed away Joe invited us to his for food, he went and got some of the nicest chicken and chips I've ever had, it was like Nandos chicken in a spicy sauce so another big thank you to the Africa family.

Day 30

It was a quiet day today after a busy week and a busy day planned for tomorrow. All we had was our third and final waterfront 5s session. We were woken early as the cleaner wanted to get in and the laundry lady wanted our washing. After sitting around chilling out for a bit we decided it'd be a good idea to go for a run. A nice little run around the park a couple of times, the length of time and distance wasn't very impressive but in this heat and with a steep hill to climb we didn't do too bad. We then went to the shop to get some juice and other bits. Between the 2 of us we go through so much juice it's unbelievable. 

We left a little bit early to head down to the waterfront, luckily we did as I decided to try and beat the traffic by going the long way around to find there was no turning from that side of the road, oh well still early and enough time to kick a ball about. The kids finally showedup, we were a little bit short on numbers and me and Harry didn't recognise half of them, we still had about 35 kids. We mentioned the week before last that our translators had gone walk about, well 1 didn't turn up and the other just sat away from the pitches which was disappointing. Most of these boys don't speak any English the others speak very limited English, numbers, colours and a few football terms, this meant doing any activity that was slightly difficult would be near important, also the boys we hadn't seen before seemed to be quite disruptive. We were asked to work with the coaches and pass on a few drills, but with neither in sight and the session failing because of the poor behaviour and lack of communication it became slightly pointless putting on an in depth high quality drill. We don't like doing it but after half an hour we gave in and played games, the boys started to concentrate more and played some good football. It was a shame, great conditions and boys that have talent but they didn't want to be coached and the coaches didn't want to learn so we did what was best. If you go abroad and there's language issues kids that want to be coached will pick up exactly what you mean with lots of gestures and demonstrations those that don't it's probably easier just to give them an organised game. We have definitely tried to give every kid an opportunity to be coached before going into matches.

This photo was taken yesterday at the staff outing and it's a chance to put faces to names. Going from left to right, Me - Lourens - Wasima - Harry - Joe - Lena. 

Another photo from yesterday this is Conan and myself.

Day 29 Week 5 19th February

Today is the start of our 5th week here in Cape Town, we are flying through the weeks and now have less than 8 weeks to go. We are now fully settled in, we're now into our routine, we're getting used to the area and the tans are finally starting to look like we've spent some time in the sun.

Today we were invited onto the staff outing. We had no idea what to expect other than we were going on a tour bus around the area. We left early this morning as we didn't know where we were supposed to be meeting. As we were driving down the road we saw another Communicare car up in front of us so we thought our luck was in and we would just follow them, they then pulled over so we pulled over to let them know the 2 tourists would be following them. The driver came out of the car to tell us she pulled over because she was going to follow us, sorry guys you've chosen the wrong car to follow, but we managed to get them to the meeting point. 

We were 1 of the first there but soon everyone started arriving and luckily we recognised a few friendly faces. In total there were 62 members of staff on the bus and after some time we were all aboard. Me and Harry spotted Joe, Lourens and a few others that we recognised downstairs so decided to sit with them. Big mistake, the company was good but the views were pretty poor if I'm honest. We drove for a while with our guide telling us about different places until we arrived at Hout Bay. We had a little look around and there wasn't much there but there were amazing views, and a few seals in the water that were coming close up and there was a nice little fish and chip shop. We were treated to fish and chips and I must say it was really nice so thank you so much. Apparently there are some of the best fish and chip shops in this area. Definitely worth another trip.

We then got back on the bus, not making the same mistake we went straight upstairs and a lot of people had the same idea. We then carried on through some really nice places, some expensive houses being built into the mountain, some street sellers and even the nudist beach was pointed out to us. Some of the other guys on the bus recognising we weren't locals were also giving us added information which was really nice. We then stopped off at Camps Bay, we had been here before and it's a nice sandy beach with lots of posh bars and restaurants, we stopped for lots of photos with everyone, and it was nice because it didn't feel like Arsenal coaches photos like we've had so many of but friends and colleagues photos, it's nice we've been accepted in and made feel so welcome. 

Then back on the bus for the drive back to where we started. We arrived back and it was time for more big group photos which I hope to get hold of at some point. We then headed into the park, we sat around and chilled out, pizzas were order and we had time to kill while they were being delivered. We had a few comments like, 'you should have brought a ball' and 'if only you had a ball I'd show the Arsenal coaches my skills' so inevitably I went and got a football and we had a kick around. It was a right laugh and a chance for us to get some playing time. We decided to play like most of the kids we'd come across, so the shoes went off and we played with no boots. A team of me, Harry, Joe and Conan was too much for the opposition and we were easily 4-0 up when the pizzas arrived. There were loads of pizzas and chicken wings, 5 pieces of pizza each I think I heard, I managed about 2 but it was nice to just sit down and chat with these guys. Everyone was then up for another kick around, me and Harry were split up, our combination play for the first 4 goals was obviously too much (anyone that knows me knows I'm not the best footballer but some of the stuff the 4 of us was pulling off was definitely premier league standard). It was all good fun and everyone had a good time. Slowly groups left and it was time for us to go, we dropped Danielle off at the office then it was back to Berghof.

Really great day, thank you for the invite we really enjoyed ourselves and the food was great.

Day 28

Another early start today, we are really getting into a routine now. We had a call from Lourens first thing asking if we could stop off on our way and pick up his phone from Goodwood, so we made our way in picked up his phone and made it to the learning centre for 9. We then set up for our first session of the day, Sunflower crèche, a nice sized group of 5/6 year olds. The group came in abit quiet so we made it our goal to get them running around to make loads of noise. The first activity was the movement game we used at Goodwood, they were slow to start but by the end were fully into it making all types of movements and finding the cones after the whistle. We then did the relay type races with a ball which again started slow but progressed well. We ended with the sitting down rolling game but with targets to aim for, it's a nice way to end, the kids enjoy it but it also allows them to cool down and calm down, which helps out the teacher a bit as well. We ended as we always do with shouts of Arsenal and lots of high fives.

We the went back to the learning centre, it was a quiet day and other than logging people on there wasn't much to do. Harry was asked to help a lady with her emails and I think he was getting slightly frustrated by the end. Growing up with computers you don't realise how difficult it can be for some people and the lady was very greatful for the help. After lunch we took a drive to Sunflower crèche to drop off some boxes, we were invited to walk around and have a look, the kids we had in the morning were fast asleep, we had obviously tired them out so nap they were happy to get their afternoon nap. The crèche was tiny, very cramped and with no real space to run around, it now makes sense why they're all so shy when we first ask them to run around. As we were leaving the principle said that the kids love our sessions and she's had loads of parents tell her that their kid came home last week and all they went on about was us, so that's nice to hear. After sunflower we took a drive to De Waveren Primary School, we would be there in about an hours time but Joe wanted us to have a quick look. We met the sports coach and he told us that he had 25 kids for us from 10 years old to 13 years old, but there could be more. 

We returned shortly and walked to the field there were kids everywhere, surely they weren't all here to be coached were they? We said our hellos and the coach showed us the 8 balls and 4 cones he had for us to use and then he called the boys over, all 64 of them. So with 40 kids more than expected this was going to be a hard session specially with lack of equipment. We were determined not to take the easy way out and just play matches we wanted to put on a session. We started by  putting the boys into 8 groups of 8 with 1 ball per group and a simple pass and move activity. By the time the groups had found space another group of boys turned up. With lots of kids and only the 2 of us the kids were easily distracted and as soon as we moved from group to group they started doing their own thing. Very frustrating session, we then started splitting the groups into 2teams and started abit of keep ball. We found that every group now had a 5 v 5, 16 different teams 80kids, some tried to make goals and do their own things still which led to mass confusion as everyone then copied the group next to them that weren't doing the right thing. A very unproductive session and I walked away very unhappy with what had happened. We are going to have to sit down and rethink next weeks session we really don't want to take the easy way out but it may just have to be games, maybe taking team by team away and spending some time do something with them. 

We made our way home absolutely shattered it had taken a lot out of us and with it heating up this week it's been a struggle. Dinner was poor tonight, sorry Berghof don't mean to be rude but it wasn't great. 

Tomorrow we have been invited on the StaffOuting we are going on the red tourist busses like we have back home, visiting lots of places and answering questions and doing activities, it's supposed to be a fun team building trip with over 60 people so we're looking forward to that. Will take lots of photos and act like a tourist. 

Our 80 kids on the field.

Day 27

We started our day with our last scheduled visit to Goodwood Crèche. If you've read my last few Tuesday blogs you'll know we've enjoyed the sessions but have had mixed results. We started today with our most advanced group, they started off with a game where we would give them a movement such as run, walk and skip and then they'd have to do it until I blew a whistle and at that point they would have to run to a cone. They did really well and picked it up with ease. We moved onto relays with a ball, after some confusion they finally got the concept and did really well. We finished with our sitting in a circle and rolling ball activity, I've said it before it's really simple but really effective. Lots of high fives and shouts of Arsenal and we moved onto the next group, by this time temperatures had risen to 30+ degrees so we decided to cut out the relays and cut the session shorter. All groups understood exactly what we were trying to get them to do which was pleasing, even the slightly slower group did really well in the first activity. Again lots of high fives and shouts of Arsenal and our time at Goodwood was over, just time to have some lunch. We would like to pass on our thanks to Goodwood they have looked after us with cool drink (everyone over here calls juice and other cold drinks cool drink) and we can't forget the lunches and Harry has been very impressed with the jelly. The kids have been really well behaved and it just shows the hardwork the teachers have done with them. Hopefully we have given you a few ideas of things to do with the kids when we go. With this crèche we have tried to use games/drills that need little equipment and can be done by anyone, we are here to coach but also to give the people we leave behind something they can get on and try when we leave. Hopefully for the kids it isn't just 3months of us and then nothing until next January when 2more coaches come out.

We left the crèche and quickly went back to Berghof as Harry had forgotten a few things. It was then onto the learning centre where we again caught up on emails and some other bits. We then made the short walk to the circle (roundabout) to coach some of the local Ruyterwacht kids, Harry and myself went over a bit earlier to kick a ball about. We were quickly spotted and strategy into a 5 a side game while we waited. It was too hot for us so we took a seat and watched on, the boys then left and the Ruyterwacht girls team and a few of the boys team turned up. We went for boys vs girls 5 a side game with me and Harry joining the girls side. With the scores level at 5-5 we called time, the girls really got stuck in and again they showed they didn't care who they were up against.

We then waited around for a sleeping Yonick and drove to the Italian club to coach the Atlantic club, we had originally planned a session around the amount of equipment we had last week and the number of kids we were told we would have. We found that we actually had a lot less equipment and a lot more kids. We therefore decided we would go to our tried a tested possession session, I don't like to keep using it but with lots of numbers and little equipment it works. It also allows coaching points to be made and groups to be more manageable. With slight language difficulties as well it's a very easy setup. Always have a session you can use just incase something happens and ruins your plans. We've got a few but this 1 works well and has easy and natural progression. I couldn't fault the group, very well behaved, got on with what was asked and were generally a nice group, but both of us said it felt weird taking a session that went in near complete silence, no moaning, no jokes or banter just quietly getting on with it. 

So that was that our long day over with, the heat has killed me today along with the 4 crèche and 2 club sessions. Another early start tomorrow, definitely not on holiday over here.

Day 26

Not much to say from today but trying to keep this going daily as long as possible.

Spent the whole day sitting around the learning centre. It was a good opportunity to use the computers and catch up on a few things Harry and I needed to do. We uploaded some photos for Joe, helped set up some nets ready for Saturday's tournament and helped a few people with computer work. We ended the day with a quick trip with Joe to Drommedaris and a stop off at the Brooklyn office. Here we met up with Conan, he is leaving the company at the end of the month, he feels he can do more elsewhere. He has told us though to pass on his number to future Arsenal Coaches visiting Cape Town as he loves the club so much. So if you're reading this just ask for his number, he'll help you out and will talk Arsenal 24/7. 

Going to finish today's blog with a few photos we found from last Thursday and Friday.

Day 25

I'll start with last night, Harry and I both agreed that we would go out yesterday as we hadn't had a proper night out since we arrived. Both of us like a good night out but can live without going out at every opportunity. When we went out on Wednesday for an Indian we saw a lively bar full of people our age so said we'd give it a go. We walked into the bar and ordered some drinks looking around it was very dark and the atmosphere wasn't great, we realised that it was the bar upstairs that we had previously seen and not this 1. We finished our drink and went upstairs, now in the right place we went to get a drink from the bar to find it was table service only, we managed to find someone who worked there to take our order but after about 15 minutes still no drink so we decided to give it a miss and go onto somewhere else. We'd seen a bar the other day that looked like a student bar, we went in managed to get a drink but again the place didn't feel right, overcrowded and no atmosphere. We have written last night off as a failed attempt and I think Harry might take some convincing to give it a go again.

Today we were either going to go to the beach or the aquarium, both came with good recommendations. After waking up late again and the buses running around every hour on a Sunday we decided to go to the aquarium and then stop off at the pub to watch the Arsenal game and get some food. We walked down but before we went into the aquarium we fancied a drink so went to a place called La Playa, we both had a milkshake and they were huge and tasted great. We then made the short walk to the aquarium, lots of weird looking fish that would be found not far from these shores. We then found the penguins and the sharks. It's not the biggest aquarium but it was really nice and had a lot to look at. 

We then went to the Ferrymen which is a pub just around the corner. It's where we watched the Arsenal v Spurs game, Harry looking to redeem himself ordered ribs again, I think they were even bigger than the last lot. Harry rose to the challenge and managed to eat all of the ribs (to be honest he did leave some meet on the bone) so well done. We finally managed to get them to put the football on just after half time, already 2-0 up and coasting around not much of a 2nd half but oh well.

Back home we went for a quiet night, hopefully an early night tonight, too many late nights, my body clock is all over the place.

Day 24

This morning I slightly overslept, not getting up to around 12ish, my mum always says you only sleep till late if it's needed and it really was. After about 10minutes I had a knock on my door, it was Harry telling me that lunch was about to be served. Awake for 20 minutes and I was faced with sausage and mash for breakfast, it was alright but I wish I'd passed on having lunch. 

After lunch we took a walk to the shops, we needed some juice and some fruit. It was here we experienced our first load shedding black out, it's a bit confusing but I'll try to explain based on what we've picked up. Basically there is 1 electricity supplier, they are running out of power so there's a schedule in place where different areas face losing complete power for around 2 hours to save electricity. Shops, houses and even traffic lights all lose power, some places have generators to help but not everywhere.

After returning from the shops we decided today old be the day we did something touristy, we climbed lions head mountain, nowhere near as high as Table Mountain but still really high with some interesting paths and climbs. I'm really gutted as I had to stop about 5 minutes from the top, I don't really like heights and I've never been a good climber but I was doing really well, I tried climbing up and slipped a little bit and it knocked my confidence and made me a bit queasy. Standing at 2200ft above sea level was an amazing experience, great views of Cape Town and not a bad work out. Some of the paths were steep and narrow and at 1 stage you have to use metal hand rails to help climb up and down. Harry went all the way up and got some greats pictures on his GoPro which I'll get hold of and show you. I wish I'd gone up that last bit but am really pleased with what I managed to achieve.

Tonight we are going to get our 1st real taste of Cape Town night life, going out for a Valentine's Day drink, should be interesting. I'll let you know how it goes tomorrow. Have a look at a few photos from today.

Day 23

Friday the 13, I'm not superstitious but it might have been best to stay indoors today. Our first late start of the week and we were hoping for a lay in, unfortunately the cleaner wanted had other ideas. Apparently last year the 2 guys always left the room in a mess so the cleaners want to come in every few days now so it doesn't get too messy, thanks guys. To be honest neither of us are that messy and don't see the point but we can't complain, the rooms are looking nice and clean. As we were up early we decided to go for a run, we walked past reception to be told the manager was looking for us, great no lay in and now wondering what we've done wrong. We walked out the door to find it chucking it down with rain, to be honest it helped with the run but I think I'd prefer to struggle in the sun. We got back and the manager was waiting for us, apparently Harry had left a few bits of popcorn about last night. We then showered and got ready and went to sit downstairs to be told that our food order had been changed from fish and chips to roast chicken, not a big deal but we were looking forward to the fish and going on previous experience the roast chicken wasn't much to look forward to. 

A bad start to the day was about to get worse, we left early to get some lunch on the way to Ruyterwacht. We decided to go to steers, big mistake, the girl serving us was new, we wanted to be quick as we had to get into Ruyterwacht, unfortunately she didn't know the menu and she didn't know how to use the till. She took forever to work out what we wanted and how to put it in, she then put it down as just a burger when we'd asked for meals and got confused even more when Harry asked for large chips. She finally managed to get an order sorted but didn't realise you get a drink with the meal so we had to wait for her to get the manager to check, I'm normally quite patient when I know it's someone's first day but there was no way she should have been left on her own to serve the public. Anyway we got our drinks and left, Harry specifically asked for no cheese as he it doesn't agree with him, we heard her say to the cook no cheese but as she didn't know how to put it through the till it came with cheese. Back we went, this time the burger came quite quickly and looking at it the burger looked the same but had just had the cheese scraped off,mback for a third time, all sorted and we were finally on our way.

We arrived at Ruyterwacht about half hour late after all of the trouble with steers and because every road we took had traffic. Anyway Joe met us and we went and picked up Lourens, we were off to another complex in the Southern Suburbs, it's not a retirement village but apparently 95% of housing is taken by people that have retired. We were introduced to some of the people that stay there, I'm sorry Berghof but they are a lot more lively than you guys. We chatted for a while and they told us about their very own Olympics, and how they win all the golds. We then posed for a few pictures, the ladies were very friendly but 1 took a liking to Harry and as everyone else said cheese she had a little squeeze of Harry's bum cheek and invited him to the valentines ball tomorrow, her husband watched on.

We left with invites to come back soon, we dropped off Lourens and went to pick up some of the Ruyterwacht girls. We were doing a girls session for both Drommedaris and Ruyterwacht girls, 11 girls in total turned up and they seemed to enjoy the session we put on for them. After training we had planned a game, this morning we did a draw, similar and of same importance as a champions league draw, I ended up with Drommedaris and Harry with Ruyterwacht. We had 7 girls to Harry's 4, in training it was clear I had the older, bigger, stronger and higher ability girls so we gave Harry 1 of our girls, arguably the best player on the pitch. Still confident about my team I decided to give Harry a 1 goal lead as he had 1 less girl. Ruyterwacht managed to score a dubious goal early on, we were doing kick ins instead of throw ins and the ball seemed to go straight in, so no goal, but in all honesty it took a deflection off 1 of our girls and proved to be an important touch. Harry's girls were by far the better team and controlled the game after their goal. So Ruyterwacht won and that means it's now Martin 2-1Harry. 

A good session and it was now back to Drommedaris for a games evening with both sets of girls and all the other kids from Drommedaris. Loads of kids turned up and they all wanted to be picked up and swung around and put on our shoulders which was really nice. Joe told us most of these kids haven't got a dad living with them so they love some attention, we were swamped and a lot just wanted a hug or an arm around them. Harry is now turning into a ladies man, after the old lady earlier, he then received a valentines card from 8 year old Inam that said I love you Hagry on it. Cute kid, her and her sister said they were our valentines and that Harry was her boyfriend. These kids really cheered us up and made up for such a bad start to the day. The girls want us to come back and coach them again, and everyone said they'd come see us Wednesday when we come back. The Ruyterwacht girls got on really well with the other group and everyone posed for loads of photos. Looking forward to next Wednesday.

Meet Inam and Alonso

Day 22 Week 4 12th February

Last night after going out for food and watching the football we came home and took full advantage of the wifi working by skyping and messaging our loved ones. Unfortunately we lost track of time and when we looked at the clock it was the early hours of the morning. So an early start on not much sleep and a busy day ahead, it's safe to say we weren't in the best of moods.

We arrived at the learning centre ready for our 2nd session with Maja Crèche, they were a good group of kids last week and we were looking forward to the session. The group arrived slightly late but full of energy, after our little chat we do with all the kids we went straight into huddles, a game we had tried with mix success at Goodwood. It started slowly but as it went on and with help from the teacher and parent the kids managed to do okay. We then attempted domes and dishes with a football, last time we tried it the wind blew all the cones away, this time we were inside and the kids manage to understand the concept, but couldn't get what the hang of what way around they had to turn the cones. We then moved onto the rolling a ball in a circle game, the kids out here all seem to love it, they then went onto the knocking the ball off the cone part of the game which was really good. Our time was up and of course we ended with lots of high 5s and shouts of ARSENAL!!!

We then had a 4hour gap so we sat around the learning centre checking emails, uploading photos and helping people that need our help. Some people just don't know how to use the Internet so we are there to just give them a hand. Some people want business help or help with getting a job, this is part of our community work here and it's nice that we can be of some help. We then sorted out some games for the games evening tomorrow, in the bag was a table tennis set, the table was already set so it would have been rude not to have a game, after starting slowly I managed to narrowly lose 3 games to 2 against Harry, but the real winner was Joe 3 games undefeated an unbelievable serve that neither of us saw coming.

We left for our 2nd visit of JG Meiring, we were looking forward to this session as it went really well last week. We turned up to find out we had a different age group this week but roughly the same kids which was good because we had planned a session around that size group. We went with a shooting practice, we aren't here long and we want the groups we train to have some fun but also to get something out of the session, most kids like to have a shot. We started off with a simple drill that involved 1 person laying off a shot, the other taking the shot and the 3rd guy running in for the rebound. Great group of boys, full of enthusiasm and all gave it a go, I'm going to give them an excuse and say the wind was awful and the balls weren't great, but in all honesty the majority of shots didn't even work the keeper and the balls were going everywhere. After seeing this we went onto a game called over the bar, it's like a game of cricket, you bowl the ball, the person at the front takes a shot, if the ball goes in its a point, if it is caught they are out. They seemed to enjoy the game but with only 3 goals and few shots it's clear they could benefit from a few more of these sessions. We ended with a game and they asked if we could join in, you don't have to ask us twice. After 15 minutes of play and summing up the session the game ended 1-0 to my team, my second victory over Harry so far. 

Onto our 3rd session of the day, we had originally been scheduled to go to Edmead but after Harry and I had spoken to their coach the other night we realised there had been a mix up and we wasn't needed there at all. Joe phoned around and got us a replacement club, at first we were slightly disappointed as we were looking forward to having the evening off but we both agreed that it would be good. We met up with Kurt, Table Views coach who we were to follow to Table view as we had no idea of where to go. We wouldn't be taking his team but another group he just wanted to get involved. We managed to get stuck in loads of traffic, long enough for Harry to fall asleep, I'm tempted to put on a picture I took of him sleeping. We arrived slightly late and the coach had already done a warm up, we were introduced to the 36 under 14s and under 15 boys. The space we had wasn't quite big enough to do what we planned so we chose to go with our tried and tested possession session, it's always good to have a session you can use anytime, anywhere, just incase you turn up and things aren't as planned. Like the majority of groups we've had they got stuck in and were really into what we were doing. What we've found with these boys in Cape Town is that they are very well behaved, very disciplined with lots of enthusiasm and energy. Oh and everything is yes coach, no coach, thank you coach, so polite. We ended with some small sided games which were played in the RAIN yes we had a little down pour, it felt like we were home. The session came to an end and we exchanged numbers with Kurt, he has offered to take us out out, as a thank you for today, will definitely take him up on his offer. 

Well that's me for today I think I've gone on long enough. Keep reading, we are now a quarter of our way through our African adventure.

Few photos from Tuesday

Day 21

Today marks 3 weeks since we left London, for us it has flown by. We are now settled in nicely and getting used to Cape Town life. Cape Town gets some bad press, and since we have been here we've heard stories and see some things that hasn't changed my opinion of the place, there is the feeling that you are only a wrong turn away from trouble. I don't want people back home to worry but it's how we see it, and to those living here that are reading this I don't think that you'll argue with that comment. However there are some really nice areas and the majority of people we have come across have been nothing but friendly and welcoming. Harry and I have both said that there is that slight worry when you go out but we both agree that are biggest concern is the taxi drivers and not the dodgy people walking about.

Onto today, first up was a new crèche for us, our third crèche. The were a mixed ability group and started off really shy but a quick game of traffic lights soon livened things up. We then tried out our relay races, we've had mixed results with these but it's so easy to increase or reduce the difficulty we have used it in all crèches now. The majority of the group understood and took part but Harry was concerned that some of the group weren't getting it at all and it'd be unfair to continue, we'll go back to it at a later date. We then had the group sitting in a circle rolling balls to each other, a simple activity but the kids enjoy it and the more balls that are added in the more skills they have to use. We both said after that the guys that trained us probably wouldn't be too happy with it but we have improvised and created something simple, enjoyable and also something productive. We ended the activity by placing balls on cones within the circle and they would have to knock the balls off. The more they knocked off the more they would have to knock the rest off with. I then go around the group collecting all the balls, except for 1, I pretend I don't see it and the kids are screaming to get me to get it, it's a bit of fun and Harry and I find it quite funny and so do the kids. After lots of high fives and shouts of Arsenal the session is over we wave goodbye and the walk out. Good session,not the best ability but I enjoyed that session.

We were then invited to watch a presentation from a company trying to get more football into local schools. The man running the organisation had previously done Joe and Communicare a big favour so Joe wanted the 3 of us to return the favour and show support to him. There were teachers and sports coaches from the local schools in the room, and the ideas being thrown around sounded really good, and we really hope he gets the support he was looking for and that we helped a little bit hopefully. Are only issue was that he was offering a lot and had a lot of ideas but kept saying "I can't promise this will happen". It was a shame as he had good ideas, but I'd have my doubts if I was one of the teachers, sorry, I know we we're there support but I'm being honest.

Onto our last job of the day, last week we went to Drommedaris and we taught the kids how to wash their hands, this week it was a class on blowing your nose. Something that you and I do naturally but something these kids don't know about. We had a nice chat with the kids and gave them a quick lesson and then we handed them some colouring in to do that  Azille had printed out for them, it was based on Valentine's Day. I'm not a fan of Valentine's Day and luckily Tina agrees with me but the kids liked the idea and they were telling us all about their boyfriends and girlfriends, these kids ranged from 8-12, 1 boy apparently had 5 valentines for Saturday. Harry on the other is into celebrating the day and I wonder if I'll be able to drag him away from his phone and girlfriend on Saturday, apparently his card is in the post and he is awaiting its arrival. Everyone here is shocked we're not out chasing girls every night as the 2 guys last year were always out apparently, but we are both happily in relationships and hoping to keep it like that. 

I know you shouldn't have favourites but it's difficult when you come across 2 kids that are just adorable, I'll put some pictures up at the end but we both agree they are our favourites so far and they both were sad when we left so that just added to it.

After we drove home we went for a short run and then it was time for what Harry had been waiting weeks for, we went for an Indian. He finally got his chicken korma, really nice food, giant portions and reasonably priced. Harry's happy now so that's good. Anyway off to watch some football, a busy day again tomorrow and an early start.

Day 20

Today has been our longest day so far. An early start this morning, we were up and out and off to Goodwood primary school again for our 3rd visit. Again we had 4 sessions here, on arrival we were told we would me inside today, not a bad size area but lots of tables and chairs and potential safety risks. However when our first group came out their teacher told us outdoors would be fine which was a relief as it was a much bigger area. This group was the older more advanced group we've previously mentioned in our blogs. They manage all three of our planned activities, firstly we played huddles, this is where all the kids run around, we call out a number and they have to get in groups of that number. Next we tried an activity out where half the group were on the outside of the area while the other half had a ball in the inside, they could bounce, kick, roll or do whatever they wanted with the ball and then when the whistle sounded they swapped with those on the outside. It went ok, it needs work but I'm pleased we gave it a go. We then went inside and sat in a circle and we had about 10 balls that they were rolling to each other. The second group did the huddles game, and the rolling, and so did the third, we left out the swapping over activity as these groups weren't as advanced as the first group. We were really pleased with the first 3 groups and went into the last session with high hopes, this is our youngest, least English speaking class, least advanced group, to put it simply it was our most challenging group. We cut out huddles and went with a start stop sort of game, we didn't give up but it just wasn't happening, we then tried the rolling a ball in a circle, again we tried and tried but they weren't having it at all. We later found out that they'd had sweets and chocolate before coming out, would like to thank the teachers for this, not being rude but in all honesty we could have done without them being high on sugar. The session finished like all of our sessions with lots of high fives and claps and of course shouts of Arsenal. All kids seemed to enjoy themselves and even though disappointed with the final group the first 3 gave us a lot of positives to think about. We then were given a nice lunch from the school and Lourens wanted us to film a short clip for a video he is putting together for the school. 10 takes later it was spot on, not all our fault, lots of noise from the traffic ruining our Oscar winning performances.

After leaving the crèche we were off to our 5th session of the day. We set off to another futbol five venue like the 1 at the waterfront. This time we only had 5 kids, but it was a special session, an organisation called Reach for a Dream, organise days out and special events for terminally ill children, a bit like the make a wish foundation back home. We sat down with the boys and some of their parents and spoke about ourselves, Arsenal, England and snow for a bit before getting on the pitch. This wasn't a normal session and was more about making these kids feel special for a few hours so we had a penalty shootout, keeps uppy competition, some passing and finished with a match. The kids and parents seemed to really enjoy our time with them, 1 of the boys we were told spends most of his time resting because his body doesn't allow him to do much and has led to him spending a lot of time in hospital, even he got involved and into which we were pleased to see. I'm pleased the parents got involved as well and for 1 hour these kids acted like kids and played around, it didn't matter what conditions they had they were a part of our session.

Our 6th and final session was at the Italian club with the Atlantic team, we were told we would get 16 kids max and planned a session around that number. Unfortunately by the time they all finished turning up and because we now had 2 different age groups we ended up with 26 kids. We couldn't quite do the session we wanted but we adjusted and it was nice after 3 weeks to put on a proper football session. The kids took to us really well and put up with the chaos that occurred with the adaptions of the session, chaos is good though, any of the guys on this programme will tell you that.

After chatting with a few coaches and parents we finished up and headed back to Berghof, shower, food, Skype and then was time to watch the Arsenal game. A 2-1 win but a poor performance, and poor refereeing but a wins a win, long day over with and early start but easier day to look forward to tomorrow.

Day 19

 Monday's were supposed to be our days off but as the Saturday league hasn't started we had Saturday off and were asked to come in today. There wasn't much for us to do we were just asked to hang around and help people if they needed anything. It was a quiet Monday morning and the centre was quite empty, we started helping someone with their CV, she was a young single mother, looking for work, we had seen her about a few times and we spent some time altering her CV with her, best of luck to her with the job hunt.

Joe called me over and asked me to upload some of the pictures from the last few weeks, the internet was going quite slow so this took a bit longer than expected but there were some nice photos. I'll post some at the end of the blog. I had to sort through some as well as Jodi had managed to take over 200 photos from the session at her school. While they were uploading Harry spent time helping a local businessman with his invoices and other bits. Joe then called us over to go and meet the owner of the local shop who will be supplying some goods for the tournament we are organising. A very friendly man who was really into his football and supports Charlton, bit of a random club wasn't really expecting that but he has followed them for years apparently. We then went back to the centre and were introduced to 3 psychology students that are going to be working at the centre on a Monday teaching basic computer skills, we both said that we might stop by and look in when their sessions start.

Our last task for the day was to sign a few bits for the kids we will be coaching tomorrow, we are going to be spending just over an hour with 5 terminally ill kids. I'll tell you a bit more about it tomorrow when I know a little bit more. Looking forward to the session though as we are told they are excited to see us and our appearance will mean a lot. So hopefully we can make the day special for them.

1 of the teams from the tournament the other day

The JG Meiring boys 

Victory Outreach Centre 

Ruyterwacht Q&A session 

Even the Chelsea fans want a photo