School of Hard Knocks (SoHK) uses touch rugby to help young people improve their wellbeing. Our philosophy is to create a fun and safe environment which offers emotional support and physical challenges to develop learners’ inner resources so that they grow in their ability to self assess, manage their emotions, and make better life choices.

The SoHK Schools programme is a 1 year intervention, working with groups of around 30

pupils in grade 9, in schools based predominantly in the CBD of Cape Town. We offer weekly life skills training through touch rugby coaching and mentoring.

The Role

As a SoHK intern Coach, you will be part of the team responsible for our frontline delivery. Reporting to your Team Leader, you will focus on delivering our award-winning life skills curriculum and mentoring young people, and will also have responsibilities within SoHK, designed to help the organisation grow

You will receive comprehensive training in trauma-informed mentoring and will be required to complete additional courses as part of your contract, including a first aid course.

The internship will last for 1 year, with opportunities for intern Coaches to take more senior roles within SoHK in 2024 and beyond, based on performance and the organisation’s growth.

Requirements

• Grade 12

• Proficient in spoken and verbal English skills

• Demonstrated passion for sport and mental health

• South African citizen

• 18-25yrs old

• For safeguarding reasons, a clear criminal record

• Must be willing and able to travel to Cape Town CBD most days of the week

• Experience in youth development is advantageous

• You will need a growth mindset, always ready to accept new challenges and feedback

Rate of Pay

Starting at R3500 per month

Hours

20-24 hours p/week

Closing date

30 November 2022

Interested?

If you’d like to apply for this position please fill in the Form at this link:

I'd like to apply for the SoHK Coach Position

Our new project has kicked off with a BANG! Project #NextGenMen is using the power of soccer to deliver workshops to shift attitudes around traditional gender norms to improve relationship health and ultimately reduce harmful behaviours towards women. We are currently working with 100+ men across 6 sites in Khayelitsha.

Big ups to the Danish, Irish and New Zealand Embassies for supporting us in this valuable work!

Listening to girls and young women in the SOHK programme, it’s impossible to ignore that many miss school and stay at home because of menstruation. We recognise that a culture of silence around menstruation limits the ability of women and girls to equally participate in society. It undermines their social status and self-esteem. We want to give women the right to go to school, play sport, go to work and participate in life despite not being able to afford sanitary products.

To meet this need SOHK provided, with funding from Naspers for Good, a free-to-user sanitary pad vending machine provided by the amazing social business Menstruation Foundation. In all we have been able to donate 2000 sanitary pads to students at Harold Cressy High school, and in 2022 we hope to increase our provision to 2 new schools.

SOHK are dedicated to using sport as a means to replace negative gender norms with more positive and progressive beliefs about women and gender relations.

In 2022 we are continuing to share sporting stories of how SA's top female athletes have overcome the prevailing power imbalance between men and women to excel in their sport. We hope this will inspire young women to persevere at the sport they love and educate us all on how to become their best allies.

Here we chat to Zanele Mdodana, former Captain of South African’s Netball team.

SoHK Founder Scott Sloan was up at the crack of dawn mid-February to appear on the Espresso Show. He chatted about our Schools programme, mental wellbeing and how to support the organisation.

SOHK recognise the urgent need to address a pandemic of violence against women (VAW) in South Africa. We believe that working with men and adolescents is a critical part of violence prevention as men are the primary perpetrators of VAW, and that SOHK and Fives are in a unique position to pioneer an approach that involves challenging traditional notions of masculinity through sport.

#NextGenMen’s first adult pilot project was delivered in 2021 where we achieved the following results:

• 44% showed a change in attitude supportive of diversity.

• 33% showed a change in attitude supportive of consent.

• 22% showed a change in attitude supportive of men’s ability to do care work

• 25% showed increased knowledge of laws in South africa making VAW ILLEGAL.