Tom in Argentina
Name
Tom
How long was your internship?
5 months
Short biography
My name is Tom, I am 25 years old, I started the Sports Science program in Eindhoven, which I completed in June 2022. I finished my studies by working with The Power of Sports. During the first half year, I completed an assignment from the Netherlands, and in the second half year, I wrote my thesis in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
This was a once-in-a-lifetime experience that no one can ever take away from you. Living in a different city on the other side of the world is a true adventure.
How satisfied were you with the guidance in your home country?
Extremely satisfied! Ruben is someone who genuinely cares about others, which ensures that communication lines are always short. There was regular contact between Ruben and me. Usually, I reached out to him when I had questions or problems, or just when I felt like chatting. Whenever you experience something cool, Ruubs likes to be kept in the loop!
My Story
At the beginning of February 2022, I left for Argentina with a classmate. It was a bit uncertain if we’d be allowed to go because of Covid-19, but luckily it didn’t stop us. We completed a five-month internship with De Kracht van Sport in Buenos Aires.
When we arrived, we quickly met our landlord Diego — a great guy who was always ready to help and arrange things — and Alejandro, the founder of United Through Sport Argentina. Alejandro was open to our interests and wishes, so we could choose the kind of work we wanted to do.
Here’s what a typical week looked like for me:
On Tuesdays, I coached football to a group of boys aged around 11 to 17, and on Thursdays, I did the same for a girls’ team of the same age range. My classmate and I rode our bikes there every time, which took about 30 minutes. We rented the bikes through an app, it was free, and the bikes were scattered all around the city, which was super convenient. It was kind of like the Felyx or GO scooters in the Netherlands.
On Monday and Wednesday mornings (not every week), we visited various primary schools and preschools in underprivileged neighborhoods. There, we ran activities like sports and games, gymnastics classes, English lessons, and arts and crafts.
Besides that, my classmate and I handled some internal tasks for the organization, like creating a curriculum and helping plan the weekly schedule for the other volunteers and interns. So, my tasks were pretty varied!
All these activities were half-day shifts, which gave me plenty of free time to explore the city and do other fun things. Every Thursday evening there was a beer pong tournament organized by BAIS (Buenos Aires International Students), which was always a fun weekly event at the hostel.
We also went on some amazing trips! In Buenos Aires, we went to football matches, parks, museums, horse races, played football with locals and other internationals, and often went out to eat and party. There was so much to do, I can’t even list it all.
Outside Buenos Aires, I visited other beautiful places in South America. In Argentina, I went to Iguazu Falls in the north and Patagonia in the south. I also took a boat for a weekend trip to Uruguay and flew to Rio de Janeiro for a weekend. Plus, I had a three-week holiday where I traveled to Chile with my girlfriend.
All in all, it was an amazing experience!
Advice for future interns/volunteers
Do it 100%! This is a once-in-a-lifetime experience that no one can ever take away from you. Living in a different city on the other side of the world is an amazing adventure. The culture and lifestyle might take some getting used to, but you’ll learn so much from it. Outside your work with De Kracht van Sport and/or United Through Sport, you’ll have plenty of free time to explore and do other things, so make sure to take advantage of that!
Lastly, it’s smart to prepare a little Spanish beforehand. We had a few hours of lessons there, but having some basic knowledge really helps you get around faster. If you don’t know any Spanish at all, don’t worry—it’s not a problem. With English, gestures, and a bit of creativity, you’ll always be able to communicate! 🙂
