Xavier in Saint Lucia

My story

I chose an internship with The Power of Sports in Saint Lucia. When I arrived, I was introduced really well to the working culture and other important things to know. You’re also shown around the area properly, so you quickly know what you’ll be dealing with over the next 10 weeks.

You get to know lots of new people. These are often students who are interested in sport. Because people have chosen this internship, there’s a good chance they specialise in it. That creates a group of people with the same interests, which makes for a strong sense of togetherness. It means that throughout the whole period you have people around you with whom you can build a good bond, which can help at work.

As for the work you do, I also really liked how it was organised. In your first few days you have a chat with the local internship supervisor about what you’d like to do. He asks whether you want to do a specific sport or would rather gain some more general experience. So you can largely shape your own internship, which is really nice for getting the most out of the experience.

When you eventually run the sessions, you’re never on your own. You’re always together with other coaches and/or staff members from the host country. This means that at the start of your placement you can observe a bit more, after which you can join in and help out. Eventually you can even try leading a session, if that’s one of your goals.

Finally, I found there was also plenty to do in your free time. Every week you have at least one day when you can do fun things to explore the island. The organisation arranges excursions, such as ziplining through the rainforest, but you can also go your own way. Thanks to this free day every week, you have enough time during your internship to get to know the island well.

So you’re looked after really well at the start. On top of that, throughout the whole period you’re really included within the foundation and its working culture. All of this means you can develop in the best possible way and turn everything into new things you learn during your time abroad.

What advice would you like to give future interns and volunteers?

Dare to try new things! The culture is very different from what you’re used to, so prepare yourself well for that. As soon as your internship officially starts and you’re abroad, you’re brought into the organisation’s programme brilliantly. You get the support you need and you’re never on your own.

You also have plenty of opportunities to stay in touch with your parents or other important people in your life.