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George Royal Academy 2023-06-14T22:43:27+00:00

The Beginning – 2019

Sports Academy George (SAG) has a heart for children and a love for sport. We combined the two passions to create a programme to disciple and mentor children from underprivileged communities in George. SAG was established 15 years ago and children quickly started showing up to the weekly practices. Training and playing together fostered unity and a sense of belonging while creating an environment that allowed us to build relationships. 

Opportunities for further education and full-time employment for the under-privileged in South Africa are unfortunately very limited, with statistics showing that only 1 in 8 going on to University or onto full-time employment. Given these challenges we knew that we needed to expand our programme to include education as a key building block to sustainably change lives. 

We wanted to give our players the best possible opportunities in life and so in January 2019 we opened George Royal Academy (GRA); a non-profit private school for the underprivileged. The students receive full bursaries providing them with quality education while also tending to their basic needs including food, transport and clothing. The reality for most students in townships in South Africa is that classrooms are overcrowded and education is poor. We believe access to quality education is crucial for uplifting students and giving them opportunities to bring about change.

Our first intake of Grade 8s was selected from our annual Academy Sports Cup Tournament from local primary schools in 2018. These children were given the opportunity to be a part of the new school setup.

Volunteer 

We are looking for interns that are prepared to step into adventure and purpose. Come and use your skills to assist our staff in advancing the Kingdom of God in the townships of George.

Our Internship Programme is a one-year placement in South Africa. Successful applicants will be involved in coaching, playing sports, organizing and facilitating tournaments and youth club, speaking in assemblies and investing in the lives of our students through our discipleship programme.

We have positions available in the areas of sports coaching and office administration. This programme is ideal for graduates or school leavers willing to serve, develop skills and learn while contributing to our ongoing work. The internships are non-salaried positions and interns will be responsible for their own living and travel expenses. Recruitment to this role will be by application, followed by interview.

If you are interested in learning more about this life-changing opportunity, please contact info@sportsacademygeorge.com

Sport

Sport is a powerful tool that has the ability to improve mental and emotional health, create a sense of empowerment, build confidence and unite a community. We have seen the life-changing impact of sport and so use it to engage and connect with young people.

All students are selected based on their performance in the Academy Cup Primary Schools Tournament. GRA is the only one of its kind in the South Western Districts and it provides players, from the underprivileged township areas, extra coaching and competition.

Soccer and netball are the two primary sports offered by GRA. We have teams for each age group and they compete in numerous festivals and tournaments throughout the year. The boys’ soccer teams play locally, nationally and internationally. 

Both our senior netball team and senior soccer team has been blessed to travel to Northern Ireland where they have had the opportunity to compete against esteemed schools abroad.  

 Career Coaching

To provide our students with the best possible opportunities to succeed, GRA provides mentoring to help them make informed future career decisions.

We run programmes to prepare candidates for interviews as well as offer an introduction to basic business. Students are assisted to identify their area of interest to ensure they make the correct subject choices when entering the final years of school. When students turn 16 they have the opportunity to start working holiday jobs (if they so wish) with our partnering businesses. This allows them to explore different areas of interest as well as giving them invaluable work experience. We assist them in submitting applications to after school programmes as well as focusing on one-to-one mentoring during the final two years of high school.

One to One

Discipling is a crucial component of the work we do at GRA. We want to see our students’ lives changed and for them to know their value, their purpose and to experience God loves, favour and blessing. Staff and volunteers develop close relationships with the students through a 10-12 week One2One discipleship programme. The One2One book covers Biblical Foundations including:

  • Creation
  • Salvation
  • Lordship
  • Repentance
  • Baptism
  • Holy Spirit
  • Prayer
  • Faith
  • Bible
  • Church
  • Spiritual Warfare

Youth Club

Our bi-weekly Youth Club evenings are a great way to engage with our students in a fun and safe environment. Youth nights offer an opportunity to spend time together, get to know each other, laugh and play games together and create lasting relationships. It’s one of the highlights of the week for staff and students alike. 

We also host annual camps that focuses on promoting team work and communication.