On a long-haul sports tour, the distance may be far but there’s nothing like a shared passion to bring young people closer together.
So why take your sports students to a destination thousands of miles away?
1. Relationships on and off pitch
Long-distance travel can be a great way for teams to bond. For many students, it might be the furthest they have travelled without their family, so supporting each other is fundamental. When visiting destinations such as the USA or South Africa, the anticipation is shared just as much as the excitement!
With a sports tour comes pre-planned match fixtures against local teams, so clear communication with each other will cement relationships for weeks, months and even years to come.
2. Cultural awareness
Allowing students the opportunity to take in the sights they’ve only ever seen in photographs, will give them even more of an appreciation for the significance and history of the area they’re visiting. Seeing world famous landmarks and iconic sporting destinations are real bucket-list experiences!
Food is a huge part of cultural learning on a trip abroad, so why not check out the traditional Caribbean cuisine in Barbados, or have a taste of the Asian delights of Sri Lanka?
“The best moment was the turtle sanctuary! As well as seeing the standard of cricket in Sri Lanka”
Mr Hannon, Avanti House School
3. Further learning
Despite travelling abroad with sports as a core focus, a long-haul trip can give your students access to a multitude of other enrichment opportunities.
At Rayburn Tours, we specialise in organising educational trips as well as sports tours, so why not combine the two? A visit to New York can cover Football and History, whilst in Barbados you could experience both Netball and cultural learning.
4. Character development
Being on the opposite side of the world to their family and friends, students often find that they begin to display a new level of independence. They are given responsibility and freedom, which can often result in an increase in maturity. Give your students the chance to make their own choices and you may start to see a new side to them!
“Students increased in maturity and took on more responsibility as a result of the action packed itinerary.”
Mr Roberts, Canon Slade School