Empowerment through tennis

Ziv Neurim and Israel Life Saving Federation have collaborated to introduce water safety education and training in schools with the aim of saving precious lives at the beach, pool etc.

The first phase of the program took place in 10 secondary schools and included around 200 participants. The schools that participated in the program were schools with disadvantaged populations, which are subject to more drownings. This includes Arabs, Bedouins, and populations from a low socioeconomic status. The program also included populations from more established places, in order to create integration and a sense of shared purpose throughout the country.

As part of the program, the associations also trained Ziv Neurim instructors and leaders at various levels, to enable them to convey the educational content of ILSF. The organizations work to build a community of volunteers for education and activity for rescue and the marine environment, while providing a leadership horizon for those populations that will undergo the training in the schools and in the community.

ILSF’s activity is based on a model that exists most widely in all of Australia and within the framework of which students learn to save lives in the water through education, awareness, community events and enjoyable physical activities.

This project arose in light of the introduction of the organizations through the Coalition for the promotion of social sports.

Wave Ability and Ziv Neurim have a joint project in the city of Netanya and its surroundings.

They organizations use water activities to empower different populations. Wave Ability work with people with disabilities through surfing, and Ziv Neurim mainly work with at-risk youth.

During the coming year, 3 joint water activities are expected to take place for the participants and their family members – a total of 40 participants per session. The activity will also allow the residents of Netanya and the surrounding area to experience the empowering experiences that these two associations offer.

This project uses the extensive experience of Ziv Naurim (20+ years in the field) and arose in light of the organizations’ acquaintance through the Coalition for the promotion of social sports. In addition to the project, a group of people with special needs is operating.

This project brough the method and capabilities of the NGO Value Sports into the wide network of the Israel Tennis and Education Centers. This collaboration began in 2018 with a training program for coaches in community programs through educational training programs and the coach’s role as an educator. Later, all of The Tennis and Education Center’s coaches joined the program and had three training sessions in a year on numerous topics, such as setting boundaries, standing up to parents etc.

The program combines numerous lecturers from Value Sports, that work with programs for at-risk youth and provide workshops on life skills.

In recent years, the collaboration has grown, through the Head Start program, in which children at the age of 10 enter a 3-year program, which includes 3 tennis units and a value unit each week. The contents are delivered jointly by a tennis coach and an instructor on behalf of Value Sports.

This program is unique to the periphery and is led by Andy Ram, one of the greatest Israeli tennis players of all time.