10 March 2026
Preparing Coaches to Deliver Safe, Inclusive Sport
For sport to create meaningful and lasting impact, it must be delivered responsibly, safely and with care. At the heart of Tackle It is a clear understanding: coaches are not just instructors of sport, they are trusted adults in young people’s lives. Preparing them properly is essential. As DBA Africa continues to expand education-through-sport initiatives, Tackle It places strong emphasis on equipping coaches and facilitators with the skills, awareness and confidence required to support young people both on and off the field.
Why Coach Preparation Matters
In many school and community sport environments, coaches are often the first adults young people confide in. They serve as mentors, role models and authority figures. When programmes engage young people around mental health, wellbeing, violence prevention, and personal safety, this responsibility becomes even greater.
Tackle It recognises that these conversations require more than technical rugby knowledge. They demand emotional intelligence, safeguarding awareness and a clear understanding of boundaries, referral pathways and inclusive practice. Without this preparation, young people risk being left unsupported at moments when they need help most.
By investing in coach training, DBA Africa ensures that sport remains a protective, supportive space, not just a competitive one.Coach preparation for Tackle It is delivered in partnership with One2One Kenya, the youth-focused arm of LVCT Health, through the Health Advocacy for Sports and Development (HASD) training. This structured programme equips DBA Africa coaches, peer educators and sport-for-development practitioners with practical knowledge and tools to responsibly engage young people.
The training covers key areas including:
- Peer education and youth leadership
- Mental health awareness and promotion
- Violence recognition, prevention and response
- Safeguarding principles and ethical engagement
- Life skills development and healthy relationships
Rather than positioning coaches as counsellors, the training ensures they are informed facilitators, able to recognise warning signs, respond appropriately, and guide young people toward professional support when needed.
Ensuring Young People Are Never Left Alone
A core principle of Tackle It is that no child should be left to navigate mental health challenges alone. Coaches are trained to understand available psychosocial support systems and referral mechanisms, ensuring that young people can access help beyond the programme itself.
Through the One2One and LVCT Health ecosystem, Tackle It is linked to established mental health and psychosocial support services, including:
- Access to counselling and psychosocial referral pathways
- Awareness of youth-friendly support services
- Knowledge of Kenya’s 24-hour toll-free mental health helpline (1190)
Coaches are trained to clearly communicate these options to participants and to escalate concerns responsibly. This approach ensures that sport becomes a bridge to support, not a dead end.
Safeguarding within Tackle It is not treated as a standalone checklist. It is embedded into how sport is delivered every day. Rugby sessions are intentionally designed to create opportunities for reflection, discussion, and learning around respect, boundaries, accountability, and teamwork.
Coaches are guided on how to:
- Create inclusive, youth-centred environments
- Recognise behavioural changes and warning signs
- Respond appropriately and document concerns
- Refer cases through agreed safeguarding and health pathways
This integrated approach allows difficult topics to be addressed naturally, using sport as a familiar and engaging entry point.
Coaches as Advocates and Pathway Builders
Consistency is essential when working with young people across different schools and communities. The Tackle It coach training model ensures that delivery standards remain high, regardless of location.
By combining live learning, self-paced digital modules, practical case studies, and continuous engagement, coaches are supported throughout the process. This builds confidence, accountability and trust, not only among participants, but also with schools, parents, and partners.
Prepared coaches do more than deliver sessions. They help young people build confidence, stay engaged in education, and access support when they need it most. When sport is delivered safely and inclusively, it becomes a powerful platform for learning, well-being, and personal growth.
Through Tackle It, DBA Africa is strengthening a network of coaches who understand that sport is not only about performance but also about care, responsibility and impact.
As the programme grows, continued investment in coaching and sports development will remain central. Safe sport environments do not happen by chance, they are built through training, values, and partnerships that put young people first.
Tackle It is not only preparing young people for life. It is preparing the adults who guide them to do so with integrity and compassion.