Empowering Dreams: Transforming Lives Through Sports

Hi, I’m Dhananjay, the volunteer at JTD Foundation . For years, we’ve been dedicated to empowering underprivileged students, especially girls, to excel in sports. Over the past seven years, we’ve invested 5 million Indian rupees to help more than 2000 girls play various sports. I’ve written this guide to share our experiences and to help others who want to support this cause.

Our Journey

• Achievements: We've helped over 2000 girls participate in sports like cricket, badminton, hockey, football, basketball, fencing, volleyball, and table tennis. More than 500 girls have competed, over 100 have played at the district level, and 5 have represented their states.
• Long-Term Vision: We believe many more will reach higher levels in sports with continued support.

Steps to Empower Girls in Sports

Pick the Right Sports Teacher

Key Factor: Finding the right teacher is crucial. Spend time researching and visiting schools to see where potential teachers have worked before.

Qualities: Look for teachers who maintain relationships with former students and who invest their own resources into supporting their teams.

Referrals: If a teacher is new, seek referrals from trusted sources or rely on strong gut feelings backed by experience.

Example: We started with a strong referral from a headmaster we knew and built our network from there. This time-tested method has worked for us for 7 years.

Respect Teachers Expertise

Specialization: Every teacher has a sport they excel in. Don’t push them to teach something they aren’t comfortable with.

Encouragement: If teachers are willing to learn new sports, support them, but don’t force it.

Example: Cases where we pushed teachers to train students in sports they didn’t master failed miserably.

Provide Adequate Sports Equipment

Funding: Ensure that teachers have the necessary funds to buy sports equipment. Often, schools receive little to no budget for this.

Support: If the sport requires more expensive equipment, like badminton or fencing, provide appropriate support. However do due diligence if the investment is worth it before putting money.

Example: A school of 1000 children typically needs 50,000 rupees for sports equipment unless they play more expensive sports. We’ve made sure to support them appropriately to keep the supply continuous.

Build Infrastructure

Facilities: Invest in creating sports facilities like cricket pitches, basketball courts, and running tracks. Allocate 5% of your capital expenditure for maintenance.

Consideration: Only build expensive facilities, like indoor courts, when there is a strong ecosystem to support them.

Example: We’ve built facilities for cricket, basketball, hockey, football, volleyball, and more. Although some projects like two basketball courts didn't work out, one school has successfully used our facilities to help over 100 girls play basketball.

Encourage Girls’ Participation

Focus on Girls: Initially, only a small portion of our funds went to girls. Now, our program supports girls exclusively.

Balancing Act: Strive for equal support for boys and girls, but recognize the challenges in encouraging rural girls to compete due to safety concerns and social barriers.

Example: Supporting only girls helped us realize that less than 10% of initial funds went to girls' sports. We've since focused our efforts on ensuring better participation and support for girls.

Take Risks

Investments: We’ve made significant investments, like a bowling machine for cricket, and scholarships for badminton players. Some paid off, others didn’t, but every experience taught us valuable lessons.

Persistence: Not every investment will yield immediate results, but it’s important to keep trying.

Examples

• We spent 5 lakhs on a remote school for cricket, buying a bowling machine for 130 kmph practice. Today, over 100 girls play great cricket there, with 2 girls representing the state level.
• We spent 3 lakhs per year helping 10 girls play badminton. Even though all the girls dropped out, they learned a sport considered impossible in their area. Now, JTD has given scholarships to 5 girls to play badminton in a different city.
• We bought fencing equipment worth 5 lakhs despite doubts. Today, more than 10 girls are learning fencing, with some having played at the state level.

Call to Action

India has over 1 lakh sports teachers who need support. So far, we’ve been able to support 15. We need your help to expand our reach.

• Get Involved: If you or your friends want to help empower a school, please contact us. With a group of 5 people, it will cost about 10,000 rupees each to support a school per year.
• Make a Difference: Your contribution will promote physical health, mental well-being, and joy for many children, shaping the future of India.

Thank you for your support.

Warm regards,

Dhananjay

Volunteer

Joining the Dots Foundation