Young tchoukball players in Cameroon

When it comes to the process of young people being involved in sporting activities, social influence and leadership constitute a real challenge. In many societies, leadership positions are traditionally held by men. Leaders are seen as those with the authority and the power to control, give orders and punish when necessary, and these characteristics very often exclude women and adolescent girls.

In our training sessions here in Cameroon, we look at leadership differently. It's about learning, participating, sharing and empowering young boys and girls. Investing in women's leadership has proven to be an essential practice for sustainable development and a just world.

Helping young girls see themselves as leaders and encourage them to take part in various activities helps them to build their self-esteem and learn skills that can change their lives and the lives of those with whom they interact. This is the posture adopted by our association with regard to the leadership of both boys and girls.

The Cameroonian tchoukball association works to develop leadership among young people at both regional and national levels. Youth, we believe, play a crucial role in the growth of communities and the perpetuation of national heritage. We do this by mentoring our young leaders in a variety of ways. Very recently, for example, we have appointed several young people at the end of a training course for referees and coaches organized.

Tchoukball and youth leadership

Tchoukball is a sport usually played on an indoor court measuring 27m x 16m. At each end, there is a 'frame' (a device similar to a trampoline on which the ball bounces) which measures one square meter and a semicircular D-shaped forbidden zone measuring three meters in radius.

Each team can score on both ends of the court, and comprises of 12 players, 7 of whom may be on the court. In order to score a point, the ball must be thrown by an attacking player, hit the frame and bounce outside the 'D' without being caught by the defending team.

Physical contact is prohibited, and defenders may not attempt to intercept the attacking team's passes. Players may take three steps with the ball, hold the ball for a maximum of three seconds, and teams may not pass the ball more than three times before shooting at the frame.

In short, two teams of 7 players each (men or women) compete to score points with the team with the most points at the end winning the game. When a team gains a point, control of the ball is transferred to the other team.

In tchoukball, either team can score at either end of the court. With fair-play being the key issue in tchoukball, approaches are taught to young people for group work that will lead them to collective leadership with fairness.

This state of mind develops in them a dynamic of individual excellence that prepares them for a leadership that will allow them to mentor other young people. Our tchoukball training programs help support young people who excel. The goal is to encourage them to surpass themselves and become future good leaders.

Through our training, many young men and women have learned the value of leadership and teamwork, among other important skills. In addition to promoting leadership among young people, the association provides educational opportunities for youth to promote and encourage various development initiatives.

Tchoukball is a sport where fair-play is at the heart of the issues. So, there is a subtle leadership that we build based on respect for human values. Those who then excelled through unsportsmanlike behavior find themselves developing attitudes of fairness and justice, and are now admired and respected by those who find these attitudes honorable.

Cameroon has so far taken part in several international competitions which inspire many young people today. We use this track record to get young girls and boys to believe in themselves and in a better future. We teach them that they are the future leaders of tchoukball in our country and even in the Central African sub-region. We thus equip them with training that goes in the direction of making them good leaders who will deal with others from all parts of the world.

Conclusion

Sport is considered a particularly effective means of helping young people to take charge of their own activities and their own destiny. Our fundamental dynamic is to involve young people as much as possible in the process of autonomy and leadership.

The best way to strengthen your sense of leadership effectiveness is to adopt leadership behaviors as often as possible. It is about making the gestures, large and small, which lead a group to think, then to act, in a logic of autonomous production.

Leadership is a dynamic process of influence that brings about a movement where one action leads to another. The group is transformed by the dynamic thus created. The sense of personal effectiveness in leadership is one of the most important mechanisms in the dynamics of individual or collective productive performance. The more it is present, the more effort the individual will put in and the more likely he is to succeed in leadership aimed at sport and behavioral excellence. This is the mission we implement almost daily through various training of young tchoukballers.

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Jean Francis Gwade is a visiting lecturer at the University of Ngaoundere.

Richard Mfiarack is a PhD student at the University of Ngaoundere.