Aug. 12, 2013
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By Jenna Marina
UCFKnights.com
ORLANDO, Fla. (UCFAthletics.com) - UCF women's soccer head coach Tiffany Roberts Sahaydak recently traveled to Namibia as an advocate for soccer in affiliation with the state department.
As a speaker specialist, Roberts Sahaydak spent four days running clinics, giving motivational talks and teaching both coaches and children from the area about the game. In addition to running standard drills, showing coaches how to put together a structured tournament and break down film, her work also incorporated the message of HIV/AIDS awareness.
Namibia is home to one of the world's largest HIV-inflicted populations. In 2009, more than 6,500 died of AIDS-related causes and roughly 70,000 children had been orphaned.
The two-a-day sessions were a big hit with the community, and Roberts Sahaydak said her team found a way to accommodate everyone. One day, they planned to interact with 200 children, but more than 400 showed up.
"While working with the coaches, we tried to inspire and motivate them to continue to coach and show how much they can have an impact on the children," Roberts Sahaydak said. "I know our purpose is to go and teach them, but every time I do one of these trips, l feel like it's an exchange. I always learn so much. They remind you of things to be grateful for. They don't have much to work with, but somehow they're still inspired and motivated and happy."
Roberts Sahaydak has made similar trips to Uganda, Philippines, Thailand, Brazil and France.
"I'd love to go back and continue with the program," she said. "What you see and the people that you meet is just so different from what you see in your daily life here."