We first got to know Rodwell when he reached out to Little Hearts to offer a donation of clothes, shoes and school materials. It was a generous proposal, and it was the beginning of an interesting and promising collaboration.
Rodwell Kov is the founder of the Rodwell Learning Centre, an afterschool tutoring and exam prep centre in Phnom Penh. The centre caters especially to high school students preparing for their national baccalaureate exams, but it also offers a variety of extracurricular activities intended to open the students’ minds and horizons, such as sporting events, camping trips and cultural outings. The centre uses a sliding scale for tuition charges, with some disadvantaged students receiving educational services for free.
Aside from his work with the Learning Centre, Rodwell is also heavily involved in sports. In particular, he manages two Ultimate Frisbee teams, Skywalker (for beginners) and Skyrunner (for advanced players who compete internationally in Southeast Asia).
Rodwell volunteered to help our grade 12 students prepare for their exams this coming September, but this was not possible due to scheduling conflicts. Since our kids are busy all week with school and afterschool instruction here at Little Hearts, they are free only on weekends. Why not teach them Ultimate Frisbee then, offered Rodwell? And so he came to Little Hearts with his teammates and has been teaching our kids how to play Ultimate on Sunday mornings. The kids are learning how to throw a frisbee (a surprisingly rare pastime in Cambodia) and how to dive headlong for the disc when it reaches the end zone. They are intrigued by this new sport and inspired by Rodwell’s passion for it.
Some of our students are already involved in a football league; others practice taekwondo. But the availability of a new sporting discipline is an opportunity for others to participate in sports as well, so we welcomed it with open arms. While we push the kids constantly to focus on their academic progress, we also want them to grow into well-balanced individuals who know how to have fun and recognize the importance of physical fitness as part of a healthy lifestyle. Sports are a great way to teach that, so the more sports they’re exposed to, the better. And sporting activities keep them away from electronic gadgets, too, which is always a good thing!
We’re hopeful that the connection with Rodwell and his Ultimate teams will continue to strengthen and provide opportunities for the kids to become involved in sports, and perhaps even open up new pathways for their future. So thank you, Rodwell, for your keen interest in our kids’ welfare and for bringing your contagious enthusiasm for sports and learning to us. And for introducing us to this cool new game, Ultimate Frisbee!