THE OSE ADVENTURE HANDBOOKS Handbook 1  •  The Art of Making the Right Choices
SHEET 4

CHOOSING THE RIGHT AMBASSADOR

“

An ambassador cannot be chosen. They reveal themselves.

”

Why This Sheet?

In most exchange programmes, a young person is selected first, and only then is a family, club or school found for them.

OSE takes a different approach.

The young person is the constant in the equation.

They are the person we support and prepare to become a true OSE ambassador.

Around them, we seek out the best conditions for them to reveal the best of themselves.

The success of an OSE exchange depends on our ability to solve an equation with four unknowns:

a suitable hosting arrangement
+
a suitable host family
+
a suitable club
+
a culture in which the young person can flourish

When these four components are in harmony with the ambassador's personality, the OSE adventure can truly begin.

The Five OSE Keys

1
THE YOUNG PERSON Question to ask
  • Does this young person genuinely want to experience this adventure?
  • Are they ready to leave their family, country and familiar surroundings for several months?
  • Do they have the maturity, openness and desire to become a true OSE ambassador?
2
THE HOSTING ARRANGEMENT Question to ask
  • Is the hosting arrangement chosen the best suited to this ambassador?
  • One family? Two families? Three families?
  • What support? Which school?
  • Will the arrangement chosen allow them to experience it fully?
3
THE CLUB Question to ask
  • Is this club genuinely right for this ambassador?
  • Will it help them progress in their sport?
  • Find their place within the team?
  • Fully live out OSE's values?
4
CULTURE Question to ask
  • Will this culture support their personal development?
  • Is the young person ready to discover different ways of life, thinking, communicating and living together?
  • Will this cultural encounter broaden their outlook on the world?
5
THE HARMONY OF THE WHOLE Question to ask
  • Are the four unknowns of the equation in harmony with the young person's personality?
  • Will the hosting arrangement, family, club and culture form a coherent whole that allows them to grow and reveal the best of themselves?

MISTAKES TO AVOID

  • Choosing only the best athlete.
  • Confusing performance with maturity.
  • Assuming a young person will adapt to any environment.
  • Fitting the young person to the arrangement rather than the arrangement to the young person.
  • Underestimating the importance of cultural differences.
  • Forgetting that every ambassador is a unique individual.

GOOD PRACTICES

Before confirming an ambassador:
  • take the time to get to know them;
  • meet their family;
  • understand their deeper motivations;
  • assess their capacity for independence;
  • look for the most suitable hosting arrangement;
  • choose the family, club and culture that best suit them;
  • gradually build the equation most favourable to their development.
At OSE, an ambassador is not selected. They reveal themselves gradually.

The OSE Checklist

Before confirming an ambassador's departure, can we answer YES to the following statements?
The young person genuinely wants to experience this adventure.
The club will allow them to flourish.
Their family fully supports the project.
The host country's culture will support their development.
The hosting arrangement suits their personality.
The OSE Mentor will be able to support them effectively.
The host family is a good match for them.
We are convinced that this equation will allow them to reveal the best of themselves.

If the answer to an essential question is « NO », it is best to continue reflecting.
Time spent building this equation is always an investment in the success of the adventure.

THE FOUNDER'S PERSPECTIVE

« At OSE, we do not look for the best ambassador. We create the conditions for a young person to reveal the best of themselves.

Our responsibility is not to transform them, but to build around them the human equation that will allow them to grow, flourish and become a true OSE ambassador.

When this equation is right, the young person reveals themselves… and everyone grows with them. »

Luis Fernandez Founder of OSE

✦A sheet is not meant to be read. It is meant to be lived. Take the time to talk it through before deciding.✦