In January 2026, Waves for Change (W4C) surf therapy coaches and support staff from across the Western and Eastern Cape gathered with a shared purpose: strengthening their ability and competency to create safe, supportive spaces where young people can thrive. W4C hosted its bi-annual Take 5 Grounding Training at the Lavender Hill Sports Facility, bringing together 43 coaches from five sites, including two remote Eastern Cape programmes. The 10-day training introduces coaches to the five protective factors that underpin our Surf Therapy Take 5 model — a core teaching approach designed to support young people’s wellbeing and resilience.

With W4C’s Take 5 model, we embed five essential protective factors into children’s lives to support their well-being and resilience. This is done through the delivery of the Take 5 teaching routine, by competent coach facilitators. The Take 5 teaching routine involves five key activities, intentionally selected to increase social connections, mastery of self-regulation techniques, and respite through play and fun. 

These protective factors focus on access to a caring adult, safe spaces, social and emotional skill-building, opportunities to try new and challenging tasks, and referrals to additional support services and networks. Through the Take 5 routine, coaches learn how to intentionally integrate positive experiences that support positive thoughts, feelings, and behaviours — both in and out of the water.

Many W4C coaches come from the same under-served communities as the young people they work with. This shared lived experience means coaches deeply understand the pressures, risks, and adversities participants face daily. The Grounding Training is designed not only to strengthen coaching skills and competencies, but also to support coaches themselves as they hold space for others.

Young people in South Africa face adversity more often than the average child, which increases their risk of engaging in harmful behaviours and navigating toxic environments,” explains Jamie-Lee, Surf Therapy Training Manager. “Waves for Change has identified five protective factors that increase resilience, self-awareness, and the ability to self-regulate. This enables participants — and coaches — to make healthier choices, connect with others, and feel more physically and emotionally well.“

Finding Calm Between the Waves

When a Waves 4 Change (W4C) participant first arrives at the beach, the ocean feels louder than their  thoughts. Growing up in an under-served community often means staying alert, guarded, and ready for whatever the day might bring. School can often feel overwhelming, and big emotions often have nowhere safe to land. But at W4C, something feels  different.

Here, there’s always someone who sees me,” one participant shares. “When I feel angry or stressed, I  don’t just ignore it. I’ve learnt how to calm down and manage my emotions better.”

That sense of being seen is intentional. W4C’s Surf Therapy Programme is built around five protective factors, brought to life through consistent routines, caring relationships, and encouragement to try — even when fear is present. Simple moments, like a coach greeting a participant by name, slowing down breathing together, or offering gentle encouragement to paddle out, can create ripple effects far beyond the beach. Over time, those moments in the water begin to extend into the classroom, into friendships, and into how young people see themselves.

Behind these moments are coaches who have walked similar paths.  “I understand the pressures our youth face,” shares a former surf therapy coach, now a W4C support staff member.

That’s why the training matters so much. It gives us tools not just to teach surfing, but to support young people as whole human beings.”

During the Grounding Training, coaches deepened their understanding of the five protective factors and practiced the Surf Therapy Take 5 routine — strengthening their competency and confidence to deliver a child-friendly, trauma-informed surf therapy programme.

By the end of the training, coaches left feeling more connected, confident, and equipped to support participants navigating some of life’s toughest waves. Back at the beach, young people continue to feel the impact — one breath, one wave, and one caring connection at a time.

About Waves for Change

Waves for Change (W4C) is a South African non-profit company working in the Western and Eastern Cape, with a support hub office in Cape Town. W4C provides mental wellness support to adolescents growing up in high-stress environments using a combination of the evidence-based Take 5 Model and sport, in this case, surfing. The community-based programme is called Surf Therapy.

W4C’s Surf Therapy programme has grown from employing 2 coaches and reaching 15 children annually in 2011, to employing 43 coaches and reaching 2,800 children annually in 2025. Today, Waves for Change provides 3,049 free Surf Therapy sessions annually. 

• With the Take 5 teaching routine ‘competent coaches’ master 9 foundational helping skills, including: verbal and non-verbal communication, building rapport, empathy and warmth, manage disclosure, managing groups, behaviour management, include all genders & abilities, and make learning fun.
• The 5 key activities in the  Take 5 teaching routine include: 1) Energisers, 2 ) A check in, 3) A Take 5 breathing technique activity, 4) A physical- and group-based play activity, and 5) A check out.
  

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