February 27th, 2015 | Uncategorized
It was just another Friday night, but it was the last coaching session before Christmas. The young people and their parents immediately began asking when we started the coaching back up after the holidays. It was great to see the excitement in the children’s eyes and the appreciation in the voices of each of the parents. This junior Elks coaching session started on a Friday night with maybe 3 or 4 young boys.
Now we consistently have 12 to 15 boys with a few girls who join in on the madness. Each session we want them to have fun and get better, but in the process we can unknowingly do much more.
So l walked into with his mom and presents in hand for each of the coaches. It was so thoughtful.
Reading the card and opening the presents that night was heartwarming, as it illustrated how much this one hour a week means to him. He can also be seen at many of our games with a sign in hand as he cheers loudly for Ronnie and I. It is amazing to see his progression as a basketball player as well as a young child. His confidence has grown exponentially and he has become much more social with his peers.
Another, more recent reminder of our impact on these young lives was when Caroline and I entered the gym to find one of the girls and her mother. The two of them often arrive early when we are setting up. The mother came over to us and thanked us for all that we do. She went on to tell us that her daughter loves the basketball and she has noticed a substantial increase in her confidence.
“When you have confidence, you can have a lot of fun. And when you have fun, you can do amazing things.” – Joe Namath
Victory Scholar: Ryan Ansel
Present University: Ulster University
Alma Mater: Davidson College
Conference: Atlantic 10
