Out here in Letterkenny, Gaelic and Footballl are the most popular sports. At times it can get hard having kids managing two to three sports at a time. During our Halloween break Cullen, Spencer and I spent our week organizing and coaching a basketball clinic with Mulroy Hoops and Blaze Basketball. It is always nice to see familiar faces that we have assisted or trained before. It’s even better when new players show up eager to improve some skills and play a few games.
Throughout the prepping process, we were lucky to have such a great turn out with kids that wanted to spend a few hours in the gym with us! We were able to cramp in so many fun games and drills within the 3-hour sessions. We coached players between the ages 7-18 and was so excited to see so many kids with smiles on their faces. When they played 4v4 with us or when there is a big upset when playing Hot Seat (the candy helped with that too!)
My favourite day of the week was Friday: Spencer and I went to an u10’s training session and while some of the kids were warming up shooting, a little girl was spectating on the sideline. I asked if she wanted to come onto the court and play but she seemed a little reluctant as you can tell she has never played before. Eventually, I handed her a small ball and was showing her a few tricks that she could try. She eventually was on the court ready and willing to participate through the whole clinic (and even won a passing game!) and by the end of the camp, she was so happy that she was wondering if and when we were coming back! Moments like these are just a little reminder of how much impact us as Scholars could really have on someone just by spending a few hours with them. I truly hope that each one of them enjoyed their time with us throughout the week and even come back once we have another clinic set up!
