When I was applying to become a Victory Scholar the one aspect of the program that I was most excited about was coaching. I love the game of basketball and being able to pass on any knowledge I have acquired over my lifetime is a dream come true. My expectations were that I would be spending most of my time working with the higher level teams in Waterford, helping develop the players skills and knowledge of the game. While I do spend some time with the older teams, running their practices at a high level, like I did at their age back in the States. Coaching these teams have been a real joy, as I get to pass on my knowledge of the game like I always wanted. In this sense my expectations were met.
However, and fortunately for me, I also spend time each week working with children who have never played basketball in their lives. Every Saturday morning I run what is called “The Academy” in Waterford for children ages 7-11. We work on all the basics like dribbling, lay-ups, passing, and, of course, practicing good sportsmanship. Initially I thought that this hour would be my most monotonous hour of coaching each week, and I could not have been more wrong about that. The energy and passion that those kids bring into the gym every Saturday morning is inspiring. The Academy has truly become my favorite hour of the week. There is very little technical basketball training going on, as we are just developing the very foundation of their skill set. That is not why this hour is so great. It is so great because of the infectious enthusiasm that the kids bring. No matter how homesick I feel, how difficult school gets, or how low my bank account is, all the problems melt away for that hour. While it was already something that I was well aware of, I am blessed to have that weekly reminder of why Basketball is the greatest game in the world.
P.S.
The Academy had 13 kids on the first day back in October. This past Saturday there were 35 kids in attendance.
