B-Ball with the Boys

I have been playing basketball with the boys everyday during field time. I have been volunteered (by others) to become the b-ball coach. It has been fun teaching the boys fundamentals, playing with them, and watching them grow. This time has allowed me to practice my Kiswahili and learn words to better help them understand what I'm trying to coach. These are just pictures from today's practice/games.

I also have played basketball with the boys. About a week or so ago, the brothers from Utume (a theology center) came to play "Bosco Boys". I played for Bosco Boys and found out soon the game was a "real" game and not for fun. The religious brothers we were playing are older and they were playing against me and the children here. The oldest boy on my team may be 17.

So the game's going and I'm scoring easily and early, trying to give my team a good lead. After a while I subsitute in the children so they can play but then the Brothers from the other school gain the lead. I come back in and they start playing hard, so I start playing hard ;) Then it kind of gets heated because they are way older and shouldn't be losing to children. So they get physical with me and the game's on now. A call goes against them and a priest kicks the ball away as we try to inbound the ball. So I yell at him and point my finger at him and the children are laughing so hard cause no one does that to a grown up, let alone a Salesian. Well the game's heated on both sides, me vs. them. But also there's a brother on my team, Br. Joaquim, who knows how "to get down". He and I start dominating because I'm into it and he doesn't want to lose to these other brothers. We all foul hard and I get a little angry, later in the game I go for a rebound hard and so does the best player from their team. He knees me in my "privates" (accidentally of course), so I hold the ball in one arm and kinda push/swing my arm at him with the free arm. He gets kind of scared and I point and yell at him.

We end up winning by 4 or 5 baskets and I don't think Bosco Boys had ever beat them before. So it was nice from the priests and brothers here to have a victory. I felt really bad afterwards though because that's not what I should be showing in front of the kids. I lost my cool/temper, which I haven't for years. I don't think I've been into a game like that since the last collegiate game I played. It was weird to be that competitive again but not the right place with children looking on. So I apologized to the brothers from the other team and they did as well to me. They also said they lost their cool but it was all good fun. Baddaye ndio (Afterwards all good).

SO, I'm coaching these boys. It really is a high light of my day and here are some pictures.



yoyers


"use the back board"


They call me Avery Johnson. (if you don't know who he is, google him)


This is Eric (left) and Ignatius (right). Eric is one of the younger kids at Bosco Boys and always has a smile on his face. He plays basketball hard, even versus the older boys, and is a fun kid to be around. Ignatius is one of the older boys at the school, leads morning assembly, is one of the better basketball players, and is an over all good guy.


This is Peter. He is one of the tallest boys and speaks English well. He has been a translator/teammate at Bosco Boys.