First time for everything
This Sunday it was the coaches who didn’t make it. Though, unfortunately, the number of kids was still only around 30. But three of the older guys got their first taste of coaching. Rafi, who normally coaches the boys under 14, had to stay home to study for an exam this week. So Nabil, Abed and Issam, again the only three older guys to show, took over. They were coachless because Big Mohammed was sick and Little Mohammed wasn’t answering his mobile.
The temporary coaches had a great time.
“I like to be ferocious. Torture them,” Abed told me. He’s a bit shy and soft-spoken, so I couldn’t really tell if he was joking. Seeing the boys run the court in the heat, I almost assumed he probably wasn’t. Most of the kids were a little less than fast running laps around the court behind Issam, but they managed to move like lightning over to the water bottles when they got breaks for a gulp.
Stretching was also a bit less than successful with the kids. Nabil and Issam walked from one kid to the next and back again straightening their legs as they reached for their toes. The back and forth and back again played out a second time while the kids laid on their backs and raised their legs in the air. As soon as either Nabil or Issam turned their back after taking a kid by the ankles and giving a gentle tug to get their knees to lock, the kids would bend their legs again.
I headed over to see how the girls were doing. They were also short a coach. Rita, who works with the girls over 14, was also home studying. Talar, the younger girls’ coach, had her hands full with the 16 girls. They played two small, short games and then broke for a little shooting practice.
The girls lined up on either side of the court at the half-court line and drove the ball to the net. They’re getting better, but a lot of the shots didn’t quite make it.
Talar then had them line up for some passing practice. The girls stood in two lines facing each other working on chest passes. Though they were about 2 meters apart, there were still a number of missed passes. But they were having a good time.
The boys, meanwhile, were getting ready for a five-on-five game after a few running and shooting drills. The full-court game got a little chaotic with all the kids running around and a small fight broke out. I didn’t see it, but Issam told me one boy was opening and telling the boy with the ball to pass to him. When the pass didn’t come, the fight broke out. The temporary coaches stepped in to break it up and no one was hurt.
When 10:30 hit, the kids spilt and Nabil, Issam and Abed took the court.
The temporary coaches had a great time.
“I like to be ferocious. Torture them,” Abed told me. He’s a bit shy and soft-spoken, so I couldn’t really tell if he was joking. Seeing the boys run the court in the heat, I almost assumed he probably wasn’t. Most of the kids were a little less than fast running laps around the court behind Issam, but they managed to move like lightning over to the water bottles when they got breaks for a gulp.
Stretching was also a bit less than successful with the kids. Nabil and Issam walked from one kid to the next and back again straightening their legs as they reached for their toes. The back and forth and back again played out a second time while the kids laid on their backs and raised their legs in the air. As soon as either Nabil or Issam turned their back after taking a kid by the ankles and giving a gentle tug to get their knees to lock, the kids would bend their legs again.
I headed over to see how the girls were doing. They were also short a coach. Rita, who works with the girls over 14, was also home studying. Talar, the younger girls’ coach, had her hands full with the 16 girls. They played two small, short games and then broke for a little shooting practice.
The girls lined up on either side of the court at the half-court line and drove the ball to the net. They’re getting better, but a lot of the shots didn’t quite make it.
Talar then had them line up for some passing practice. The girls stood in two lines facing each other working on chest passes. Though they were about 2 meters apart, there were still a number of missed passes. But they were having a good time.
The boys, meanwhile, were getting ready for a five-on-five game after a few running and shooting drills. The full-court game got a little chaotic with all the kids running around and a small fight broke out. I didn’t see it, but Issam told me one boy was opening and telling the boy with the ball to pass to him. When the pass didn’t come, the fight broke out. The temporary coaches stepped in to break it up and no one was hurt.
When 10:30 hit, the kids spilt and Nabil, Issam and Abed took the court.
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