Basketball Success Story Part One: Getting there!

Today was the day of the tournament.  The big day was here!  A day to witness the fruits of "our" labours.  This was a true team effort and it was immediately evident how the coaches and the boys worked hard to achieve success. Many of these boys were relatively inexperienced with the game of basketball.  They had been working together since last February and they worked diligently to learn the many aspects of the game.  They went five for five, winning all of their matches, including the Championship final game.  "Kingston's Team in Kenya" came away with victory but the success was not all basketball.  My Truedell students say that the "big idea"of this basketball story is that "anything is possible".  Today's outcome is direct evidence of that!

Anything is Possible!

Once again I awoke to the crow of the rooster.  It is never surprising to hear and see farm animals on city properties and streets in Kenya.  On this, my fourth visit, the appearance of a cow on the road is not even newsworthy.  We set out around 8:55 am to travel to the school grounds where Kingston's Team would be joining 5 other teams in a tournament.  Getting there was an adventure in itself.  After  all, this is Africa!

Dan was firm in his statements and reminders that we should be ready to leave by 8:30 am.  John and I, therefore, were outside and ready to go close to that time.  We waited and waited for Dan, who arrived 20 minutes later, saying, "there is time".  This is Africa.  Into the car and off we went.  After driving for 20 minutes to a destination that was supposed to be 10 minutes away, even Dan had to admit that we were lost.  How could this happen, you may ask?  Well the answer is not one, but many.  First the location given was not clear.  Second, the school listed was one of several in the region with the same name, and third, there are no street names or signs to direct you.  Finally, Dan got directions by cell phone and two minutes later we were there.  But where the heck were we?  This was not the school listed on the tournament schedule.  We pulled in and the staff member present had no idea about a tournament and there were no children evident.  Just when my stress level was about to peak, (I had travelled some 15000 km to attend a game and we were now about 30 minutes late) I turned my head and there was Donald, the coach.  He told us that the boys were just "over there", indicating the direction with a casual wave of his hand which could have meant just about anywhere. In reality it meant an entirely different school a few more minutes down the road.

"Ok, well let's go".  "No, not yet, you need to be received by the Chairman", said Donald.  My stress level continued to increase.  "Received?  Why are we being received here when the tournament is somewhere else. The answer was not immediately clear but nonetheless we were escorted through the school grounds, into the building where the Chairman welcomed two very confused muzungus into his office.  (Muzungu is the African word for white person).  After introductions we were given a bottle of water and then we went back out the car and followed the Chairman to the school where the tournament was being held.  Later, it was explained to us that the Chairman was the convenor of the tournament and it had been his request that we come to his school to be received.  The fact that we had gotten lost and were now late was never considered.  There was no reason to modify plans, to adapt the schedule to account for our time lost in travel.  There was a planned program and they were sticking to it.  This is Africa!

Needless to say, we arrived, now more than an hour late.  It didn't matter though as nothing had started and not all of the teams had even arrived.  The stress it seems was all John's and mine.  Everyone else was not concerned.  This was a normal day for them.  Time has its own schedule here and despite the fact that we were an hour late, in the end we were, in fact, early!  In my next entry I will tell you more about the tournament but I will leave you now with this photo of the winning team, Kingston's Team in Kenya.

The boys relax after achieving victory!  Go boys!  Go Team!

Song, Dance and Strategic Planning

I awoke from an African dream to the crowing of a rooster, only to discover that it wasn't a dream. I am here! 

Another beautiful and productive day in Africa. Had two successful strategic planning sessions related to plans to develop basketball in the Siaya District of Kenya. Plans are in place in two schools, proving that, in fact, some dreams can come true.   #AnythingisPossible

John Geddes and I arrive to the gifts of song and dance.

My first African Selfie with girls from Ramula Secondary

John performs the ribbon cutting ceremony.

Looking out on my world.

Donald Mark appreciates gifts from Kingston Impact and Lakers Basketball Organizations and the Vreeken family.
Go Team!  Kingston's Team in Kenya!!!

Meeting the team for the first time.

Let the Games Begin.

Looking to the Stars

She was there!

Ramula Secondary wants to Play!!!

Build it and they will play!

When people ask why I am encouraging children in Africa to play basketball, I tell them that basketball is a great sport and it teaches important life lessons.  It is fun and it does not require expensive equipment.  The skills needed can be learned in some degree by all or most children.  Why basketball?  "Why not?", I say.

The bottom line is that it is not really about basketball, it is about having the opportunity to play and learn and enjoy.  Basketball is the vehicle by which children can learn skills to be successful in life.  Skills like leadership and communication.  Skills like team work, sportsmanship, and collaboration.  Skills like problem solving, how to win with humility and how to lose with dignity.  Ask yourself if these are important skills and if you feel that they are then I think you can appreciate that playing basketball can encourage leadership for the future.  As adults, these young basketball players will apply the skills that they learn on the court to all aspects of their daily life.  They will be leaders in their communities and they will impact the world positively in ways which we can only hypothesize.

If you are still questioning whether playing the sport of basketball is important, well, don't take my word for it.  Recently I asked my class if sports were important?  "Of course", they replied and then they went on to tell me all the reasons why.  Here they are:

Benefits of Playing Sports

By Grade 4/5 Students

                  We have been discussing the benefits of playing sports and this week we wrote about this topic.  Together we came up with many benefits.  They include:

·       Sports can strengthen your confidence.

·       Sports help you to get good exercise.  Exercise is good for your body.

·       Sports can strengthen your muscles.

·       Playing a sport can help your concentration in the classroom.

·       Playing a sport can help you to deal with sad feelings.

·       Sports help you to get rid of extra energy.

·       Sports help you to focus more.

·       Sports can help you develop teamwork!

·       Sports help you to live a happy life!

·       Sports can help you to be a better problem solver.

·       Sports can help you to deal with competition.

·       Playing sports can help to make you healthy.

·       Playing sports helps you to have fun!

·       Sports can help you to be flexible.

·       Sports can improve your balance.

·       Playing sports teaches you about good sportsmanship.

·       Sports can teach you to be responsible.

·       Playing a sport can be inspiring!

·       Sports can help you to be a good winner and a good loser!

·       Playing sports is better than doing nothing.  You won’t get bored.

·       Playing sports can help you to make new friends.

·       Sports can help you to develop courage.

·       Sports can help you to travel.   For example, you may travel to tournaments.

·       Sports can challenge you.

·       Sports can teach me that I can do anything if I believe in myself.

·       And yes, if I am lucky, if I have skill and talent and if I work hard I may even be a professional athlete!

Coming home!

People often ask me, "Why Africa? Why do you want to keep returning there?" My response, if I give it, is that I feel like I am going home. 

Returning again yesterday, I was anxious to know if my reaction would be the same. It was. If anything, with each return visit, the feeling intensifies. 

It is hard to describe without sounding overly dramatic but when I step off the plane and out into the moment, my body is bombarded with a sensory overload whose impact, it seems, serves to awaken my DNA. Latent chromosomes lying deep within each cell are triggered awake by the scent of woodsmoke, the heat of the sun's rays and the buzz of bird song. My retinas are stimulated by a delicious array of colour and images. Flowers, green plants, symbolic shapes and motifs, activate optic nerves that have long waited to transfer these same impulses to the nerves of my brain. 

In summary, the combined effect of all of these stimuli serve to awaken in me a consciousness that has been dormant for the many months or years since my last visit. The feeling is like walking across the threshold of your family home after having been away for far too long. Like walking across the threshold and into the welcoming arms of your mom. It feels like, "ahh, I am home!"

Many people reading this will question my sanity. Nancy is being melodramatic, they will say. A few people though, will get it. Those few have felt the same sensation when returning to their own part of the world.

This part, this place, is mine!

A Basketball Journey Has Begun

The long anticipated trip to Kenya has begun.  It first involved a train ride to Toronto followed by a 25 minute ride on the UP light rail train with direct service to the airport.  This was a pleasant way to avoid the winter storm that appeared to bid us farewell.

Once at the airport our luggage was checked.  Boarding for the 12 hour flight to Dubai involved surviving a crush of passengers at the gate.  Given that we all had assigned seats the mob scene made no sense.  It was a "Gong Show".  (Students you can google and find out what this means to "Old Mrs. Grew".)

The same chaos continued onto the plane where all of these same people tried to crush multiple pieces of carry-on luggage into overhead bins designed for much smaller bags.  This pushing, crushing and heaving continued for 20-30 minutes delaying our departure from the gate.  Finally, when all bins were safely secured we taxied to the runway and took off.

The flight itself was uneventful and I managed to sleep for part of the 12 hour journey.  The Dubai airport was not busy and my layover was quite pleasant and relaxing.

The next flight took us from Dubai to Nairobi.  These flight maps taken off the screen on the back of the seat in front of me are what I would like my students to study and research(see photos and questions below).

This flight was followed by a second short flight from Nairobi to Kisumu.  It was great to arrive, check into my hotel and go for a walk in the bright Kenyan sunshine.

Students, study these photos and see if you can find good answers to the questions below:

Q.1  There appears to be a blue shape moving across this map of the world and our flight path.  What do you think this shape represents?

Q.2  Why do you think the shape appears to be moving?

Q. 3  What do you think that the vertical lines mean on the bottom map?

The Television Interview

Here is a link to my first television interview.  I was happy to have the opportunity to get my message out.
http://www.ckwstv.com/2016/11/28/africa-b-ball/

Siaya Region of Kenya: Why Basketball Part 2?

The basketball project that I am working to develop is located in the Siaya district of Nyanza Province, about forty-four kilometers from Kisumu, in western Kenya. This is largely a rural area and it is an area of extreme poverty where residents struggle daily with issues ranging from hunger, malaria, AIDS, water and sanitation issues, fuel shortages, etc.  You may ask, therefore, if there is so much need in the Siaya region, then why am I working so hard to support basketball?  This is a valid question and one that I have given a great degree of thought.  Yet, when people ask me, "Why basketball?", I respond,  "Why not?"

I am not suggesting that basketball development is in any way more important that HIV prevention, malaria prevention, food security, clean water, or any of the other issues that rural Kenyan citizens face daily due largely to the persistence of poverty.  Clearly, it is not the most important issue but I think most would agree that education is, at least, of equal importance to the items above and it has been, in fact, identified as one of the "Big Five' development interventions that could help to reduce poverty in rural areas.  Physical education is an integral component of a well rounded education and as such is important to the health and well being of students.  Basketball and other team sports can be an effective way to teach and instruct students about sport and about important life skills.

Moreover, I am also comforted by the the fact that many of the other issues related to poverty reduction are being addressed by the work of CanAssist African Relief Trust.  CanAssist is doing an excellent job of providing infrastructure support in Africa and I recently witnessed, first hand, the power of positive change to create real and measurable health gains.  For example, the construction of water wells has decreased the prevalence of waterborne illness dramatically and a simple solution, like the paving of classroom floors can dramatically decrease the incidence of jiggers, a debilitating physical health problem caused by a small flea which lives in the soil.

What truly inspires me to stick with this basketball development project is the awareness of the transformational power of organized sports.  Working on a team sport can not only teach teamwork but it also fosters leadership skills, goal setting, resilience, perseverance as well as inspiring hope and joy.  I have witnessed this first hand while watching, both my son, and the students at my school, learn all of the valuable lessons provided by sport.  For example, I have watched my son transform from an eager and energetic boy, to a hard working athlete and now he has emerged as a sports leader and role model for youth.  Sport provided him with opportunities to grow and to develop and refine important leadership skills.  That is the value of my "Basketball Story".  


I also take comfort from the knowledge that I am not alone in this passion.  After all, the President of the Toronto Raptors has created a foundation called, "Giants of Africa" whose mandate is similar to my own.  The mission of "Giants of Africa" is to use basketball as a means to educate and enrich the lives of African youth.  The Giants of Africa foundation provides facilities and gear with the goal of growing the game within Africa.  They put emphasis on hard work and positivity, goals that are inheritently valuable.  Finally, the organization urges the youth of the nation to dream big.  This is what I am trying to do, on a much smaller scale, at the St. Catherine's School in Ramula, Kenya.  

I am fully cognizant of the reality that very, very few kids who play organized sports make it to the big leagues.  I am not looking for the next "Giant of Africa".  I am not looking for the next big NBA star or Division 1 recruit.  What I am looking for is the chance to provide opportunities where they did not exist before.  Arguably, it is true that many committed athletes go on to be leaders in their community and it is that knowledge that keeps me going.  The solutions to poverty reduction will require strong leadership from the citizens themselves.  The students who develop leadership skills on the basketball court will possibly be some of the village leaders in just a few short year.  This is the goal and I believe it is an honourable one.


Finally, I have to admit that I had no idea that when I took a single basketball to the St. Catherine's School that things would develop in this way but in retrospect I should have expected it.  Basketball is a great game and one that the students will be able to play and enjoy for most of their lives.  I am so fortunate to have had the opportunity to share my passion for the sport in this way and I thank you for your support and encouragement to help make this happen.  In closing, I must state that the final motivating fact which keeps me going is this.  In response to the question of why develop basketball, my response is this.  If not me, than who?  Perhaps you will join me in this quest.  Together we are stronger!