Bball Story: Success in More Ways Than One!

We won! Incredibly, a team who was largely unfamiliar with the game a short time ago, rallied and worked together to win all of their games.
The day was hot and sunny, a day for dreams to come true. The boys looked so serious when I spoke to them before the last game. I told them how proud I was of them, that they had overcome challenges to get to this point, how they had already achieved great success. I told them that no matter the outcome of this, the final game, I was proud of them.
We were playing the Manyatta Arabs Dragons in the final. This was the only team to truly challenge us in round robin play. The last time we played them the game had gone into double overtime but we had come out victorious. I was concerned that the boys were tired, that they might be nervous with their muzungu sponsor watching on the sidelines. But I had no reason to worry. The boys came out strong and never looked back. They dominated the entire game and were the clear victors. We got the "Disney" ending after all.
When the trophy presentations were made, I was asked to present the Championship trophy. This was a true honour! I had travelled so far to witness this great event, but in that moment, I felt like I was just down the road from home. I felt that if I turned my head I might see my own son, standing in pride, waiting to play a little one-on-one with any boy who still had energy to spare. Perhaps, what I was seeing was a future event. For I will be back.
We have momentum now and have demonstrated success. Our action plan is developing and there is no turning back. There is a lot more work to do but there is joy in this work. Joy!

So, where was the success? It was everywhere and in everything. There was success, for sure, in the outcome. There was success in the level of play of all of the teams. These was success in the observed discipline, strength and sportsmanship exhibited by the players. There was success in the presence of a girls' teams in the tournament. There was success in having the ability to witness the fruits of our labours. Thank you LDSB. You helped to make it possible for my dreams to come true. There was success in the support received from many. This support made this moment possible. Thank you Truedell Public School. Thank you Kingston Impact. Thank you Lakers Basketball. Thank you ETFO Limestone Local. Thank you John Geddes for the encouragement to pursue this dream and for all of your help along the way. Thank you to Dan Otieno, who worked tirelessly behind the scenes to coordinate my time there as well as to purchase poles, backboards, shoes, etc. Thank you Donald Mark for coaching this team, for choosing to overcome adversity, for sticking with the plan and helping to make this happen. Thank you to John Oloo, from Yala, who helped to coach the team and to Patrick, from Kisumu, the tournament convenor. Thank you to my husband and my son, who always support me in these adventures. And, thank you to all of the individual donors, too numerous to mention individually, who gave generously to support these great boys, this great team.

My students understood the success, even before I did, it seems. When asked the value of this basketball story earlier this fall, their response bears repeating. "Well, that's easy Mrs. Grew. This story has taught us that "Anything is Possible". SUCCESS!