Pachaj

This is a second in an occasional series of posts by students about the work they do in the basketball camps each day.

Guatemla is a beautiful country and I am very much enjoying working at the camps. Our camp is in it´s first year with Hoops Sagrado . It´s the camp at Pachaj. The first day we got their they had a nice little ceremony planned for us. We got speeches of appreciation and a native dance. It was amazing. I think I heard more than 15 times about how excited they were to have us there. It felt like we were actually accomplishing something.

We have now been at Pachaj for two and a half weeks. Time flies by. The children are just so exited to be a part of this. It sounds cheesy, I know. But their faces tell a lot.

There are a total of five of us working at the camps. There´s Kendra, Ernest, Jordyn, Jerren, and myself. We ride one microbus, a regular chicken bus, we hike up a very steep hill and then we walk some more to get up to the school. But it´s all worth it because just seeing the smiles on their faces and just loooking forward to working with us makes it all worth it.

Each day they start with stretches and warm ups. Ernest and Kendra work with the girls (who are a hyper bunch) and Jordyn and Jerren work with the boys.They all seem to work well together. But you can´t forget about me either I like to consider myself as the bridge. I translate most of what they can´t figure out but want the children to understand. I missed camp once because I got sick. Let´s just say they were very happy to have me back the next day.

We´ve started to work on plays and practicing more drills. They´re really into it along with the kids because, of course, we want to win. After a couple of weeks you can say we´ve all bonded really well with each other. Working with the boys and girls in the camps has pretty much made each of us appreciate the life we live back home. Most of these children don´t get to experience childhood the way we do back in the states, so just us taking the time to teach them about basketball and spending time with them, it makes a difference.

Sandra is a recent graduate from the Youth Build program and will begin classes at Montgomery College in the fall. Sandra's parents came to the United States from Guatemala shortly before her birth. This is only the second time she has been back to Guatemala and the first time leaving the capital.

A Day at the Beach

Perhaps it was being at sea level after two weeks in the mountains, or perhaps it was the heat and humidity that reminded everyone of home, or perhaps even (probably) it was a Friday with no Spanish classes, but whatever it was, Hoops Sagrado went 2 for 3 on their Friday visit to the costal city of Reutalueh.

With music blaring from ginormous speakers and dozens of students milling about the outdoor court with a covered roof (definitely one of the nicer courts we've come across in our travels, especially after the game in Chichi), the morning didn't start out on a high note when the Hoops women lost to the Collegio D'Antoni 18-14.

The one highlight of the game was Jackie, a Hoops student and first-time baller who gave it her all in an effort to keep it close. A special thanks too to the student from D'Antoni who played with the Knights and probably played with the most heart winning her a Hoops Sagrado jersey.

But things quickly turned around when the varsity Knights team provided a basketball clinic for the local professional selection team from Reutalueh beating them 51-31. The game featured everything from break away slamdunks, to backdoor passing, to an Ossie Schectman two-handed, underhanded layup, and buzzer-beater 3-pointers (¿tienes cable?)

The younger guns got their chance too beating the D'Antoni team 20-2. For them the victory was bittersweet. After going up 18-0 in the first 15 minute half, the ref (Athletic Director of the school) decided to go with the mercy rule and allowed for only a 5 minute second half. With the taste of victory at hand, the younger Knights substituted frequently in the last five minutes giving everyone a chance to play. The D'Antoni team only got on the board because of an unfortunate foul with less than 10 seconds to go.

Immediately following the game, the scene resembled a Tiger Beat magazine signing party as all the young D'Antoni girls crowded around seeking autographs and photos of the entire Hoops team...players or not. While the D'Antoni moms in the crowd (can anyone say cougar?) didn't participate in the post-game adulation they did seem to sit awfully close to the one casi middle-aged Knights player.

All-in-all a good morning in Reutalueh, if you don't factor in the fact that we were in the coffee growing region of Guatemala and the Hoops scorekeeper couldn't find a cup of coffee anywhere....

After the games we boarded the bus once more for the quick ride to the nearby port town of Champerica where the beach is lined with small outdoor restaurants. We quickly staked our claim to a restaurant all to ourselves and everyone suited up and headed for the warm waters of the Pacific.

Once everyone had gotten their fill of swimming and fresher than fresh seafood, we headed back to the cool mountain nights of Xela. Somehow sparing life and limb, our chartered chicken bus seemed to make the return trip to Xela in record time with barely a chance for folks to sleep off the effects of an afternoon at the beach.

Chirijiquiac

This is the first in an occasional series of posts by students in the Hoops Sagrado program describing their time in Guatemala:

Most people will think going to a camp in Guatemala is like survival of the fittest...not even.

Being in Guatemala is like nothing I've ever done before. Chirijiquiac is the furthest camp from the school and riding with my teammates and the looks on their faces told me this was going to take forever--with the smell of diesel smoke buffering out.

When it was our stop, we got off and immediatly the kids rushed over and hugged whoever they could put there hands around except me because it was my first time at the camp. I walked over and saw that we had only one court and there are 48 kids--boys and girls. I said to myself “How is this going to work? It looks impossible for it to happen.” Especially since I'm so used to full court and about 15 players to a court at the basketball camps.

Then I heard “chicas y chicos liñes.” And I said “what cheetos?” I was in the middle of the court and boys and girls rushed to get to their side. The camp began and I was like “Ohhh thats how it works.”

Now, this is my second time in Guatemala. Two years ago I was about 5´2 and now I´m 5´7 and taller than the kids!

Since we're at a different school [Spanish school in Xela] we didn't know how to get to Chirijquiac that first day so Stan, a Hoops Sagrado vet said “All we have to do is get to the rotunda.” So we walked to catch a micro bus that had a guy yelling out the side of the bus saying “Rotunda…Rotunda…Rotunda…. Si” We got to the rotunda and millions of buses went past.

I remembered to same smell of the diesal fuel smoke amd it was like smelling Mindy´s homemade cookies, which are better than Chips-a-Hoy, and when our bus finally came, I said it it brought back memeries. The bumpy roads were heavenly to the rump.

Our stop came and we got off the bus that left us in a cloud of smoke as it pulled off. We walked through the smoke and saw the kids playing basketball and when they saw us, they stopped and rushed over and hugged everybody. A few girls rushed and took my hand and said “¿Tu novia?”

When we began the camps I looked over and saw a smile so familiar. She asked me what was my name and I said "Brandon. Y tu?" And she said Juana and I remembered her from two years ago when we won the champingship. All the kids in the camp are bigger than they were two years ago. We did shooting drills and a girl named Santa had destiny in her eyes and made every shot when I asked her to "repeat."

The days have been going great and cuts are coming up. No doubt about it will be hard to let good players go.

Written by Brandon. Brandon will be a 16 year-old junior at The Field School in the fall. This is his second visit to Guatemala with Hoops, but the first summer he will be here for the whole month.

The Guatemala Home Court Advantage

With all do respect to the marvels of modern architecture American basketball`s march into the 21st century, it seems as though there's a sterility and sameness to all of these state-of-the-art arenas that have been popping up across the North American landscape.


Thank God for Guatemala!!!!!!

Most basketball players can tell you of legendary teams that could use the advantage of their home court take a slight edge over their opponents.

Examples:

Duke has the Cameron Crazies and all of their obnoxious, sly, wit. (sorry Maria)

In 1986, Larry Bird and Friends were 50-1 at the "Gah-den" during the regular season and playoffs using several infamous design flaws to their advantage, such as knowing where the dead spots were in the parquet floor, and that the visitors a locker room was the size of a shoebox and hotter than the Puerto Barrios.

Well, Hoops Sagrado teams have been the victims of some amazing home court advantages over the years.

In 2002, we played in the Xela Military base against a military team. At halftime Hoops was up by 7 when armed soldiers were placed at each of the corners of the court. (We won by 2 and got out of their in a hurry)

In 2003, San Mateo Ixtantan 800 hundred fans came out to support the local team many of them sat on top of the 500 year old church and rained bricks of firecrackers on the court and on us during the game.

In 2004, the Hoops Sagrado Knights played at the gym in Salcaja against our arch-rivals Xela in a game that featured a halftime show of an Evangelical Karate team that smashed boards that were on fire (the power of Christ compels you!!) and a mid game replacement of the ball after we hit 5 straight three pointers. Not a big deal….. other than the new ball was one of rubber ones you get for ordering the large pizza during the NCAA tournament from Pizza Hut.

In 2005, at the Cantel Tournament (which should be our home court) Team Molar from the Pacific Coast had their fans and wives sit on our bench and yelled at us the entire game. Things those nice young ladies and their children shouldn’t say in any language……and again this was on our bench!!! When we brought it to the ref’s attention he just laughed.

Last year after a 4 hour flight and 5 hour bus ride across the country to Huehuetenango we were forced to play against the hometown team at 1am in an international tournament. Hoops took an early lead when suddenly the power went out. When the game resumed a Mam (Mayan language group) radio station embedded themselves behind our bench like Michael Ware in Iraq. The reporters continually asked us questions in broken Spanish about our plan of attack against the unbeatable heroes of the State of Huehue…..all HAIL!!!

So far this year the best Home Court Advantage we have seen is the gym in Chichicastenango, or should I say the indoor farmer’s market that at night functions as the Pro-team’s gym. Hoops Sagrado players packed up stands, shoveled up fruit goop (I hope it was fruit) from the floor, and swept up some sort of seeds before the game tipped-off.

A giant metal box straight out of an episode of Mystery Science Theater 3000 or Get Smart was brought out of storage and set up to a elaborate electric scoreboard system that hung up high in the rafters. The scoreboard kept track of points and team fouls, but it had no clock so the time was kept on an old school Timex thus keeping both teams in the dark as to the time left in the game. Three minutes at the end of the game seem to be more like 45 seconds and the possession arrow was a roll of masking tape that was moved from one side of the giant box to the other.

At one end of the floor the backboard was fixed to the wall, making fast break lay-ups a thing of beauty --- like a human crash up derby. At the other end was a curb that shadowed the baseline. That rolled ankle will teach you to step out of bounds, gringo.

Chichi used the missed portions of goop on as off the ball picks sending Hoops players to the floor like Jeff McGuiness in the 1995 ACC Tournament.

Ouch Kendra!!!!

Top that with some of the most original referees in the history of basketball that gave the Hoops Sagrado Knights 3 technical fouls.

First, for having players on the floor during a timeout. ¿Que? And that Tech was called by the scorekeeper. Who knew the scorekeeper could do that?

Second, for throwing an elbow while alone in the back-court (Aniekan). ¿En serio?

And finally, for rolling your eyes (Victor) at a foul call.

When asked about the calls the Chichi referee keep telling us Este no es la NBA, gringo.

Bienvenidos a Basketball de Guatemala!!!!!

Cakchiquel...Catch a what?

In another Hoops Sagrado first, Monday dawned with everyone arriving on time at the school at 8 a.m. for the start of classes. After being assigned their teachers everyone seemed to quickly settle in to their studies and for the first time since leaving D.C. the only words that could be heard were Spanish(ish).

The students had lunch and home and then met up at the school around 2 p.m. to head to the villages for their first day of camps. The four camps are Xejuyup (Sam, Victor, Jonathan, Trell and Nadia), Chuisuc (Aniekan, Jackie, Johari, Bibi, Arsenio), Chirijquac (Stan, Brittney, Akasha, Ronald, Brandon) and Pachaj (Kendra, Ernest, Jordyn, Sandra and Jerren)

Internet cafe closing....more in morning

Emerging Stars

On Sunday, the Knights looked to recover from their loss at San Cristobal with a game against a team from Colonial San Antiono, a neighborhood in Xela (the Barry Farms of Xela).

The Knights young guns clearly had recovered from their lackluster play and hot dog with cabbage coma on Saturday because they quickly went up 12 to 0. San Antonio started off the game 0 for 6 from the foul line courtesy of some questionable calls from the refs (Bryan, Stan and Ernest).

Under the vocal coaching style of Sam, several stars emerged during the game. Jordyn proved that she could give as good as she got as she was repeatedly fouled by the SA henchmen and never once backed down. Kendra had a breakout game from the outside post knocking down four quick buckets. Johari, Trell, Bibi and Jerren played lock down defense that turned into several unanswered fast break buckets.

Of the emerging stars, two stood out brighter than the others in a classic blue collar vs. superstar show down.

The superstar, Brandon, quickly became a fan favorite of the 12 and under female San Antonio fans. The San Antonio fans were so enamoured with Brandon and his boyish good looks that they learned English on the spot in order to scream out You can do it 13. In a series of half time photos that would impress even former boy bander Justin Timberlake, Brandon solidified his status as the Joaquim Noah of the Hoops Sagrado Knights. Oh and by the way, he played really well too.

The working class hero of the game and team favorite was Jonathan. Jonathan, who had not really seemed all that interested in playing decided that Sunday was his day to prove what a fraud he is because he dusted off the 00 uniform and came in off the bench and immediately scored on put back bucket that produced a grin big enough to be seen in Washington. He followed that up with two more buckets and six rebounds and a block. Not bad for a guy who had been practicing his magic tricks more than his jump shots. Look out Suchi.

Final score 99 to 81.

San Cristobal Tour

Saturday morning arrived and we all loaded into a mini-bus driven by one of the teachers at the school (and a heistbox player for the rival team) and headed to San Cristobal, a small town about 30 minutes away for their basketball tournament.

The Hoops Sagrado Knights reign as the 3-time defending champions of the San Cristobal tournament came an anticlimatic end, when, after winning their first game in a nail-biter 60-59, they fell to a team from Suchitepequez/Mazatenango that reached the finals of the tournament under dubious circumstance (it started to rain and the team they were playing--Hoops Sagrado archrival team Xela--ran off with more than a quarter to go...slum).

The 30-minute rain delay and hot dog and Doroito lunch (courtesy of the host city) provided some sluggish play from Hoops Sagrado early on in the "championship" game. After cutting a 20 point deficit to 6 on the geriatric backs of their coach and counselors, the Knights ultimately fell to Suchi (slum). A rematch is in the works for later in the trip.

Xela will get a taste in the Cantel tournament on August 12 (weather permitting). Slum.

After the games were over, everyone headed to the fair where they sampled some of the local delicacies (corn on a stick with mayonaise, ketchup and picante), threw water bags at a guy in a wrestling mask and rode a ferris wheel in the rain. All lived to tell about the ferris wheel ride, although their stomaches may have had other ideas.

The bus ride back to Xela was referred to by one student as "the best bus ride ever." After the group ran out of rap songs to sing (and the oldsters on the trip couldn't convince them to sing some old-school rap), Hoops Sagrado reached an all-time program low when someone started (and sadly everyone joined in) a pathetic version of "The Itsy Bitsy Spider." (If any of you would like to feel old, have a 14-year old sing you "Lip Gloss" and show you the dance that goes with it. Now we have a sense of what our parents must have thought about The Cabbagepatch.)