Chuisuc

(Beginning today, we'll be running a series of posts written by our students about their experiences in the basketball clinics. First up is Chuisuc, which is run by Alexis, Aniekan, Carla, Devonte and Elvis).

The camp: five coaches, one court, two weeks and too many kids. No really, it's only too many in relation to the ten who make up the team. However, the team is more than the ten that play in the tournament, it is everybody that comes each day. Some show up to play ball, some just play around, but it is everybody who is around that makes it fun. It's speaking Spanglish, thanking Carla for speaking Spanish, making up handshakes and yelling cuadro afuara in hopes they will box out.

Working with the kids is interesting because you have to teach them everything in ways they'll understand. Basketball serves as a bridge to the language barrier. Although, unless they have ball in their hand, the questions they ask have nothing to do with basketball. The questions they ask are about your family and school.

By the end of the second week, the focus has shifted and its more serious. The questions are like "am I going to make the team?" and "which day are the cuts?" The second week came and we made the cuts. The kids took it pretty well. There was no crying and no bitterness. The best part is the kids we select are sixth graders so the rest are younger, giving them another year to make the team.

Now with the teams made it's still fun and now they just want to win. This week coming up we are teaching them 2-3 defense and offensive moves. The girls know their positions and are learning their roles.

Basketball is bridging the gap for kids up in Chuisuc with kids in America.