The Bulls Head to Local Schools...
On the 22nd of October the team spent the day volunteering at various schools around the Buffalo area. I was designated to Coach Hill’s group, along with Kourtney, Amy, Abby, Chrissy and Dayna. We spent a few hours at Heim Elementary. Most of the kids were in Kindergarten and first grade so it was pretty amusing.The most entertaining thing was to watch Coach Hill interact with the children. Before we began, Coach Hill ran (in slow motion) to the balls and yelled, in a child-friendly bubbly tone, “How is everyone today!” I was so shocked lol. I had to refrain from laughing because although she is friendly, I never imagined I would ever hear her speak in such a tone. This continued throughout the whole event. After each relay she would yell “Everyone! TEN CLAPS FOR THE WINNERS!!!”, then we all had clap together ten times (I hope we can start doing this in practice!). Again, I found this to be hilarious, only because I have never seen her act this way. I wish I could have gotten it on tape!
Abby was also pretty funny. When she introduced herself she spoke like a kindergarten teacher and emphasized the important points, “Hi, My name is ABBY and I am from OHIO.I am a GUARD and a FRESHMAN in school and I am EIGHTEEN…I mean NINETEEN!” I don’t know why, but I love to observe how people act when they are around children. That’s probably my favorite part about working at camps with young children, especially when the coaches are there.
The kids were also a lot of fun. Although they were young and lacked basketball skills, their willingness to participate and determination to succeed made the camp a lot of fun. We did relays, passing and defensive drills. The kids learned very fast. Some were barely able to dribble the ball, but once we made it competitive they found a way (although many have not grasped the concept of traveling yet). The kids were all very friendly and cheered each other on. Some of them were pretty funny. Coach Hill warned us to be prepared to see and hear anything and the kids did and said some pretty random things.
In all, the camp was more than just basketball skills training; it was an opportunity for the kids to be introduced to something positive that they can do on their own or in a group. Children are very observant therefore positive role models are important to shape who they will become in the future. Hopefully our interactions with these children, and others in the future, will push them towards not only sports but positive thinking as well.
~Teresa Semalulu #22
~Teresa Semalulu #22
