Sports Camp

                This week we started the Sports Program. We set up four stations and have 2-3 of us working at each one of these stations. The stations are dance, gymnastics, boot camp, and soccer. The dance station is having the kids learn basic movements in variety types of dance and rhythm games. The gymnastics group is focusing on tumbling and is integrating some yoga. Boot Camp consists of a variety of activities including running, jumping and throwing. Soccer is focusing on dribbling, passing, shooting and small sided games.

Ava and I are in charge of the soccer station. Throughout the week each day has improved more than the last. It was amazing to watch the kids play. They had so much skill for their age, and some of the older ones were better than I am.

Driving up to the Massai campground I was excited to see how the day would go. As Ava and I were setting up for the day, she had an ingenious idea. So 1 clothes line, 1 mosquito net, 4 rocks, and a dozen bobby pins later was a soccer goal. We did drills very similar to the ones that Ava and I do in our own practices. We started off with 50-touches, a shorter version of our warm-up, FIFA, and some passing drills. The kids were all at various levels of playing in the groups, so at times it was challenging to keep them all engaged. However, at the end day I felt so accomplished. Not because the kids were perfect, but because the kids had fun.

On Wednesday I realized just how much I loved the kids. Seeing Emmanuel and Kelvin walk through the gate in the morning my heart warmed up and my mouth turned into an immediate smile. For these past two days I have been fueled with love. Today and yesterday I was constantly reminded why I am in Tanzania. It is not to be a teacher, coach, or a babysitter; it is to unconditionally love each and every one of the kids. Every day a piece of my heart has been stolen by someone new. It has changed from a lady in the market, to a little baby girl with the chubbiest cheeks, to a boy whose smile melts my heart a little every time I see it. Tanzania is full of love and since every person here shares it with one another it keeps on growing.