Basketball

The basketball camp is over.  The grant finally was 3 all-star games last night.  Overall the camp was a big success.  One of the things I was most impressed with was a group of students and their coach from the school for the deaf.  Not only are they deaf but the Gambian sign language is not the same as American Sign Language.  Some of the kids know Wolof but that is one tribal language I don’t know so throughout the camp we communicated with hand gestures and grunts.  It was great though, I think they got a lot out of it and on the court you could not tell they were deaf.  

The Entire Camp

The Deaf coach and the three of us

The Deaf campers

The winning dunk from the dunk contest

Basketball Camp Times Two

I am currently in town for a week to work with Scholar Athletes for Change 3^rd annual basketball camp.  The camp is ran by Pierre Jallow, who went to collage in Missouri and William Jewell College and then played professionally in Australia, Estonia, Finland, Ireland and England.  

There are about 100 kids ranging in age from 10-18 and about half of them are girls.  I am helping with the advanced girls group.  It is going well I have really enjoyed working with the kids teaching them new skills and seeing how much they improve from day to day.  

This camp is different than the camp I helped out with last month.  This camp emphasizes scholastics.  The kids have to write a one page essay by the end of the camp and the best paper will be judged and then published in the local paper.

Basketball camp day #4

The camp is continuing to be a success.  The kids are showing improvement and learning new skills.  I have learned new drills and realized my skills have deteriorated over time.  Volunteering at this camp has made me think about coaching more when I return to the US.  I have thought about it briefly before but now I think it is something I want to try.

Yesterday before the morning sessions the three of us and Tommy Davis decided to play a quick game of HORSE.  At the end of the game and a couple left handed jump hooks I came out victorious.

Basketball Camp day #2

So teaching Gambian kids how to play basketball is very interesting.  We have had a very good turnout thus far.  Originally they had over 400 kids register.  Many of the kids I believe are lacking much of the fundamentals that they should have for their age and they are simply relying on their athleticism to get them by in games.  

the main court

the outside of the main court

In the mornings we go through drills and instruction to PE teachers and coaches. In the afternoon those same students turn around to be the teachers in the afternoon to the girls and the high school kids.  I have been working with the high school aged boys and mainly let the Gambian coaches coach them and mainly just put my input in if needed. So far it has been very successful. 

Tommy Davis doing some instructing

A few of us went to an Italian restaurant that is friendly to Peace Corps and it was amazing.  I had garlic bread and calzone, it has rivaled any calzone I have had in the states.

The Gambian National Stadium

The courts we are using are at the National Stadium complex.  We are using two courts, the US Embassy helped along with sponsors to fix them up and repaint them.  They are very nice.





the second court



Rubbing shoulders with an ex NBAer

So I just got done eating BBQ pork with fried noodles and fried chicken in lemon sauce at a Chinese restaurant.  I was really good, even if I ate it in the US I would say it was good enough.  

I am in town for a week along with two other volunteers helping with a basketball camp for youth and the national team. Here is a link to the article.  The US embassy brought it in Tommy Davis who was drafted in the mid 80’s by the Dallas Maverick but only spend the pre-season with them.  He has since spent his time playing around the world and more recently coaching in France the last ten years.  It has only been the first day but it went well until I realized I forgot to put sunscreen on my neck and now my farmers tan just got a little stronger.  I will take my Camera Tomorrow and get some pictures up.