A SPORTING CHANCE FOR ASPIRING ATHLETES

When I was a kid, the closest thing I got to having a sport was whatever it was we were playing for PE class. I particularly liked one or two. But as soon as classes were done, it was also over. I never really had the chance to explore more, and by the time I could do so by myself, I’ve already lost interest.

I believe every kid has that one (or maybe two or more) thing he or she loves doing. I also believe that most of them are somehow passionate about it even if they do not know it yet. It can be sports, music, dance, or whatever it is they wish to know like the back of their hands. These are interests kids should be given the opportunity to explore, to enjoy, and to excel at.

Last Saturday, I got the chance to be with a bunch of athletes who are passionate about their sport, and who believe their passion is to be shared with others. Toni started the group a couple of weeks earlier. After seeing a group of kids who lacked the skill of playing volleyball, but overflowed with enthusiasm, you cannot just let that pass and do nothing. The first “teaching session” gave way to a second one. And then a third.

From 11 kids who were interested, the list grew to 33. By Friday night, we were expecting these 33 kids. Come Saturday, we found ourselves making use of a third sheet of paper for registration and so we ran out of name tags. We were expecting 33, but then 50 kids showed up last Saturday. The youngest of them is as young as three and the oldest being 16. Some were really young they had a hard time writing or spelling their names out. Needless to say, they had varying levels of skills and capabilities. What was common among them though was their apparent drive to practice and learn. Almost all of them came on time. They listened to their coaches, and their faces would light up when they knew they did something on point, and they cheered for each other. For more than two hours, you could hear balls bouncing, feet stomping, kids and adults laughing and clapping.

Even before the session was halfway through, some of the kids already asked if there would be another one next Saturday. We hope so, too. There is still a long way to go, and they know that but they do not seem to mind. What they are concerned about is how to keep going forward.

For many of us, our daily lives are already demanding so much that it is very difficult to break established routines — work, home, studies, in whatever combination. I do hope though that we still find it in ourselves to take time to realize some of the things we truly believe in and actually push ourselves to do something about it. Not out of pity or charity, but out of duty and responsibility. For those who are (or were) into sports, you can support the Youth Sports Training Advocacy in a variety of ways — by volunteering to teach or coach, give assistance, help organize the event, or contribute in cash or in kind for balls, nets and food, among others. And you do not have to travel far to do this. You can start right there in your very own neighborhood.

- Anshe Talavera Humanitarian Worker: YSA Volunteer