Last Weekly reflection May 25th

The boys and girls club of Lawrence was the best thing that happened to me. This week has been absolutely the best of them all. I really enjoyed being around the kids and just letting them know I am there for them whenever needed. I really enjoyed going to the club everyday because it gives you a sense of goodness in you to feel that you are doing something not just for yourself but also for people around you.

    I learned that to be a good coach/leader you need to be able to handle the craziness of the kids and just to be patient with them. This really taught be a lot about being able to handle rough situations like that. I learned this by not just playing field hockey, but also by teaching them how to play ping pong or help them out in the homework room. It was a great experience to be able to learn how to be a coach and leader to these kids, to help lead them in on a good path instead of a bad one. 

  I am so glad I chose the Boys and Girls club because I really was able to get an understanding of how the kids work, and really get involved when they have opportunities available to them. During the activities I chose to help them kids out with, I think they were able to keep the kids busy while they were at the club and to not be bored and think that its not a fun place to go to. These activities were playing pool, helping out in the homework room, swimming, playing basketball, playing field hockey. All these activities were a great help to be able to get to know the kids and be apart of their lives. 

  I didn't have that many surprises this week because the surprises mostly came during the first week. I was just glad to be with the kids and not just teach them field hockey but to also teach them other things too. 

  I benefited from this week because I really got an understanding of the kids lives and what they want to achieve. This gives me a personal achievement also. It made me achieve the ways of being a leader to the kids. This was an achievement because when I get out of college or even in college I want to be someone in a kids life that he/she can look up to or even take after because I am achieving my dreams and goals in life.

Friday..last day!! May 23

Today was crazy. 

  I showed up at around 4 o'clock and went straight to the gym because that's where everyone was. They were playing mini basketball games. So I was told to watch them because I could call fouls and call the game. Then after watching that for about a half hour I went into the swimming pool area and went swimming with the little kids to teach them how to swim with the swimming director Karyn. I did that for about a hour. Then went back into the hang out area to talk to some kids and keep them company. I love just being around the kids because they are so awesome they are willing to just sit down and talk to you. Its so much fun that they want to get to know you and want you to get to know them. 

  I then went into the game room with the little kids to play pool and just watch how they were doing with ping pong and the other games. The kids really enjoy being at the club and just hanging out with each other in a safe environment. 

   Today I did a little field hockey achievement awards thing, where I gave this kid a field hockey stick and a ball because he was the one who would always be out there playing and working hard to figure out field hockey. 

  I really enjoyed being at the club for my senior project because it really gave me an understanding about how the kids really need someone there to hang out with them instead of being in the streets. They need someone that is willing to take time and teach them new things and show them that you can achieve your goals just like many people do. 

  I left the club around 8:30. I was sad to leave and said goodbye to all the kids and hope they have a great rest of the year. 

  I had a great experience in the boys and girls club learning new things that I wouldn't want to learn anywhere else. That place is a great place to be with a healthy environment.

High school Night..May 22nd

Today at the club...
I showed up around 1 o'clock I started off by doing the same old community service that I always do when I come to the club. After doing that for about a couple of hours, I hung around and spent time with the staff because its one of my last days here. Then when the kids showed up around 2:3o I went to the gym where they all are crazy over basketball. Then I went into the game room and played pool and games, once again teaching the little boys how to play pool because they were dieing to know. Then I went up stairs and helped out with homework for about 2 hours. That is one thing I love doing here because it really helps the kids concentrate on school work more than sports. Then after helping with the homework all the kids go down stairs to work on there athletic part of the day. Which is a fundamental that the Boys and Girls club offers to these kids to help them better themselves. Helping these kids out makes a difference when they will get older.
So after playing basketball and shooting around, we decided to hang out in the teen center where all the teens go and play Wii, and other video games. This is where I was able to talk to some of the kids about how school is for them, and how they juggle playing sports and school work at the same time. The kids love it, they are surprisingly good at both. That shows a lot of hard work.
After around 8:30 when the little kids were sent home, it was high school night where all the high school kids come out and play basketball until 10. I decided to stay and help the kids work on their basketball skills. I helped them even out the teams and I was helping them be able to make moves and also have the support of another teammate. I left the club around 9:30.
I think that being there helps the kids understand that there are opportunities out there in the world that if they keep working hard they can achieve their goals.

May 21

Today I went to the club at around 11:00 and did some community service around the pool area, gym and game area. I helped the faculty fix tables, and set up for the kids who were t arrive later on that day. Then at around 1 o’clock I left because I had an opportunity to play at the Proctor softball at Phillips Exeter Academy. After playing the game I drove back to Lawrence and showed up at the club at around 4:30 and started to help some kids out in the homework room for about a half hour. Then I decided to bring out the field hockey sticks and played in the gym because it was raining outside. Although the kids were upset that they couldn't’t go outside their spirits were quickly uplifted when they saw the speed of the ball on the plastic floor. We scrimmaged for a half hour in which the kids picked teams, reminding them that it’s not all about “I” but the team as a whole. After the big scrimmage I decided to wrap up field hockey for the day because basketball games were going to start in the gym. I then helped out with the scoreboard for the basketball team for about two hours and then went and watched the boys play to see how they communicated with each other and worked as a team. I had a great day just being able to teach the kids more about field hockey, but more importantly what it truly means to work as a team and communicate with your peers. Even as I watched the kids play basketball with their teammates is awesome!

            I can’t wait for another day at the club tomorrow!

Swimming day!! May 20th

Today I went to the club around 1 o'clock and started to help clean up the normal stuff around the club.
Then I went around 2:30 to the game room and hung out with the kids and played pool with the kids. Then I went up to the homework room and helped the kids with all there SFAs which are reading assignments. I read along with the kids to help them understand what they were reading. Then I went down stairs to see what else the kids were up to the in the gym after an hour of reading and helping the kids. In the gym I shot around with the girls on the girls side of the gym. After shooting and playing around with the kids for an hour I went into the pool room and swam with the kids and helped Karen the swimming director with the swim team to watch over them because I have my life savings certification. After about an hour and a half of watching and helping the kids with understanding how to swim and be careful when they do it, I went into the gym and helped with the basketball games that were going on, on the score board. After doing that for about a couple of hours I went back into the game room and played pool with the girls.
It was just another fun day at the boys and girls club. To help the kids do something other than be on the streets. I just can't get over the fact that I am given the opportunity to help out people that don't have much.

Motivation day...may 19th

Another positive day at the club.
I really enjoyed today because of the kids that make you feel good about yourself when you enjoy there company.
Today I went to the club with Angelica at around 1 o'clock and started with helping out around the club with getting things ready for the boys and girls to come and enjoy there afternoon. I then went for a swim when the kids got there and spent an hour and a half in the pool with the kids teaching them new tricks and skills they can do in the water. Then after that we cleaned up and went and got the field hockey sticks and went outside. It was was kind of chilly today outside, but we still decided to go out and play with the kids. So at the start of it the kids were getting in partners and passing and dribbling, then we wanted to play a big game so I split the kids up into two teams where they each pick a person for their teams. Then we played a big game where the kids did really well in getting the ball into the goals. I was really proud of them because they really picked up the sport fast. Then when it was around 6:30 we had to go inside because it was getting darker outside. When we went in I went into the gym and played jump rope with some of the kids, then went and played one on one basketball with some of the kids, and then went into the game room where I again taught kids how to play pool and ping pong. This was a great experience again teaching kids how to play something that they may not know. Then there was this big scrimmage at the end of the day where the high school boys were playing in and I watched that for a little bit. They look so motivated to get better this shows the little kids that they can grow up and be that motivated to do something that you like. I left the club at 8:30 today.
In all today was a great day to be around the kids. It showed a lot of motivation for them!

weekly reflection 12-18th

This week I did more things than I did last week at the boys and girls club in Lawrence. 

   I absoulty love the kids over there. They are amazing. I work so hard to keep them busy and as myself. Mostly I worked with the kids on different activities. The many activities I did were dodge ball, whiffle ball, field hockey, swimming, pool, ping pong, etc. This week by far was the best because the kids and I knew each other more than the first week. Playing all these activities gave us more opportunity to get to know each other more.

    I was surprised this week by the way the kids loved to hang out with me. They always wanted to beat me in something or challenge me. I love being apart of the kid’s lives and teaching them some things that they may not know. This makes it more interesting for them when they don’t know how to do something and that’s what I feel attracts them to me because I am teaching them new things. 

    I didn’t expect to not have field hockey as much as last week. I was a little disappointed because I came into the club to do field hockey and teach the kids to play, but I was surprised to find out I could also teach them new things. I loved the fact that I be patient with the kids after only a week. I learned many new things with these kids.

    The things I learned were that to be patient, to be a good coach, and to be able to give good encouragement to the kids. I feel that I have learned to hold my tongue when a kid is doing something wrong. As the week went on I became more and more aware of treating the kids with positive encouragement.

    I found many surprises and weaknesses during the week. I feel as if I did a great job with teaching the kids many new things and understanding them more both as an athlete and a student. I think that I will learn more as the next week comes. But for the week that past the many activities I did with the kids taught me more to about encouragement and that you don’t only have to teach them a sport to keep them active, but you can help them out with school too.

  I hope that next week is as positive as this one.

Fun friday..May 16th

Today at the club it was another crazy day.

  I went to the club around 12:30 and went and talked to Steve Kelley about getting my time card into Michele. Then we had a meeting with the staff about kids against violence day during the summer and around that club today. So after about an hour of meeting and discussing things we went and cleaned the gym and stacked the vending machines full of food and soda. Then after stacking the vending machines and cleaning the gym, we cleaned the hanging out area and swept all around the tables and all that good stuff. Then the kids started to arrive and they brought be into the game room because they wanted to take me on a game of pool, so I went with them and was beat 3 times. They are pretty amazing at playing those games. I am actually glad they are good at those games instead of doing bad things on the streets. So after playing pool I went over to the T.V area where some kids were playing with action figures and talked to them about where the action figures were from and so on. Then I played connect four with some kids that were really into the game and then went over to the ping pong table where I taught kids how to play the game. That was the fun part because they would always think they were winning because they hit the ball hard. It was pretty cute the way they tried hard to convince me that they won. After teaching the kids how to play that game I went to the gym where some of the kids wanted to play me on a 2 on 1. That's where I got beat by eight year old. I felt pretty bad when they beat me. But then after about a couple of hours of that I went and played jump rope with the girls where we did some fun games. 

  Today was another bad day to play field hockey because it was raining outside and there were too many things going on inside that we couldn't put field hockey inside. So I made up for field hockey and played tag. We played freeze tag for about a half hour where the kids loved it. Then we played some more basketball for a couple of minutes. Then the kids brought me upstairs to the teen room where it was Fun Friday, where they had a little dance going on. I stayed up there and hung out with the kids and danced with them for until 7:30. 

  At the end of the day I always come out of the club always having fun and being able to know that I taught the kids something that they may have not known.

Thursday..May 15th...

I went to the club today at around 11:30. I went and worked early with the staff members doing stuff around the club that needed to be done, such as; cleaning the pool, cleaning the weight room etc. After all that was done we hung out and watched the staff play basketball until the kids started showing up at 2:30. Then I started playing with the kids by doing basketball, whiffle ball, and jump rope. During that time the kids have such an amazement with just you playing with them. When I played with the kids we had a basketball game like 1 on 1 and the person on the side plays the winner. So we played for about an hour and then went swimming for about 2 hours with the kids. this part of the day was fun because just being with the kids and having fun with them. This day was more active then the rest. We ended up not playing field hockey today because there was other activities that were taking place over the field hockey time. I didn't mind not having field hockey because the kids were tied up with other activities that I could help with and help coach or teach. These activities also show me that I can be able to show leadership to the kids by letting them know that I can teach them and show them things that they might now know how to do. After playing basketball with the kids we went to the game room and played pool and Foosball and board games. I just love being with the kids and having them show me what they know, because it gives me accomplishment to know that they can teach me things and I can teach them things. After playing games I went upstairs to help with homework for about another hour and the kids love me up there because I actually help them out a lot with their work and they get it done faster so they can go and play downstairs. So I ended up staying until 9 tonight to help clean up the gym after all the kids left. 

    I had a good day being with the kids and learning the same things I learn everyday and many new things. Even though I ended up not being able to play field hockey today. It was a fun day

Wednesday may 14th..half a day

At the club today it was a short day. The kids got out of school early around 12. 

   Today I went to the Club around 12 in the afternoon and started to play with the kids in the big gym by playing basketball and messing around. Then at around 2 o'clock I played field hockey in the big gym where they put down the divider so the other kids that wanted to play basketball wouldn't get hurt. We played it for about a hour and then the kids wanted to play dodge ball. When we played field hockey I just let them do what they wanted today since it was a half day. So I let them pick the game they wanted to play and they picked a big game scrimmage. So they played that for a hour. After field hockey we went into the small gym and played dodge ball where the kids were crazy. You can notice the talent the kids have and the focus and drive they have for just little sport like that. They get so competitive. I love just watching the way they get so into the games. Then after an hour of dodge ball in the small gym I went into the game room where I played pool with the kids. We had a match going on where whoever wins gets to play the people that call playing winner. It is fun just being apart of what the kids do each day. After playing pool with the kids for a half hour I went outside where they were playing kickball and got in on the fun. After kickball we went inside and I was told to keep an eye on the kids in the gym until 5:30 when everyone has to go home and that when I left.

   So at the end of the day I still am learning to be patient with the kids because they can be overwhelming and crazy. But now that I think about it more and more everyday I love working with kids and being with them. This makes me want to be around them more often and get a job where I can work with them and teach them things that will help them later on in life, maybe not being a teacher, but working at a boys and girls club or just something that will keep them away from the bad pressures in life, but I have a lot to think about when I get into college because I would need to change my major into something with kids. I will see when the time comes. But thats something to consider seeing how I love the kids at this place and want them to learn something from me as well as myself learning from them.

Learning new things..Tuesday..may 13

Today was another day at the club...

   I showed up around 1 again and started on some community service. By helping clean up the gyms and sweeping and do activities to keep me busy till the kids got there from school. When the kids got there around 2:40 I went upstairs and helped with homework. I did this until 4 o'clock and then went straight downstairs and got the stuff for field hockey and went outside. Today I decided that we were going to have a big game outside where they were each playing against each other two teams. After the big game we then just shot around and passed all the stuff that we worked on during the week before. I feel as if it is a lot harder to keep control of the kids. I think that doing field hockey for about an hour or less everyday is better because the kids get very A.D.D and want to start a new project. So it is hard for me to want to keep them on field hockey when the kids just drop their sticks and go play something else. So I am going to limit my playing time to about 45 minutes everyday and then go help them on what ever they need to be helped on. Or maybe start a obstacle course tomorrow where they have to do some crazy stuff and not be all about field hockey. I think that will help them get their minds off other stuff and at the same time be playing field hockey and learning it. 

   Later at around 5:30 we went inside because supper was called and the kids lined up to go eat. Then there was these basketball games again around 6, where I helped out with the clocks and did that until it ended at 9. During these times I always feel like I am a big help because there are so many kids that are yelling and screaming that they want to do this and that, that the staff gets confused so I help maintain the kids while the staff does the things they need to get done.

     I love the club because it has so many things that the kids can do there such as they have a pool to go swimming, a game room, a homework room, gyms, work out room, dance studio, art room, computer room. While being there earlier so lets me look at things in a different way when its quiet and peaceful. But when the kids are there is crazy and out of control, but they make it fun by just keeping themselves busy to make the time fly. 

2nd week...Monday..

Today was another day at the club.

  I showed up at around 1 o’clock and started with a meeting with Steve Kelley. We then faxed over my time card and got to some community service that needed to be done. Then after all the community service I went and hung out with the kids in the pool room and kept them busy for a little bit, then went upstairs and did homework with them until 3:45 where I went and played field hockey with the kids in the gym and had a little game after the game we shot around with the balls and sticks and the kids asked me a few questions about field hockey and what to do. This was for an hour and a half. Then we closed that up for the day and played basketball where again I helped some kids learn how to do certain moves. This is an awesome way for me to understand teaching and coaching. That’s what I mainly want to do when I get older is to coach. So after that the staff asked me to do the clock at the games that they were having for basketball. I did the clock until 9 when they closed. I think its awesome coming in everyday just being able to play with the kids and teach them new things. It makes you feel good having the kids look up to you.

   Today was an awesome day where I got to know a lot of the kids around me and it was a way for me to really understand how the coaching works and how to get a feel for it. I hope the rest of the days is as great as today!!

 

Weekly reflection 5-10

During the week I have realized that the kids love the attention that you give them because they might not get the attention when they are in their homes that they need. 

  I learned that the kids enjoy just being able to be free of the pressures outside in their homes. I think the club is an awesome place for the kids to go. I do enjoy being with the kids and teaching them something they have no idea about. This gives them the opportunity to have something to look back on when they get older and see that someone took their time to be patient with them and teach them something that they may have never heard or even seen. Even helping them with keeping busy with the there homework or just different activities other than playing field hockey is a great help to keep their minds off the stress of the world.

  I think being asked to do certain activities with the kids was just a way to keep them busy and also get help with what they need to learn and also get what they want to learn and get better at.

  I didn’t expect it would be like this because I thought I was going to have a lot older kids that would be more interested in playing field hockey and being more involved with it. I thought that I was going to be having to be able to teach it and have the kids understand and want to learn more than just mess around and not listen to what I was teaching them. I also felt that I would have older kids that would want to play. There were some surprises the first day when I wasn’t expecting that young girls were going to be there and young boys. I wasn’t expecting to have to yell at the kids and tell them that I was going to have to send them inside if they didn’t listen.

  I think that this is all a learning experience for me because it will help me become more patient with the kids instead of wanting to push them into doing something that isn’t going by the time I want it to.

   I will benefit from this week because it will help me be patient with the kids. It will also have the kids be able to teach me new things that will help me with coaching later on in my life. 

yesterday...saturday..last day of the week..

Yesterday was the most enjoyable day of the week. 

   I went to the Club around 10:00 and stayed until 3:30. I played with the kids and kept the kids busy playing basketball and whiffle ball and some field hockey. The kids are great when you pay attention to them they love you. So all day yesterday I stayed and played with them and gave them attention. I think teaching the kids new things and also helping them with what they already know is awesome. We also played dodge ball in the small gym and these kids have arms on them, they can throw really well. During the session of field hockey we just played games and did the same thing as we did on Friday. I think this keeps the kids busier and lets them have more fun while doing it. 

     I think its funny the way the kids take it so seriously the way they play games. The way they fight if they think that the other kid is cheating or playing wrong. Teaching the kids is just a joy because they have this look in their eyes that they are so amazed by what is going on. I have such a joy just by giving the kids company and helping them out with things that they may love or learn. 

Fifth day scrimmages inside

The weather today was terrible. It rained all day. 

   I started at 3:30 again today, and asked one of the workers Manny if I could have them play in the gym. He said yes and then put down the divider in the gym. Then I went up to the front desk where I asked to announce that field hockey was in the gym today because of the rain outside. Then went around looking for kids to come by and play. Some kids came out and we up on a little scrimmage where the kids had a blast, because the ball moves fast in the gym so they were put up to a harder task. The kids listened today because I let them play around and do what they wanted. We played for about and hour and a half just for a game. Since we were in the gym I got kids that didn't even realize that the field hockey program was going on it was nice. Then after playing a game we went into passing and shooting. The kids loved shooting at me because I would try and save the ball from going into the "goal" it was cute because they would always think they would score if it went 5 yards away from me. Then after the field hockey program at 5, some random kids asked me to play basketball and help them be able to do some moves on them for practice. So I agreed because I want to help people achieve there goals. I played and helped them for about and hour and a half. After helping them we played a scrimmage to use there moves that they just learned and worked out against me. 

   Today was a good day. Not only did I teach and play something that I love, but I also helped out other people with what they love. I still can't get over that everyday that I go there I am influencing people to achieve their goals because they see that I have. 

Today was awesome!!!

Fourth day..went well

Another day at the club. I started at 3:30 and went inside to grab the sticks and balls. Then I came outside and there were the kids waiting for me to give them a stick. Then we all got into 2 circles and introduced everyone to each other. Then we did a passing game where there were 2 circles and each circle had one ball and then they passed to each other by saying the name of the person they were passing to. Then the kids got bored of that and asked to pass around for a few so I let them work on their skills they have been taught in the past few days. Then after about 15 minutes of that I made 2 teams and had them play a little game where there was 5 people from one team that played against the other team with 5 people it was like a mini field hockey game. Then we played till they all started to get into fights because they would say that that person didn't score and everything or he/she did that wrong. Then after that game we each got into pairs where they lined up next to each other and the pair lined up behind them. Then we had a race where they had to run to a certain point with the ball dribbling it and then going back so there partner could go then they would sit down and wait for their partner to come back so they could win. The kids were really good at this, it surprised me. We then decided to just go on our own and pass and shoot around. The kids all wanted to learn new tricks and how to bounce the ball on the stick also. Then at around 5:10 the club workers called a Club meeting where all the kids had to go sit in the gym and that where they were giving awards and also saying the schedule for the next few weeks. I enjoyed watching the kids sit there and listen it was amazing how the kids listened to the people that worked there. It looked as if they respected them a lot and looked up to them. I really got a good feeling working there. It made me want to mentor or even work there in the future. After the meeting was over around 5:30 all the kids went outside or to play or do homework and I went upstairs and helped the kids do homework.
I get a great feeling going into that club each day because I feel that the kids look up to me and want to achieve there goals like I did. I left the club around 6:30 after doing homework with the kids.

Third day..week one

Today is was one of those days that are kinda relaxed days. Many of the kids that usually did the program had basketball games today. 

    I started the day off at 3:30 as usual, going in and talking to melissa to grab the sticks out of the closet. She then put an announcement over the intercom system to let everyone know that field hockey program was starting. I went directly outside and waited for the kids. As I waited about five minutes some kids showed up. They proceeded to grab the sticks and balls and start messing around until everyone got there. So I waited a couple more minutes and then a couple more people showed up. So we got right to it by introuding myself to the kids and then having them say their names. After getting to know one another, I asked the kids if they wanted to play a game, they all were very excited and said yes. So we got right to playing a game the game that we played yesterday the numbers keep away. The kids had a hard time listening today, so we played the game for about 20 minutes and then called it quits for the day. I just let them run around and pass with each other for almost a half hour. Many of the kids were so into learning how to play they would come up to me and ask me to teach them how to hold the stick or how to dribble. There was this one kid who I was so amazed by, all he wanted to do was bounce the ball on his stick in the air. Yesterday I showed them how to do it and I counted how many times I could do it in front of them and I got up to 80, so this kid chris was so into making it past my score that he non-stopped bouncing the ball. So I gave him a couple pointers, like that he needs to focus on the ball and watch it. He loved it. Then I played one on like 5 with them. They all wanted to beat me and see if they could dodge pass me because I showed them a couple of moves. We ended around 5:30 because dinner was called. So I picked up all the sticks and balls put them in the bag and brought the bag back to melissa to put back in the closet. Then I went to Steve Kelley and asked for pictures from the other day so I could put them up and he made a CD for me. Then after five minutes of that I went upstairs and sat with some kids that needed help on their homework. I helped them with fractions, reading, and adding and subtracting. This brought back all the stuff I learned a while ago. I ended around 6:30 and went and watched the girls basketball game for a couple of minutes. 

   This club is awesome it brings all the inner city kids to a place where they don't have to be on the street getting into trouble but they can have some place to go. I think this club is awesome, it makes you realize that it feels good helping young kids achieve their dreams!!!

Day two..a little bit more activities

Today was my second day for the field hockey program at the Boys and Girls club in Lawrence. It was probably the craziest one out of the two days. Today I mostly had all boys near the end. Some girls were there in the beginning, but then decided to leave by the end because the boys started to take over. The kids were mostly around a young age today such as 11 to 12. 

    I started out the day at 3:30 p.m with telling the kids to get in a circle and stand shoulder width apart. Each kid had such a trouble listening instead of talking to the kid that was next to them this drove me insane, I would say I am going to not talk over anyone today and if it seems like I am talking over people then I am going to send them inside. So the kids then started to listen to what we were going to do for the day. After they were all lined up and said every ones name I then told them we were going to play a game. I explain the game to them it was a game that I once did in practice, where you stand shoulder width part from each other and have two of your left fingers on the top end of the stick and then you would let go of your stick and try to catch the person off to your left stick when they drop it. This activity was just a way for kids to be able to start right off to listening and understanding drills that need attention too. It was hard for some of the kids to figure out what we were doing, so we had a couple of practice rounds. Then once we got down to the last two this one girl won. So after that we got into passing and learning how to pass with partners. After passing we went straight into who can bounce the ball on the stick in the air. I told them whoever could bounce the ball 10 times would win a piece of candy from me. So they all were working hard and practicing hard. I also demonstrated the kids were so amazed that I could do it passed 10 and they asked how do you do that and I told them its all hard work and practicing to do something that you really want to learn..right then and there I would call that the teaching point of the day. The kids then went off and practiced and practiced. They then all came up wanting to show me they could do 10. 

  After all the passing and dribbling the ball, I told them we were going to play another game that has the kids have a team captain and they pick the people on the team. So I agreed and they picked teams and I told them to be far and pick people who they don't know, and just their Friends. Then I gave each person on the two teams a number from 1 to 11. They I would throw the ball into the middle of both teams and  put two goals down on each side for each team to score in. I call this game numbers keep away. This got the kids crazy because they would think one team was cheating and the other one didn't play right. So we played this for a couple of rounds and then called it a day at 5:30. The kids were in love with playing with the sticks today. they are excited to come out tomorrow. 

   At around 5:3o I went upstairs and started to help with tutoring at around 6:15. The kids that didn't finish there homework I was there to help them out. The kids at the Boys and Girls club are so awesome you can see the look in there eyes when they just want to have fun, that look makes me want to come back for more every day. Its also that look that shows that they can have fun here and just enjoy having stress and peer pressure from their homes. 

These kids are awesome. It makes me appreciate what I have in my life. 

p.s the pictures are going to come at the end of the week. Hopefully.

First day..what a day!!!

Today was the first day of my field hockey program at the Boys and Girls club of Lawrence. I got to the Club around 3 and started tutoring some kids that just got out of school. They were mostly around elementary school. This also helped me get to know the kids that I am going to be later on teaching them how to play field hockey. I did that for about an hour. Then this lady Melissa who is the head of the girls programs at the club got together all the girls that signed up for field hockey. The first thing is we went outside and I got the sticks and balls and went on the grass in front of the club. The first thing I did was introduce myself as McKenzie, but they all wanted to call me Miss. So then I taught them how to hold the stick with the left hand on the top and the right on the bottom. They asked me if there was any left handed sticks which made me laugh a little because it is a right handed sport. Then I told them to get in there basketball stance and that is how they will be playing through out the whole game and practice. Then we went over dribbling and passing. The kids had the hardest time trying to figure out how to hold the stick they kept wanting to switch the hands around so the right was on top and the left was on the bottom. This was hard for me because I was trying to explain to them that they can only use the flat side of the stick, in which they didn't listen and proceeded to do their own thing. Which was fine with me. I just wanted them to get the point down for hitting and passing the ball. As the kids started to get that down we then paired up and started passing back and forth to each other. Then we got in two lines and started a drill in which one line had to pass to the line that was straight across from them and the other line had to shoot the ball in the net. They did a great job of this because they all listened and pay attention to what was going on. After about a couple of rounds we went back and started to say each others names and get familiar with each other. During that time more kids decided to join, along with some boys. At this time I had about 20 kids. I didn't mind that at all as long as they listened. Then after learning the kids names I lined them up, shoulder to shoulder and told them to put their arms out and if they were touching each other then they would have to spread out. After they spread out I then said on the count of three they would put the ball on their left foot and hit the ball as far as they could, and who ever hit it the farthest they would get a prize from me tomorrow. We hit the ball a couple of times seeing who could hit the farthest, and then we went back to passing with partners. I then went around teaching the kids that showed up late how to hold the stick and pass the ball. Then after I taught the new kids I then made the kids line up in two lines and ran and pass the ball at the same time. The kids did great on this. After about 10 minutes I lined them up again and made two teams a mixture of boys and girls each team had to hit the ball passed a certain point and then run and get the ball for the next person in line. It was a race and each person who hit the ball passed that certain point would get a point for the team. It was a fun little activity that would involve having the kids learn to play on a team, and work with each other. Then at five we ended, and I went and had a meeting with the director about everything that I did with the kids. He was thrilled that I had the sanity left to talk to him after a day with the kids. Today was an interesting day, but also every fun. It taught me to be patient with the kids to get across what they are trying to say and what I wanted to say. 

P.S pictures are on there way...