Ball is Life

Walking around Levelock

If there is one thing I’ve taken away from my time in Alaska it is this: basketball is a way of life. It is a common factor that pulls everyone together; young and old. My students could play for days on end and never get sick of it. That is exactly what I witnessed this week at the LPSD District Jamboree in Levelock (another of our villages). 

Working hard on Miss Paige's lesson

While the jamboree was supposed to be last week, it had been really windy which often keeps plans grounded. In addition, many of our runways were too soft to land on which caused the whole event to be post-poned until this week (not a problem that we have in the lower 48!). I was excited to get to chaperone again and also to be able to teach my first ILead group lesson. Since last semester, I have been on the student leadership advisory committee which helps teach students about different leadership qualities (communication, team-work, etc). At each event, there is a lesson taught to the students to highlight the importance of these qualities. My topic to teach about was communication, and I think it went really well! I'm getting more and more comfortable with teaching middle and high schoolers which is something I never thought I would be doing. The students seemed to have fun with my activities, one of which involved leading blindfolded partners across the gym to find their shoes. 

We even went on a Diabetes walk:)

R.I.P. 

As I watched all of the games in the tournament, I couldn’t help but think about the way the students out here communicate. While they are much like any other teenagers, the students out here are much kinder when it comes to sports than any other high-schoolers I’ve seen in the lower 48. When the ref calls something that the team or player doesn’t agree on, there is no back-talking or anger. The player(s) might ask for clarification, but it isn’t done in a hostile manner. In addition, the teammates work together to play the game and sure they want to win, but they also support their opponents through and through. If someone one falls down, regardless of the team they are on, everyone is there to offer a hand. The games get heated and everyone has an opinion on calls, but when the players step off the court they go right back to laughing together. 

One of many competitions in the week

The week was long and tiring to say the least, but it was great to catch up with the teachers/chaperones that were there. I was happy to get to visit with the tutor, Samantha, who is also from Centenary. It is always great to see a familiar face, especially someone from home! I also feel that I strengthened my bond with the students from my village. This is important to me because I want them to know that I care about them and that I am a safe person for them to turn to if they need me. They are continuing to let me further into their worlds and I don’t want to take this for granted. I am thankful to have been given a few days of out of class time with the players and to get to lead a lesson for all of the teams. On the other hand, I was equally grateful to be able to sleep in my own bed when I got home on Thursday!