This was the third and last day of the coaching course for the volunteers. Another full morning
starting fairly promptly thanks to the K.B. shuttle service and covering fielding and wicket-keeping as well as revision. After practising wicket keeping all agree that keepers need to be fit, have good hands and be loud. For both of our resident keepers (Mark and Carl) the verdict is ‘ Two out of Three ain’t Bad’. All would be coaches are now ready for assessment day to-morrow.
Following a pizza lunch for all provided by……… well we’re not quite sure but it was certainly most welcome……. we moved to Mahudiri primary school. Again the K.B. Shuttle came to the fore, ensuring that we had an additional twenty pairs of hands to assist us. All the would be coaches looked thoroughly professional in their yellow CWB coaches t-shirts and gave an added a dimension to our efforts in language and instinctive understanding of the children.
The school was fairly recently built and is to a high standard with on-site accommodation for
staff. Initially, the Sports Master had selected 50 (at whichever school it is Clem, the local BCA rep always reliable informs us it will be 45- to such an extent we wonder whether he fell asleep in maths at school) of his cricketing pupils but we quickly established that CWB never turns a child away. So a compromise was reached. A 110 children would take part in core activities on the schools netball, tennis and volleyball courts (just about holding their own against the encroaching bush, whilst another 110 would do other things (i.e. take part in core activities)on the field. As result, some 220 children aged between 6 and 13 took part in basic coaching and very noisy games of ” Rapid Fire” cricket. The ABC message was very clearly delivered and responded to. The 110 field participants were each given a lollipop in recognition whilst 109 white CWB ‘Bowling AIDS out of Africa’ t – shirts were shared amongst the core participants. Wait a minute, was that a quivering lip seen on child 110? Oh dear. Luckily, in best Boy Scout tradition we had come prepared having packed a spare CWB volunteer’s top, which was pulled on, hanging down to our hero’s knees to cheers from everyone. Beaming smiles all round. How does it all work out so well?
We left some bats, balls and stumps with the staff and were rewarded by more beautiful singing.
The day was not yet complete, as the K.B. shuttle sprang into action. Not only did he return the Francistown College students ( the core of our trainee coaches) to their dormitories but he delivered us to a local restaurant, where we heartily tucked into Botswanan curries or Setswaa, a combination of shredded beef, maize meal, chakalacka and beans. Washed down with cold drinks. Delicious.
Another exhilarating if tiring day to add to all the others! How do we do it?
Pics to follow.