Wednesday 11th March it rained. It rained a lot. Rapid changes of plan, the CWB implementation and communication of Plans B, C & D ably managed by Sarah had the team split into two. Yolanda and Jonathan reflect on their very different afternoons…..
Yolanda – “Respect each other and hit the ball hard”.
And so the student became the teacher. I asked a group of primary school children what they had learned after a fast, noisy and immensely fun game of Rapidfire and this was a brilliant answer.
The children at the three places Dan and I visited were fun, loud, and so receptive to the messaging on respect, equality and teamwork, even when spoken in my appalling Portuguese. Their unbounded enthusiasm and energy make sessions a delight, with the teachers joining in with the fun and laughter.
Yellow t-shirts were handed out at the final session and were immediately donned by all students and teachers. Due to the rain we had the very small eating area to play in – but a table was pushed back and highly competitive relays and games of “Head, Shoulders, Knees and Cone” and “Over and Under” were played for over an hour.
Then the boys showed me the centre’s wall celebrating the women and girls there with the statement “Never Forget the Wonderful Women”, pointing out the photos of the teachers who were in the room with us.
The trip continues to bring new delights every day, and I truly believe we are a small drop in an ocean of change and opportunity here; in cricket, certainly, but also in life.
Jonathan – “Offies and Leggies galore at the Caldense”.
Most of the team congregated at AA Caldense, a large multi-sport centre just behind our accommodation block to ‘watch over’ and ‘spot’ at the Under 15 boy’s trial. For my part it was a wonderful afternoon of spin bowling and coaching. With around 50 boys rotating through the skill sections in groups we divided what we had into 2 lanes and spent a pleasant couple of hours trying to get the tennis balls to spin off the flat concrete surface! We had great success with three “leggies” – and who doesn’t want to hear that shouted in Portuguese! – and two “offies”. Amazing how some kids can do this with just natural talent. And one could manage in both lanes!! Absolutely stunning and a great afternoon.
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