Today we set off from The Duke of Breeze Hotel at 9:30 a relatively late start for the team. We headed to Shady Garden Academy, to coach 26 senior students and around 90 primary students. Showing again how adaptable we are we managed to maintain enthusiasm and motivation in the circuit sessions where the maximum number of kids in a group was 6. Even though the name ‘shady’ garden suggested a cool covered playing area it was anything but. The heat beating down on us at around 30 degrees it was very tough to keep energy levels high.
Only 20 minutes into the first hour session the school sent out all the primary kids who instantly jumped into each sessions. This was unexpected as we where anticipating them to come once the senior session had finished. So once again our amazing team of coaches instantly modified the stations into a fifth group where Princess Tracey and Redeye Rob set up a singing and dancing activity. This went from the Official CWB Kenya 2011 chant to songs such as ‘Hokey Cokey’ and ‘Time Warp’
We then started the Primary session where the 90 kids rotated round the circuit, engaging in activities such as running between the wickets, distraction catching, hit the stumps, target bowling and batting gauntlet. The batting gauntlet being where the kids are lined up with a bat, ball and tee and all hit the ball whilst the coached run in front of them trying not to get hit! Extremely good fun, except when you have about 10 little Sachin’s who middle everything right at you! Expecting this activity to be the most injury prone for coaches it was actually Dan on the Hit the Stumps who sustained an injury. A ball pinged in at the yellow plastic stumps and hit the base and rebounded right into Dan’s you know what! But he trooped on even though he looked at me on the station next to him with a green look on his face. Loads of HIV messages where incorporated into the sessions as usual and the use of orange balls and blue bat grips to represent the virus were extremely effective and a great visual aid to portray our message.
We then headed into town for a little bit of souvenir shopping at dinner. Derek a Sports Teacher from a school in Kisumu who joined us again today after enjoying the first day with us, sent the iceman to what the told us a Souvenir Shop. Expecting an actual corner shop or mall store we arrived in a back street full of around 30 straw shelters whose owners eyes lit up with dollar signs as soon as we rolled up. But luckily all the huts had some impressive items on sale. We turned our apprentice heads on and bartered all asking prices down to a minimum acceptable price. The loser of the task was Redeye Rob who purchased a small black elephant model, which when we arrived back at the hotel, its trunk had fell off! After a bit of retail therapy we headed for lunch at a more convenient and cleaner place than yesterday. Scott and me risked another plain pizza hoping it would come with just tomato and cheese unlike yesterdays onion, chicken, pepper and dog hairs! Luckily we were safe and dinner was ate.
We then travelled in the blue mean machine to Jalaram School to set up our circuit for 60 kids and 2 games run by EEEEEEEEE – AAAAAAAANNNNNNNNN (Ian) and Princess Tracey to accompany 23 boys and 30 girls respectively. Another great afternoon session with another bunch of great kids. This school weren’t really aware of the ABC method but by the end of our session we had them rhyming off Abstain, Be Faithful and Be Careful like poetry. The schools are all amazing and unbelievably the kids match them. Seeing all the smiles on their faces is one of the biggest rewards any of the team could have!
After the session had finished we headed back to the hotel to freshen up before Me, Redeye Rob, Desperate Dan, Resident Scott, Aussie Ian, Major Brian, George and Vassanova headed to Aga Khan sports club. We where met by Derek, now christened Delboy, and his Table Tennis coach. With Derek being the Kenyan Number 2 table tennis player and winning the Kenyan Open in 2008 we knew we had a stern test. And a stern test it was. Great fun all around and with myself playing Delboy on a ‘next point win’ basis I came out victorious in the last game of the night. Pulling out the classic Freddie Flintoff celebration I was down on one knee and arms aloft, with some pretty strange glares from the Badminton players and Aerobic workout athletes.
Another outstanding day with inspiring schools and inspiring people.
Cheers
CF
