Lauren here, and sadly it is for the last time. This was our last week of teaching and all of us are feeling the apprehension and excitement of wrapping up our classes and planning closing festivities. These past 8 weeks have gone by faster than any of us could have guessed they would.
On Tuesday it was time to complete the physical testing for the second time to hopefully see improvement!! I told them if we did the testing quickly we could play soccer, and boy did we fly through that testing! Most of the students showed improvement, which was really exciting for them and for me! I knew they would merely because this was the second time they were completing the testing process. I had to coax 5 pushups out of a few girls, and with a pretty please they obliged. Then it was time for some football! I have discovered that football is a sport that all young boys play, and that constant practice makes some of them quite good. My natural environment is on the ice, so soccer is not a sport I am particularly good at, but it was really fun to see how much the students enjoyed playing.
I had my last class yesterday. I wanted to plan something especially fun so I found some water balloons and did a water balloon toss and then a fight. Of course, no water balloon fight is complete without going after the teacher, so naturally I got an unexpected water balloon to the back. My students were eager to play kickball afterward, which excited me because it is a game I taught them. Toward the end of class my students wanted to take some pictures and then I was promptly escorted back to the center from the field. I mean escorted, as in Herwin held out his arm, which I certainly couldn’t refuse, and he marched me back. We arrived at a small goodbye party the students had put together for me. There was a table all set up for everyone to sit and some refreshments. They had made me a goodbye card and then asked if it was ok to add me on Facebook.
I am going to miss each and every student at the MFR Du Nord center. David’s constant smile and eagerness to kick the ball as far as possible. Jordy’s antics that usually end up with him rolling on the ground. Herwin’s mad soccer skills and back flips from a standstill. Rachel’s greeting every day and her constant participation in games. Geraldine’s insistence that she cannot do pushups, even though I know she can! Daniel’s quiet hello and calm demeanor. Put together, all of the students have an energy and vibe that was constantly a refreshing wave of youth and enthusiasm.
I feel very fortunate to have met these students. I never had trouble with respect, I never felt like my students were being rude. The only real obstacle was the language barrier. However, let’s be real. Sports are just like math, a universal language.
