Community Coaching (the hard way)

After the drama of yesterday it was good to get back on the pitch today and get on with some coaching.  This morning we had about 60 kids from the Lilly School join us for both football and basketball training.  It is really encouraging how well the kids are responding to the devotionals we have been having and how much they are enjoying the sports.  I think one of the things that has struck all of us is how tough conditions are here for the kids and how tough it is to get out of the cycle of poverty.  We have been working in the slums throughout the tour and seeing where the kids we are working with grow up is pretty humbling.  To get the right breaks to get out of the slums is unbelievably difficult no matter how gifted you may be but to see the kids come along every day with huge smiles is inspirational.  Sport, if you are good enough, is a way out though, and even if you aren't good enough it still gives the kids hope for the future and a sense of belonging, community and pride in what they are doing.  Coaches in the community are also inspirational figures, both to the kids who view them as father figures in many ways, and also to us as we see how hard they work with so few resources.  The values they try to instil in the kids are a major part of their programmes and learning about honesty, sportsmanship and living a good life is seen as every bit as important as how to cross a ball or shoot for goal.

Tomorrow we head out to see the Uganda Youth Soccer Academy in action and then in the afternoon we have another training session.  Please pray for:

- good health for the group
- a productive training session tomorrow
- that Patrick gets a good price to get his car mended and that Ivan isn't badly inconvenienced by the theft of his phone.