The SEED Project
Now that I’ve had some time to process and reflect, I want to share about my trip to Dakar, Senegal that took place back in February.
An incredible group of female coaches from Canada Basketball and The SEED Project. They’re inspiring the next generation and I am so thankful I had the opportunity to teach along side them and learn from them!
First, I want to highlight the incredible work being done by the SEED Project.
Africa has one of the youngest populations in the world, yet 90 percent of youth who enter primary school never attend university. This is an alarming stat, but SEED is reversing those odds! The goal of SEED is to develop young leaders through education, employment, basketball, gender equality, and youth leadership.
- The SEED Project
Canada basketball and the COC meeting some of the men behind behind the SEED Project organization!
Meeting with some of the coaches from the SEED Project. My French comprehension and communication skills were really put to the test, but I enjoyed every moment!
I want to focus on the basketball aspect. I, along with the COC (Canadian Olympic Committee) and Canada Basketball visited the SEED Basketball Academy in Dakar. Our visit to their campus began with meeting the coaches. You could hear their thirst for knowledge in the questions they were asking. They were passionate about what they do and wanted to equip their young athletes with everything they needed to be successful. We followed up with an on-court session. After getting warmed up, the young athletes were divided into four groups and rotated through four stations: defensive movements and ball handing, shooting, passing, and offensive reads. The stations consisted of on-court skill development for eight minutes, followed by two minutes of character building and discussions, where basketball was as a tool to teach life skills. This structure is meant to not only develop athletes, but also leaders of tomorrow. We concluded the court sessions with two eight-minute games. There was one game for the boys and one for the girls—I loved that there were an equal number of young boys and girls at the academy.
The time I spent at the SEED Basketball Academy in Dakar allowed me to gain a greater appreciation for the opportunities I had growing up. I was fortunate enough to have many privileges, and at the time, I probably took them for granted. A simple one, the court I played on. The majority of our teams trained on wooden courts in air-conditioned buildings. However, in Senegal, there were cement courts outdoors and rubber-like courts indoors.
The ladies of the SEED Project, aka the future! The COC gave copies of ‘The Magic of Basketball’ to the organization!
As I have aged with the sport, I have also come to have more of an appreciation for basketball.
I love this sport. I enjoy every aspect—practices, games, anything that gets me on the court! However, I think I experience equally as much joy in teaching the game and sharing my knowledge with the next generation, as I do playing. I knew I wanted to be a teacher since the second grade, but I didn’t know that it would be globally, in French, with an orange bouncy ball!
Finally, I want to take a moment to thank Canada Basketball for inviting me to share my knowledge. Also, thank you to the SEED Project for welcoming us into your family. If you want to learn more about the SEED Project please visit: seedproject.org.
The SEED Project, the future is bright!
What’s something you love about the game of basketball?
Thanks for stopping by and God Bless!
K.
Kindly edited by Cara T