Day two in Dakar, Senegal was exhilarating! It consisted of a sports clinic, as well as Right to Play announcing their partnership with Senegal. There was also much excitement around Dakar being the first African country to host a Youth Olympic Games, which will take place in 2022. Additionally, there was a ceremony celebrating the signing of MOU.

Power of Sports

To begin the ceremony, we heard speeches from a number of inspiring people. The opening welcome came from Senegal’s Minister of Sports, Marat Ba. Then, the CEO of the Canadian Olympic Committee, David Shoemaker, and the President of the Senegal Olympic Committee signed a partnership! The Toronto Raptors President, Masai Ujiri, the Prime Minister of Canada, Justin Trudeau, and the CEO of Right to Play, Kevin Frey, also gave stimulating remarks. To conclude, we heard from Amadou Gallo Fall of NBA Africa, who is also the founder of the SEED Project (see previous blog here).

All of the remarks were inspirational; however, I found the most impactful speech came from Aita Ndiaye. She spoke about how sports contribute to the development of young leaders, as well as the impact basketball and the SEED Project had on her life. How SEED built up her confidence and gave her the tools she needed to grow into the young woman she is today. There is power in sports, and when we keep young girls involved, the impact is undeniable.

I also had the privilege of giving a brief speech on the importance of young girls’ participation in sports. I delivered the speech completely in French. Yes you read that right, FRENCH. Much like Aita, the confidence and belief I had in myself to speak in front of such an important group of people was developed through the game of basketball. I want to send a huge thank you to Photi, who practiced with me to make sure I was pronouncing everything correctly!

To end the festivities, we put on a basketball skills clinic for the kids of the SEED Academy and SEED Rise. I also got the chance to play with a member of the Senegal National Team and the SEED Academy during a 3v3 game against some SEED Rise athletes. After the game, we exchanged jerseys to remember this unique experience.

It was an incredible afternoon that was focused on the youth of Senegal and Africa. The influence sports can have on a child is evident in the likes of Aita and myself. I am so thankful I had the opportunity to participate, give back, and be a representative of Team Canada. If these young athletes are any indication of what is to come, then not only is the growth of basketball in good hands, but the future is also VERY BRIGHT!

Giving a speech in French! Do things that scare you, but propel you to where and who you want to be be!

Look at God

To conclude, I want to give God a shout out. I told myself - Him - that I wanted to do things that were outside of my comfort zone, things where I would be forced to grow. And in undeniable ways, I could see God show up and show out. I have fallen on my face a few times, and sometimes those moments feel like failures. However, my growth from these moments has been beautiful! I know that failure is a part of the process, and it is what I learn from these experiences that is most important. If I can encourage you in any way, it would be do things that scare you, but get you one step closer to who you want to be. I promise you, you won’t regret it.

The power of sports, it brings us all together!

What’s one thing that you’ve always wanted to do/ try, but haven’t due to fear? Will you make it happen in 2020?

Thanks for stopping by and God bless!

K.

Kindly edited by Cara T.