I think I have already spent too much time considering how to write the first sentence of my first blog post as a FCP employee, especially because I am attempting to follow the stellar first effort of Mr. Dumas…so I’m just going to dive in. Last week was the first full week of coaching in the two secondary schools that have committed to our girls’ integrated basketball program, St. Louise’s Comprehensive College and Belfast Model School for Girls. St. Louise’s already has a girls’ basketball program that is run by one of the science teachers at the school, but they do not have enough coaches to train the number of girls that are interested in playing. On Wednesday, I went to their after-school session and got a chance to meet some of the girls that I hope will eventually play for our FCP religiously integrated team. It was definitely encouraging to see how focused the girls were on the new drills I was introducing.

On both Tuesday and Thursday I attended PE classes at Girl’s Model. The majority of girls are not as familiar with basketball, but everyone seemed very excited about the prospect of trying something new (I’m sure having TJ, Dave, and Kyle with me may have added to the level of excitement). One of the more influential sports for girls here is called netball. The origins of netball are based in basketball but there are some very obvious differences. I have yet to see a game played, but currently my very limited knowledge is this: netball players cannot dribble or move after they have caught the ball, positions are fixed and designated throughout the court (meaning offensive players cannot track back on defense, the rules require them to stay within a defined area), the hoop is similar to one used in basketball but without a backboard, and the ball is smaller and rubber-based as opposed to the leather-based basketball. Some of the girls have experience playing netball, so one of the initial challenges was helping them to remember to dribble when they were moving with the ball. However, that same influence contributed to many of the girls understanding the concept of moving without the ball, which is a difficult skill to teach young players.

I am looking forward to this week and really starting to identify the girls that will be interested enough to commit to the team. So far, the support from the staff from both schools has been incredibly positive and everyone seems really excited about giving some of the students a new challenge. My first few weeks here have been spent getting to know the city of Belfast and learning more about the history of the area on the ground. I know the types of obstacles that my players will be facing off the court will impact the way they will initially interact with each other; from what Colin just recently reported on, the tension between the two communities is still very real. I have always believed in utilizing the basketball court as a space where the only things that players have to think about are playing the game and working with their teammates and coaches. The court can serve as a separate, shared space where outside influences do not carry the same weight. I believe that creating this space for the players will be an important part of developing a cohesive, integrated team.

Much more to come,

Emily Bango