I taught kids from underprivileged schools how to play football as a part of my CAS experience. It was a humbling process and seeing them learn and grow throughout was truly touching for me. Not only did the community service make me feel a better person but it also helped me feel greater commitment and attachment to football.

LOs:

LO1:

• My strength is patience and interaction, I was able to create a bond with many kids and felt like I was better teacher than others because I would repeat what needed to be repeated.
• I could have improved by creating session plans before hand but it was hard to do so since the kids would often change their activities.

LO2:

• I became better at teaching by understanding how different kids would react to different things. When I tried to separate some girls they would become shy and huddle up again. Although that frustrated me I came to understand to put myself in their shoes and so I put them all in one group so that they worked better and had more fun

LO4:

• I showed up to all sessions and was always up to make the kids play. I was committed to making sure that they were learning by remembering their names and remembering the levels of various kids who were playing and pairing them up in the same fashion. I enjoyed the activity a lot and felt so very happy and proud when kids would remember my name too!!

LO5:

• Kids learned better and had more fun when they were with their friends. This taught me that I wasn’t the only one who did better in a team. Football is a team sport and I realized the importance of a team spirit when kids would giggle and support each other, going as far as to give each other pointers to improve.

LO6:

• Kids from such underprivileged backgrounds often don’t get the chance to spend time on learning to enjoy sports or pursue them professionally. They have much less time for leisure and often have to struggle to make time to be fit. I felt good that I was able to contribute in giving them time to have fun. Some of the kids were good enough to pursue football as a career if they got the practice and I felt proud of introducing it to them. I also contributed to the notion of a fitter India and hence a fitter world. I was able to use my luck and privilege to help them grow and succeed!

I enjoyed the sessions very much and would love to continue them if given the chance!