This is the last 2/5ths of an essay I wrote to help me deal with everything swimming through my head this week. I think these two parts stand on their own, but if you are ambitious enough please check out the full version.
Part IV
The coaches with UP’s year round program are always an eclectic bunch. There are some transplants from the US, like myself. There are local Israeli born players. And there are the foreigners, the Americans and Europeans who are in the region temporarily for anywhere between two months to four years. These three groups come together to create a cadre of coaches who travel everywhere from Jericho to Tamra, from Binyamina to Ein Rafa, and many places in between.
We drive together, coach together, gorge on humus and shwarma together. We share in the ups and downs of a yearlong program coaching in all these communities. We share stories of little kids with amazing forehands, or shy players coming out of their shells. This is a family that goes on a journey together. Continue reading
We’ve had nearly everything so far this year canceling practices aside from rain. We’ve had holidays, municipal elections, missing buses, unavailable coaches.
I’ve been looking forward to the back-to-back practices for the two teams in Tamra ever since it became clear that I would be going there on a regular basis this year. Nothing against any of the other communities we work with, of course.
In the excitement I made sure I had plenty of time to get to Tamra. I over estimated a bit – I arrived a the field a full 40 minutes before practice. At least I wasn’t late… I got some all important time on a game app I had coincidentally downloaded earlier in the day.