I still do not have my basketball card from the federation, so I remain a practice player. This is fine by me, though, because the games are painful to watch (think JV girls’ basketball) and the level of play is disappointingly low. One reason for this might be that in the past ten days we have only practiced once. It would be totally unrealistic to expect a higher level of play if we don’t practice. Hopefully, we will get back in the gym as university exams begin to finish.
In my time away from practice with Smouha, though, I have been playing ball with my Egyptian friend Adly in attempts to de-rust-ify myself. He plays for a local semi-professional club team as well and his coach works with me whenever I show up to shoot around. I did not realize a month ago when I started to play ball again that I would get the opportunity to actually improve my skills, not just play around. For the first time in a long while, I have coaches working with me specifically on my ball handling skills and power moves. Although I am still not as comfortable with the ball as I would like, it feels great to be back on the court, trash talking other players, pushing people around in the paint, and getting my stroke back.
I cannot believe I forgot how playing ball serves as a great way to make friends. From my teammates to the dudes I ball with, I have made a handful of really wonderful friends that Grace and I hang out with on a regular basis. While my students are sweet and I have hung out with some of them off campus, making friends outside the university has added a whole other (and much needed) dimension to our social life here in Alex.
No comments:
Post a Comment