Little Things

Note: I would like to say that the following reflection is nothing more than my brief thoughts on the purpose of educating our youth. The lack of understanding by legislatures who have never stepped inside a school as in the one I teach, has caused many people to lose faith in the public education system. The following explains why I teach, and well, why most don’t.

As a teacher and coach, I sometimes wonder if the education business is my true calling.
After tonight I realized that although it may not be my true calling, I do serve a purpose. Sometimes in ways I had never imagined possible.

After my quad-weekly workout at the Lewisville YMCA, I stepped into the small gym to play basketball. I had taken about two shots, when I see these two little boys (Fourth graders. I found out from them later.) yell to me, “We want to challenge you to a game.”
I said, “What? You two? Against me? Okay. Let’s go.”

Now these two kids were about 4 foot nothing and looked like they were brothers.
These kids had confidence in their talk, but I could see in their eyes a rough life. I glanced over their clothes which were not much more than rags, and realized that these were just younger versions of the same kids I teach and coach every day.
Their mother watched on from the bleachers down the way. No father around, which is typical in the community I teach.

I kept the game close on purpose. I made it tough for them, but taught them the whole time while we played. I don’t think the kids realized I was teaching them when we were playing. I kept telling them that they had to stay tough to win. It was 9-9, and then they scored the winning basket. They were overjoyed and told them I needed to go home. They shook my hand and I asked them where they went to elementary school.
I had felt a connection with these kids the whole time I played.
They simply said, “Creekside.” This is one of the elementary schools that feed into my middle school.
I told them, “I’ll see you in two years.” They looked at me quizzical.
“I’m a coach at Durham Middle School.”
They both looked up at me a smiled the biggest grin I have seen from a kid in a long time. I smiled one of the biggest grins back at them, and on the way out, yelled,
“See ya in two years!” and held up the number 2 symbol with my fingers, or the peace sign.
As I was headed out the door, I heard the kids yelling back to me,
“See ya in two years!” There was hope in their voices.
That is the reason I coach. This is the reason I teach.