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8 A Coach Inspired by David Gilmore THE WING MAN When I imagined myself as a basketball coach, I always assumed I’d be dishing out nuggets of world-weary wisdom, wearing a blazer, being hoisted up by my players, and graciously shaking hands with the other coach as I confidently strode off the court (which, of course would be named after me). This all changed the minute I actually became a basketball coach, just one of my responsibilities as a Sports4Kids’ Site Coordinator in Baltimore, Maryland. My squad was supposed to be made up of twelve Brehms Lane Beavers pulled from the ranks of the fourth and fifth grade girls. I had no idea what I was working with. I hadn’t seen a single kid at the school shoot a basketball, and they, as most pre-adolescent girls are, were more concerned with gossip and glitter than my ill-conceived plans of running Syracuse’s 2-3 Pressure zone. Still, I managed to get thirteen girls to sign on the dotted line. FULL COURT PRESS So we met for our first practice. They were green, oh yes, but they were enthusiastic. And they loved to bounce the ball. Loved it. Bounce the ball when Coach David is talking, bounce the ball when we’re walking through the halls, bounce the ball when Coach David wants it put away, bounce the ball when we’re waiting to be picked up, bounce the ball in the car, bounce the ball on the bench. There was only one problem: I had nowhere for them to bounce the ball. Our practice area consisted of a 12 X 20 patch of concrete on the outdoor playground that rested in front of a set of monkey bars, serving as a makeshift goal. We might as well have been throwing the ball up in the air and saying “well, I think that would’ve gone in.” My troops’ spirit was not broken though, despite the icy winds of a Baltimore February. When the elements became too unbearable, we had to go inside. With the gym occupied, my creative improvisation as a Sports4Kids coach (a vital asset to the job, if you ask me) was put to the test. Before long, we were dribbling an obstacle course through the halls of the (mostly) vacant school, passing through hula hoops, defensively sliding between rows of lockers and having our team meetings in the teachers’ cafeteria (shhh). Mr. Eckles, who wasn’t even a teacher of any of the girls, joined us, lending a similar passion for the game to the mix. By the time our first game rolled around, Mrs. Perzinski, several of the girls’ fourth grade teacher, offered to drive. Perhaps, I thought, this will actually happen. I was worried about so many things. I worried that we wouldn’t have enough players, that the girls wouldn’t have a ride to the game, that I would forget to put someone in the game, that the other team would rout us (despite the fact that no score was kept), that Brehms Lane would decide it wasn’t safe to travel, that one of my girls would bite the referee if he made an unfair call, etc.
THE REBOUND I breathed these worries out en masse the first time my girls cheered for their teammates during the opening introductions. I did it again when they politely made a circle with the other team and went over the rules. I exhaled yet again when we completed our first bounce pass. Once again when Destiny made our first basket. Again, and again, when Sherica made our second and third, and was patted on the back and cheered on by every member of our team, despite the fact the other team was trying to bring the ball back up the court at the time. I think I shed a tear the first time we got back on defense and positioned ourselves in a perfect 2-3, all five players in defensive stances. They were addicted to being on the court. The same girls who had asked me not to go in were now begging to start. They were in a frenzy the entire time they were out there, shuffling their sneakers, keeping their arms up on defense, and dribbling with confidence. They finally had somewhere to bounce the ball. THE TROPHY I’m a man who keeps very few valuables. However, the picture of me and my Brehms Lane Beavers is something I will never, ever lose. It’s almost comical, when you really look at it. Here are the thirteen girls in maroon shirts, none of them five feet tall, hamming it up for the camera, smiling ear to ear. And behind them is this large, pale man with a scruffy red beard, shaggy hair, a t-shirt and jeans. He’s smiling ear to ear too, because his kids shook hands with the other team, played their hardest, and had fun that night. He’s not wearing a blazer, and he definitely didn’t get hoisted anywhere. He’s just happy to be there. That experience is something I will always treasure. Jaycelle Pequette Site Coordinator Le Conte Elementary Berkeley, CA This is a job where every day the energy you put in comes back to you in an immediate way.
Page 1 and 2: Annual Report 2005-06 1996-2006 Ten
Page 3 and 4: Jill C. Vialet Founder and Executiv
Page 5 and 6: 5 5 Mary Fay LaMartina Principal Be
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Page 11 and 12: Sports4Kids 2006 sources and uses o
Page 13 and 14: Sports4Kids individual donors 2005-
Page 15 and 16: Sports4Kids institutional supporter

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