SKILLZ

Back from a four month? About? Hiatus. Of pure procrastination. Blogs are still odd to me. Add that with inconsistent internet and you have a person like myself!

After school finished I had Mid Service Conference. In where, a week at a comfortable hotel, we are taught more skills with our counterparts to assist in our service. I was taught Grassroot Soccer SKILLZ. With a z. It was energetic. There were two guys who trained all of us with enthusiasm and hilarious ice breakers. We were taught how to use soccer drills and games to teach about HIV/AIDS.

I thought that was weird too. But! It actually works!

How? You ask….

Well. Let. Me. Tell. You! There are 12 practices for each program. These practices address HIV/AIDS in different fun ways:

-          Dribble the ball around cones that are represented as risky behaviors, if you hit a cone on the first round- do a punishment ( jumping jacks), on the second round- your whole team does the jumping jacks, and the last round- all teams do the jumping jacks. This shows how if one person gets affected it starts with them, but then grows to affect their community, then expands to the country.

-          Another practice was how to ID an HIV positive person- this is where the kids lined up in a Wall (shoulder to shoulder) and had to pass a small ball behind them and the opposing team had to guess who has it when the coach says stop. This shows that you may not know who has the ball (or HIV!)

My counterparts and I did the camp at the school- and I thought it was a great success. When school begins in September, we’re going to try to do this then too!