Disappointment

The boarders’ program for this Saturday (2 days away) was just cancelled today = (  The girls were so down about it at practice today (I was so proud of them for still wanting to practice, though, even though we were originally practicing and learning to play against the host school)…but the worst part was how well they took the news.  When Ampadu (the guy who’s been coaching the boys’ football team) told me, and saw how sad I was, he tried to console me by saying, “It’s okay.  They’re used to it.”  And by the girls’ reactions, I could tell this was true.  It was as if they were expecting it = (  But when they saw how sad I was for them, they started to open up about how disappointed they really were.  It’s just that they never get to leave…and so this was so exciting for them.  They were gonna get to spend the day outside of the gates with other kids their age.  They had also put so much hard work and time into preparing for it!

But I guess there was a lot of good that came out of it, too.  The kids developed some “school spirit and personal pride” = )  The girls started exercising and being successful at a sport, which they loved!  And I got to get closer to the JHS girls that I coached.  One even came and confided in me after practice.  I felt so honored.  I’m just so proud of those girls, I can’t even put it into words.  They’ve come so far, and it hasn’t been easy.  There’ve been a lot of setbacks and difficulties and frustrations…but the girls have become increasingly persevering and determined.  It’s been such a neat transformation, and such a blessing to watch and be a part of = )