Basketball Bond: Discovering the Value of Relationships

Today I experienced an unbelievable feeling– a feeling that I will not soon forget when I approach young people in any environment or circumstance.  Today I felt comforted in knowing that a common bond I share with ten young boys has the power to transform an insulated spirit and soul. 

While I am truly blessed to be able to enjoy the many pleasantries that I have been afforded in this life, I often find something lacking inside, something that a solid profession and material things can not satisfy.  Today marked one of those days when I felt a little empty on the inside despite the fact that I woke up to a beautiful family and enjoyed a productive day teaching my elementary and middle school students in a suburban school district north of New York City. 

It was not until I joined the group of young boys in the Different Encounters program, in what many would call an “underprivileged, low-income” community that I begin to experience a feeling of joy and connectedness.  While attempting to discuss the meaning of the word relationship with the boys, I felt the profound meaning of the word in real time. 

Player responses to the meaning of relationship included the following: 

• Bond
• Friendship
• Two people working together toward a common goal

After starting the session with a short drill in which many of the boys became frustrated, I soon witnessed a positive transformation as the session advanced, in terms of the boys understanding the value of working together as a unit rather than viewing their actions as exclusive and independent.  While far from perfect, their positive attitude and behavior change let me know the power of the basketball to teach the important concept of relationship.  

As they began to work together and experience the process of forming a relationship with their peers, I simultaneously began to feel the emptiness inside of me fill with joy.  The power of the basketball to fill my insulated spirit with a touch of joy and connectedness is but one example of a positive outcome that can be achieved through an after-school, sport-based, youth development program.