KSFc Update 4: Street Cup winners

So I think this blog was meant for Tuesdays or Wednesdays but whatever.

One thing has emerged this week I hadn't thought about, injuries. A kid, playing somewhere else, hurt his foot and I think he might have a small break in his foot. He can walk on it and even play but its been hurting him for a few weeks. Anyway keep him in your thoughts.

The last 2 games of the Street Cup are today and excitement for them is at a fever pitch. One team has been leading throughout the competition but there has been a dark horse thats been hanging in there and gotten to within two points of the leaders (enough so that if they win their last game they'll win it). I've been trying to fan the coals of their enthusiasm stoked and prayers were answered in a way as one of the two games today, which we'll play second, is between those top two teams.

I will be in the States next week to see a potential recruit named Judah Willis Crane but will try and add more pictures next week. See you then.

KSFC update 3: Streets Cup

Thanks for checking in on the team again. We are doing well and hope you are doing the same. Still haven't gotten with doing the update on Monday but...yeah, I will. So check in for the latest on Mondays and since we've only had two so far it wouldn't take you long to catch up with us :)

This week has been alright, a good core group of kids (which, fortunately include a few with real talent...what?) have started to show up to most every practice and on time, a guy called Ignatius has been coming to help me manage a good practice with the number we get at every meeting, and yeah, also I think we're starting to get into a rhythm. So its good.

This Saturday the four-a-side league for the Streets Cup will have its final rounds, so pray everyone comes on time and does their best and no fights break out. Not that we've had any (much) but the guys can get pretty competitive sometimes, which is fine, but just that everything will go smoothly.

Also pray I'm not a scolding, shouting, "coach" all the time but an encouraging, guiding, voice for these kids.

Thanks for your support by checking in and next Monday, we'll be here again.

KSFc Update 2: Rainstorms

Next Monday is the goal for getting this news-update on track. The last one was written about two weeks ago and added last Monday, this one is all being done today (Tuesday). Every Monday is the targeted time for the update so, tune in then.
The past two weeks have been okay. They started with heavy rainstorms everyday that kept the field too flooded to play on for a couple practices. This was fine as the ankle deep water covering the field, which I for some reason walked across in normal shoes when I checked it, gave me a cold that took the time of the missed practice to recover from. Meetings were picked back up though with a light practice and a four aside tournament amongst ourselves the Saturday before last.
The tournament went well. There is a core group of about twenty kids that is starting to show up, so I divided them into five four-a-side teams to play against one another. Part of the reason I wanted to do this is that when I'd schedule practice games with other teams they, the other team and some of our guys, would show up late and kill everything I'd been preaching about how we'd have to forfeit all our games if they didn't start coming on time. I figured the four-a-side teams and playing amongst ourselves would enforce the punctuality rule. Mom and Dad were there and were encouraging to the group through their cheering and taking pictures. And the team (pictured above) I'd hoped would win, as it has two semi-younger players with a lot of potential that I knew would win if they really went for it, won.
The next meetings the club began a practice format that will be followed for awhile. Dean Smith (a legendary basketball coach in the States), liked to keep stats of what the players did in drills during practice and keep those stats posted at the end of every week. Some of the kids in the club like to talk smack to one another and sometimes even like to question me, hopefully this will regulate that in a positive way as the numbers will speak for themselves. So there are three basic skills drills (it even starts to rhyme) that'll be done on Tuesdays and two game-type drills we'll begin to do Thursdays.
Every month the Kenyan Streets Football Club Cup (also pictured above) will be given. The four-a-side teams will be kept and on Saturdays they will play twenty minute games until the end of every month when, after every team has played the others twice, the Cup will be given to the team with the most points.
Edgar Davids (a world famous football player from Holland), is coming to Kenya for the Streets Football Tour that is also being put on YouTube. It would obviously be a dream for him to drop in on the team while he is here so Mr. Davids if you read this please know your tour wouldn't be complete if you didn't check out Kenyan Streets FC while you were in Kenya.
Continue to pray the kids will make it to practice every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday on time. Thanks for reading again and we'll talk at you again this Monday.