Sports is a good teacher. How Dream-a-Dream has utilized it as a medium to channelize raw energy of so many children is an inspiring story. My knowledge and association with the hockey program has been very less. But somehow each session I attended has been a really good learning time.
Meeting No. One
I recall visiting Ananya on my day 2 at D-a-D. We had been there with a guest volunteer from Sweden. He wanted to teach the kids game of Ultimate Frisbee. A very nice game. But more important was the fact that it was my first interaction with these kids. The way they accepted me in their world was an eye opener for me. The smile on their face of so natural and contagious. Their simplicity was really inspiring.
And I continued with D-a-D. I feel that visit to Ananya and my meeting with Vishal played the most crucial role in my association with D-a-D. I really owe it up to them.
Meeting No. Two
Next time I watched these kids playing hockey was on KSHA stadium in Shantinagar in some school level tournament. They were playing against Sarla Birala Academy (SBA). D-a-D team (or KSHA team as it is better known as) played really matured game and won the match easily. That day I sat in the gallery with the parents of SBA kids. Their reactions during the match were really interesting. Initially they seemed ignoring the KSHA team and writing them off as minnows (with some amount of sympathy factor). But as the match progressed, many of them seem to start enjoying the performance by these kids. They seem to respect them for what they showed on the field. And that was the victory for KSHA team in my definitions. Take me as I am and respect me for what I am. Another interesting observation from this match was the team skills that were displayed by KSHA team. They seemed to be working as one entity and really enjoyed each other's success. I could surely say at that moment that we have succeeded in channelizing them so well. For a cause. For themselves.
Meeting No. Three
Third time I watched these kids playing was last Sunday. Again the opponent were SBA. SBA campus on Bannerghatta Road served as the venue. One of the first thing I could notice while entering the school was its grand building and well maintained fields. I thought that our kids also will find it amusing. But most of them just seem too uninterested in that. When someone like me who has been part of a similar school had jaws open at the scene of majestic main building, how could these kids accept it so matter of factly? I could not find the answer at that moment.
Match started on time and soon we were all fully lost in the game. First half was not a good show for KSHA team. That one of their key player was too indulged in playing glorious [he was not at all passing the ball, kept dodging 2-3 players and then losing the control] was one of the thing that everyone noticed. This was a real change from the last time I saw these kids. KSHA was trailing behind by two goals at half-time.
In the break these observations was brought in to the notice of that player, and he accepted it too. But then he had his own complaints too. And one of the loudest [that I could hear from a distance] was "put his photo in paper tomorrow, and he will win the game for you" [not the exact words, but the tone was the same]. And this was something really unexpected. I have known this 'team' for its team-skills and selfless game. This charge was something of a shock for me.
But second half of the game was totally different from the first half. Somehow the pep-talk given in the break worked well with the players and the 'team'. The usual team game was on display and everyone enjoyed it. Final score of 5-3 in KSHA's favor says a lot about the effort that was put in second half.
And the post match analysisComing back to my observations from the game, these players [or at least some of them] have been part of this team for a long time. They have been playing quality hockey [even the captain of SBA agreed to it after the match] and have done well as a team. But what I felt that day was the team is getting in a new phase. I feel there are two changes that are coming in this team with the time.
1. Some of the older players have reached a stage where their ego has become bigger than the game [or the purpose of playing it]
2. Because of the age and experience, now there is wide difference in the quality of game of senior players as compared to the newcomers.
And that brings me to the question that, isn't it the right time to give the seniors their due respect and get something more challenging for them. The motive here would be to channelize the energy again and keep them motivated. Moving them to a different league would also mean that even the small kids will have a good chance of playing. [for the first time I heard many of the kids requesting the coach to let them play in the match]. I am sure that this is going to be another giant of a challenge for D-a-D. But I feel if we do not start working on it now, we will miss the purpose.
ps: Whatever I have written here is something that I felt at that moment. It's strictly my personal observations. Most of it could be wrong, or overstated owing to my ignorance. But I strongly feel that itz coming.
