Carol Moehrle
I attended our grandson’s third-grade basketball game last week and was filled with love and admiration for the team members and the parent coaches. With kids this age, the parent coaches and parent referees understood the true meaning of the game and their role as teachers for these children. Out of the chaos of little legs, hands, and feet as they rushed to the basketball and tried to remember what to do with their bodies, the whistle would blow, and the referee (a dad to one of the children) would crouch down at eye level and explain to the child the reason for the whistle. Continual learning took place each minute of the game.
At these children’s age, it’s not just the physical skills of the game but the social skills that are being built. Children can learn the new language of the game and recite it to you, but what they are really learning is to work and play as a team. They are learning to share and trust and support and give praise to others—praise when they follow directions as well as praise and encouragement to keep trying.
It makes my heart happy and proud to see young dads and moms step up and work with these children, offering their time, patience, and love to help them grow.
Classroom teachers help our children grow mentally and socially every day. With the support of many others, the growth and development and love of learning will never stop, whether it’s in a classroom or on a basketball court.
b-Resilient