July 2, 2015 – Today we went to Maxfield Park Children’s Home. We got a tour of the home, and got to see all the kids who we will start teaching Monday. Today I learned to get comfortable with the uncomfortable. Me, Ryan, and Delroy played football (I will never call it soccer again) with the kids who were 12-16 years old. I am not used to playing football at all especially with kids who have played it their whole life. I would have been much more comfortable with playing basketball. At first I had my book bag on and my jeans and I was lightly kicking it around, but as I kept on playing I took my book bag off and started running more and playing harder. As the game went on I put on some shorts and really started playing. While I embarrassed myself in some moments I was learning new tricks and used them a couple of times today. At the end of the game I was drenched in sweat, extremely tired, and thoroughly embarrassed, but at the same time looked good on defense, and made a couple tricks on accident and on purpose that made me look better than I was. The game also led me to meet new friends such as an eight year old boy named Brandon who was on the sidelines. His birthday is December 4th only five days away from mine, and while I love basketball he hates it but he loves football. He also asked me to buy him a bike…we’ll see how that turns out. I met another boy while playing football who was about 17; I’ll have to get his name tomorrow. I love playing sports and I love working hard, so playing football felt like another day in DC just with a lot of Jamaican accents and unfamiliar work (football). Hi mom!
Brendan Epton, E L Haynes Public Charter School
One thought on “Jamaica 2015, Day 8 – Playing sports and working hard”
Hi Brendan! Once you know that you can get comfortable with the uncomfortable, you’ll do it over and over again and you and others will benefit as a result. Nice job and nice blog! Very proud of you.