I coach on weekends at the ML Jaisimha Cricket Academy these days mainly as a stand in for Baig sir who is away in Canada on vacation. The regulars have stopped coming and we have the young kids who are in the age group of 8-14 who come - mostly towards 8. There are about 6-7 of them and I did not want to take this weekend activity away from them just because Baig sir was not coming, so decided to step in.
Aarav is easily the most visible. Small, withdrawn, glasses, rarely smiling, constantly having some small health issue or another - eyes watering something or the other. Satwick who is new and low on attention, Daksh who is stoic and steady and well mannered and good fun, Hardik who is brave and intelligent and kind, Anish who has little ball sense but is an eager learner and a few more like Smaran, Aarav and so on.
Since there is less crowd we try and give them some time with the cricket ball in the nets and they are thrilled. In fact in the past few weeks, I have seen Aarav fully transform into someone else. He has become mischievous, aggressive, fun, challenges others as big as Satwik and beats them. He bought himself a kit after one session in the net and now badgers me to allow him to play with his pads (he can hardly walk in them) in the nets. He shows the drills properly and also tells me that he knows more because Baig sir taught him the pull and the cut. I am amazed at his transformation. I can see Satwik not afraid to get hit by the ball and actually hitting the ball, Hardik picking up the basics really fast and so on and on.
If I ever needed proof of how much good a game can do to a person, I just have to think of these five-six boys. Or Aarav's cheeky smile these days. And in a few weeks. Wow! I am more and more inspired now to work with kids like them. Let me get a picture of the lot next week.
Aarav is easily the most visible. Small, withdrawn, glasses, rarely smiling, constantly having some small health issue or another - eyes watering something or the other. Satwick who is new and low on attention, Daksh who is stoic and steady and well mannered and good fun, Hardik who is brave and intelligent and kind, Anish who has little ball sense but is an eager learner and a few more like Smaran, Aarav and so on.
Since there is less crowd we try and give them some time with the cricket ball in the nets and they are thrilled. In fact in the past few weeks, I have seen Aarav fully transform into someone else. He has become mischievous, aggressive, fun, challenges others as big as Satwik and beats them. He bought himself a kit after one session in the net and now badgers me to allow him to play with his pads (he can hardly walk in them) in the nets. He shows the drills properly and also tells me that he knows more because Baig sir taught him the pull and the cut. I am amazed at his transformation. I can see Satwik not afraid to get hit by the ball and actually hitting the ball, Hardik picking up the basics really fast and so on and on.
If I ever needed proof of how much good a game can do to a person, I just have to think of these five-six boys. Or Aarav's cheeky smile these days. And in a few weeks. Wow! I am more and more inspired now to work with kids like them. Let me get a picture of the lot next week.
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