Wednesday
Jul082009
YDA Session One, Day Three
Wednesday, July 8, 2009 at 11:52AM | Jeremiah Dobruck
One of our counselors, James Petitfils gave us a glimpse of the kids' day with the Los Angeles Galaxy soccer team:
Whether getting off the bus, standing in line, hanging in a group of peers, or participating in one of the many YDA (Youth Development Academy for those of you who don’t know the abbrev. of it yet) activities, the students LOVE TO DANCE! Thus, it was only fitting that we began our day with an organized dance session. This was a neat opportunity for the students to “cut some rug,” “bust a move,” or “drop it like it’s hot” (I’m not sure what all these terms mean, but I think they relate to dancing). Likewise, it was a perfect moment for us counselors to make the students laugh as we engaged in a hopeless attempt at keeping rhythm. What a classic picture: students and leaders from all walks of life, ages, cities, socio-economic categories, and personalities joining in a (somewhat) unified dance sequence.
James and the crew getting down
Following the dance portion, we headed over to the Home Depot Center and enjoyed an insider tour of the Galaxy facilities. The tour facilitators said that ours was the biggest tour they have every given (with the most people). Not only did the students sit in the box seats, stroll through the fitness center and “backstage” areas of the Center, but the Home Depot Center gave each camper a free Galaxy soccer ball and poster. The balls were deflated—thankfully for the counselors—so most of the students wore them as hats. We left right as the L.A. Sols (the new professional women’s soccer team in Los Angeles) began their game.
After a refreshing break, it was straight to the athletic field for some very unique recreation. Following a few team-building exercises, we played a spin-off version of soccer. It was like a combination of “steal the bacon,” soccer, and pool. My team for the next two weeks—our team name is “Crispy” based on a drama presentation we put together wherein we became a human toaster—had an absolute blast!
All in all, Wednesday was yet another powerful, fun, and blissfully exhausting day of YDA! In just half a week, my team “Crispy” and all of the other teams (with names including, but not limited to, “The Burritos,” “The Best Team Ever,” and “School House”) have really bonded. It is truly a beautiful sight! Tomorrow we look forward to learning about how we can make an impact in our local communities and we will also be making quite a splash during pool time. CANNON BALL!!!
Whether getting off the bus, standing in line, hanging in a group of peers, or participating in one of the many YDA (Youth Development Academy for those of you who don’t know the abbrev. of it yet) activities, the students LOVE TO DANCE! Thus, it was only fitting that we began our day with an organized dance session. This was a neat opportunity for the students to “cut some rug,” “bust a move,” or “drop it like it’s hot” (I’m not sure what all these terms mean, but I think they relate to dancing). Likewise, it was a perfect moment for us counselors to make the students laugh as we engaged in a hopeless attempt at keeping rhythm. What a classic picture: students and leaders from all walks of life, ages, cities, socio-economic categories, and personalities joining in a (somewhat) unified dance sequence.
James and the crew getting downFollowing the dance portion, we headed over to the Home Depot Center and enjoyed an insider tour of the Galaxy facilities. The tour facilitators said that ours was the biggest tour they have every given (with the most people). Not only did the students sit in the box seats, stroll through the fitness center and “backstage” areas of the Center, but the Home Depot Center gave each camper a free Galaxy soccer ball and poster. The balls were deflated—thankfully for the counselors—so most of the students wore them as hats. We left right as the L.A. Sols (the new professional women’s soccer team in Los Angeles) began their game.
After a refreshing break, it was straight to the athletic field for some very unique recreation. Following a few team-building exercises, we played a spin-off version of soccer. It was like a combination of “steal the bacon,” soccer, and pool. My team for the next two weeks—our team name is “Crispy” based on a drama presentation we put together wherein we became a human toaster—had an absolute blast!
All in all, Wednesday was yet another powerful, fun, and blissfully exhausting day of YDA! In just half a week, my team “Crispy” and all of the other teams (with names including, but not limited to, “The Burritos,” “The Best Team Ever,” and “School House”) have really bonded. It is truly a beautiful sight! Tomorrow we look forward to learning about how we can make an impact in our local communities and we will also be making quite a splash during pool time. CANNON BALL!!!
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