Age: 30
Favorite Player: Michael Jordan, but I adore and respect any basketball player!
Position: Guard

Dr. Selleck referees a 5-on-5 game between the Lebanese visitors

I have been playing basketball since I was 13, and coached just as long. I love everything about coaching—the kids, the players, the team, and being a family with your team. Also winning or losing, and accepting all outcomes and working harder to achieve another new goal are important lessons that go along with basketball.

I could relate my coaching experiences with many of the issues discussed today on Conflict Resolution. The presenter, Dr. George Selleck, is the founder of Sports For Life, Inc. He equipped us with a lot of information and a book we could have to refer back to when we returned to Lebanon. The information and lessons he taught covered things happening all over the court and how to teach life skills from the sport. This was the most important lesson for me, and something I will always continue to teach my kids. The situational drills were so fun. They taught us how to resolve certain conflicts because it was not just a lecture—we actually got onto the court to demonstrate in control and out of control ball handling, leadership, etc. Dr. Selleck was exceptional with all the lessons, especially stressing and letting us demonstrate the importance of helping your team and not being selfish, which is an important aspect of teamwork. You have to keep communicating with everyone and help everyone in the sport. What a real life application!

Tomorrow we leave to go back to Lebanon. I am excited to go home, but I love it here in the U.S. I will miss this country and everybody that I met. I am only excited to go back because I have too much work and many players waiting for me. I want to transfer what I learned here to my players, not just about basketball, but about life skills. Overall, this entire trip I really enjoyed meeting all the different coaches, discovering new concepts, seeing a different mentality, and touring all the facilities. I hope very much to come back in the future to the United States for more clinics and to visit.

Age: 28
Favorite Player: Kobe Bryant
Position: Center

Nabil, right, taking a break from a wheelchair basketball game with coach Bill Greene

I have been playing basketball for eleven years, and have been coaching for the same amount of time. I have even coached Racha, a friend on this program, so she can tell you if I was good!

I am having a great time here in Washington, D.C., not just learning about basketball, but speaking with other people and understanding a different culture. All the activities we have had has been something new. This is a great learning experience. Today was very different from our previous days. We started our day with a meeting with our Ambassador to the U.S., Mr. Antoine Chedid. During this meeting I learned Ambassador Chedid is a huge basketball fan and supports our efforts of working with the Lebanese youth. He continually asked what we needed and was very interested in our program here in the U.S. We could only give words of praises. Everything we have done has made a strong impact.

We also met with the Positive Coaching Alliance (PCA) for a coaches' workshop. They talked to us about how to deal with the players and how to motivate them, as well as cheering them on in games. We knew of some of these lessons of positive coaching, but also learned new lessons and had a great experience. This kind of thing is not just for basketball, but can be used in general for life. It was really a good experience for us, as was the wheelchair basketball last night. Bill Greene and his wheelchair team gave us the opportunity to watch and play a few games. I have played wheelchair basketball before because I have some friends at home that play with the Lebanese National Team. The players in this wheelchair league are very good. It is especially great to be able to work with such people who have fun and are able to overcome any physical problems. I love to come and play with them-you must feel them and play alongside them to really understand. This helps you connect to the players, to challenge them, and be challenged in return.

Age: 23
Favorite Players: Kobe Bryant and Tony Carter
Position: Guard

Racha, at right, celebrates about the WNBA players’ autographs on her t-shirt in the Mystics locker room.

Hi I am Racha, and I was born in Beirut. I have been playing basketball for seven years, and my jersey number is 9. I also have been coaching for four of those years.

Yesterday's basketball clinic at Bishop O’Connell High School was very interesting. Coach Joe Wootten hosts a basketball camp for kids from age 8 to 14 or so. There were many children, but Coach Wootten had an organized pattern and split the kids into different groups - there were many assistant coaches and college basketball players to help out. We have similar summer camps in Lebanon with many kids, and I used to work at such a summer camp. Since we’ve been here, we’ve seen many things with people and players, but I think going to Bishop O’Connell was the most useful because we had the chance to implement all that we’ve learned. I liked all the information we got, and Coach Wootten sat down with us and gave us great ideas of handling a team and dealing with certain issues, even with the parents. We went to his house for dinner with the coaches from the camp, and he gave us Lebanese food. All of the food so far has been good, but it was nice and very healthy for all of us to get this food.

Really, the entire program has been wonderful- I still cannot get over meeting WNBA players a few days ago. How exciting it was to take pictures with such players, and really see what it is like for professional women players. I would like to try to come back to the United States for a basketball camp for myself!

Age: 26
Favorite Player: Jason Kidd
Position: Guard

WNBA President Donna Orender and sports columnist Christine Brennan pose at halftime of the Mystics game with the Lebanese basketball coaches

Hello my name is Georges, and I have been playing basketball since I was 13, and coaching since I was 20. In Lebanon it is a little bit different, but basketball is a universal sport and a universal feeling, and I can connect well with what I am learning in Washington, D.C.

Coming to a WNBA game last night was a dream come true. We watched the Washington Mystics play the Indiana Fever at the Verizon Center. We were even able to meet with Donna Orender, the President of WNBA. She loved hearing our cheering to the Mystics, and we were loud of course so others noticed too. I have always wanted to watch an NBA game, or professional game of the sort. Meeting the president, speaking with the players afterwards—that was amazing. I loved the game, and I am a player so I know the feeling the Mystics felt losing, but they played very well. The Fever played just as well, and they were also exciting to watch.

The whole program is like a dream come true. To come to the United States was a dream, not just for me, but for everyone. Basketball-wise, we learned many things we didn't know. We met a former NBA player, Rolando Blackman, and spoke with many coaches and learned new techniques. I am even sore today from the conditioning drills the basketball coaches at American University gave us!

Age: 30
Favorite Player: Michael Jordan
Position: Center

Talar and the rest of the Lebanese delegation pose in the varsity weight room of American University after a strength and conditioning clinic

Hello I am Talar, and I have played basketball in Beirut. I have been coaching for three years in a row now but I used to coach prior to that as a volunteer at the club I used to play with. I became interested in basketball due to high school, and because my high school coach used to work for the club team I was part of as well. I still play---my team used to be in the second division, but we won the championship and we will probably move to the first division!

We are familiar with many of the concepts the coaches mentioned today at the American University because we also play, but some don’t apply to what I do because I coach beginners. However, it is really interesting to be exposed to such a higher level of basketball. The fitness and nutrition information was helpful, and I found the discussion about Title IX to be quite interesting. It is a big opportunity, or at least a big success story for Lebanon, because we have that problem in sports. Basketball is not even that organized for men, so for women to get there on that level is really hard, but at least we have to put in the building stones. I understand that it still took the U.S. some time to make such equality, even after a law was established, so that is encouraging. I guess the puzzle pieces are coming together, and we have some really good things to take home and to work on when we get back to Lebanon!

Age: 50
Role: Former NBA player for the Dallas Mavericks and the New York Knicks
Position: Guard

The Lebanese coaches getting some pointers from former NBA player Rolando Blackman

Hello, my name is Rolando and I played thirteen years in the NBA. I grew up in Panama City, Panama so the first thing I did was kick the soccer ball around until I got to New York City and at the age of ten decided to take up the game of basketball.

Working with the Lebanese was a fantastic opportunity for me to be around great people, and not just good people, but people who really want to help kids. With regards to the clinic today, the most important takeaway for them is to understand putting together a fundamental skill and having the fundamental being transferred into a game situation, and making sure that the understanding of the fundamental can be executed. Execution is the key to using the basics and taking them to a higher level.

The special interaction with this group was going to the DC United game. We had a chance to really talk like old friends about how things are different in the US than in Lebanon and how things are the same. I’ve had the opportunity to go to Lebanon six or seven times, and so it was great to be able to talk about possible future collaboration with them. We also initiated a wave from our seats, which was a lot of fun. Overall, I got the chance to gain a lot of new friends so I am very happy about that---that is the best thing for me.

Age: 26
Favorite Player: Kobe Bryant
Role: Forward/Center, Coach

Marie goes for a layup during a scrimmage at Hoops Magic

Hello my name is Marie, and I coach a JV basketball team at the American Community School in Beirut. I also work with the College Protestant Francais. I started playing basketball since I was 12 because my P.E. teacher encouraged me to play and then I liked the sport so much that I stopped playing all the other sports like tennis. I played guitar too, but I stopped, and now besides basketball I only swim. I have been coaching since I was 20, with many other club teams.

I like the clinics we have been at for the past two days at the Boys and Girls Club of Greater Washington. It was interesting because we know all the drills the other coaches gave us, but they make points, and give tips. If you are shooting, for example, keep your elbow in a 90-degree angle -- just little things like this that help a lot. I enjoyed playing basketball with the girls -- it was a scrimmage at Hoops Magic. I was interested in the fitness and the gym there. I was a fitness trainer in Lebanon so I was very interested in the materials. It is new. Today was so interesting with the assistant coach from George Washington University, Brian Ellerbe. He gave us secondary techniques, and they were very helpful.

People are so nice here, but that is not so surprising. I love the hotel, because it is very relaxing. I went to the gym in the hotel, and it was cool! I am excited to go shopping; I want to get a lot of stuff like a laptop for my brother and maybe shopping for sportswear and electronic things.

Age: 44
Favorite Player: Larry Bird
Role: Coach with the National Team of Lebanon

Antoun shares a laugh at the coaches' clinic at the DC Boys and Girls Club

Hello, my name is Tony and I am 44 going on 45 years old. I have been coaching for twenty years with the National Team of Lebanon. Although I played basketball myself growing up, I stopped playing after I started coaching. Since then I have only played some pickup games, but really nothing serious!

Yesterday, I really enjoyed walking around Washington D.C, but it of course is not related to any basketball activities. But through basketball, and this program, I was exposed to it. We went to a restaurant called Busboys and Poets. On the menu I read one poem written about conflict, of the American poet named Langston Hughes. Both his parents were of mixed race. I was surprised and interested by this. This is typical; maybe, we have a bit of a similar situation in Lebanon. Not in terms of race, but with religion. All in all, the segway tour of Washington, D.C, was fantastic! It was really another way to look at the city!

The coaches I talked with today at the Boys and Girls Club of Washington D.C. were very helpful, and nice to talk to. This is what we like, something to reach out for youngsters, a program with nice facilities with professional help. This is what we like and want to have in Lebanon. I am of course excited for tomorrow but more so just very excited for every day until we leave!