“Even the hoop sounded different!”

A Sports Visitor participant in a ropes course, a team bonding experience

Ten youth and two coaches from Turkmenistan participated in a recent Sports Visitors Program for thirteen days in the Washington Metropolitan area. The delegation was comprised of five female and five male basketball players between the ages of 14 and 16, along with one female and one male coach. Their program presented a dialogue and enabled the youth to form genuine friendships between themselves and their American counterparts. The players were introduced to a diverse and comprehensive range of activities, which provided them with a panorama of basketball culture in the United States.

The group was able to enhance their skills through athletics with basketball clinics, strength and conditioning sessions and scrimmages. The youth and their coaches were introduced to the American way of practice and play at American University, University of the District of Columbia, High School visits, Boys and Girls Club, DC Assault, and Classics’ AAU Basketball activities. Each event allowed the group to try new drills and exercises that concentrated on skills such as passing, shooting and strength and conditioning. All participants commented how differently the Americans trained and that the drills were a bit hard at first. By the end of the practice, the athletes were quite adept at flying down the court. The Turkmenistan athletes were excited they would be able to show and teach the lessons and drills they learned back home to their team members.

The delegation was also introduced to sports for disabled youth through the TOPSoccer program and Disabled Sports USA. With the help of the founder of TOPSoccer, the youth were able to lead and play alongside the participants of a soccer practice. In the course of the practice, the athletes made friends, demonstrated their warmth and leadership, and developed an appreciation for the organization. Turkmenistan Coach Alyena Bogdanova said, “We were amazed that at 12 [years old,] this girl [the founder] could get such an idea off the ground.” The group’s TOPSoccer experience inspired and encouraged them, as teenagers, to participate in meaningful activities and take initiative even if those opportunities were not yet available in Turkmenistan.

The athletes rounded out their program with various cultural activities around the Washington D.C. area. The University of the District of Columbia provided the group with an understanding of the American university system. These new concepts greatly added to the group’s understanding of athletics and education in the United States. They also had the opportunity to observe a Regional Track Championship meet, which included students from Northwestern High School. This opportunity provided them a view of high school competitions outside of basketball.

At the end of the program, one participant reflected, “When I go back, I will share the news and work as a team and tell [everyone] about what I learned from the US about working together, and supporting and encouraging each other.”