Basketball vs Baysville.
Date: Saturday, 20 February 2010.
The 1st and 2nd team travelled to Mdatsane, East London to play a fixture of basketball. We expected to play on a court, where there would be standard facilities such a lavatory. The notion of arriving at a location where that would not be fully facilitated had not crossed the mind of any of the basketball players.
Instead we arrived at a section of gravel surrounded by grass. On it were the markings of a basketball court that were drawn by a stick. Basketball hoops had been put up, but were not up to the standard of the St Andrew’s players. Regardless all the boys played with one aim, to win. Everybody on that court, including the opposition enjoyed themselves.
That game for many of us opened up our eyes. We were taken out of our nuclear world and dumped in the middle of a reality. For us it was a one day experienced. However, for our opposition it is an everyday experience and we need to acknowledge that.
We do community service at the school, but it is not the same as what we experienced on Saturday. When doing community service, it’s as if we are giving a helping hand. We still have the feeling of being privileged. On the basketball court of gravel, we all remain equal. You aren’t defined by your possessions, but your character on the court. All the boys’ characters had a profound outlook at the way others live
This is something a handful of students experienced. I think many more should experience playing sport against the underprivileged, at their grounds. It doesn’t have to be every school boy, but definitely more. It is just one way of taking us out of our closed, nuclear, privileged environment, to the face of reality.
L.Mahlati
Lakhanya Mahlati
Marketing Prefect
Upper House
St Andrew's College
Grahamstown
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