Project Manager, Heni Bizawi, talks a participant from Meiser (left) and Kfar Saba (right) through a drill.
On November 30, 2015 the twinning (joint basketball activities between the Arab and Jewish participants) season kicked off in the center and north. The first twinning communities were Kfar Saba (Jewish) and Meiser (Arab). This post will highlight some of the memorable moments!
Programming in PeacePlayers Middle East really picked up as the holiday season approached. Practices have been going on for a few months now, but twinning season has officially commenced! The Jewish community Kfar Saba and the Arab community Meiser were the first group to twin and set an exciting tone for the rest of the year.
Two of the twinning participants completing a “ball hug.”
There were separate twinnings for both the girl and boy teams, and both were filled with lots of energy and fun. The basic theme around the first twinning was getting to know one another. The drills provided a chance for the participants to pass, hi-five, and “hug” one another while dribbling to half-court and back from the baseline.
Both twinnings ended with participants splitting up into mixed teams, learning each other’s names, coming up with a team name, and competing in a series of relay races. There was no modesty when coming up with team names, with names ranging from “Champions” and “All-Stars” to NBA defending champs, “Golden State.” It was clear that each team was VERY confident in their ability to win.
One of the teams takes a break from competition to pose for the camera!
The relay races were challenging and fun with tasks ranging from dribbling one ball while rolling another, to running from the baseline to half-court and back to the baseline while carrying a basketball on top of a cone with one hand. Teams got points both for winning the relay and cheering loudly. The teams were so evenly matched and competitive that it often came down to the last race between both the boy and girl group to declare a winner.
The energy and sportsmanship was so amazing that these two groups have really set the bar high for the rest of the year!
