Everything is going fine in Valle. We are beginning to settle into a routine and the campers are picking things up well.
Wake-up is at 7:30 and then we all meet on the soccer field for a game of 'American Bulldog'. It's a good way to get the kids moving and the blood flowing. Basically, the 'dogs' try to catch the 'non-dogs'. If you are caught, you become a 'bulldog'. For an old guy like me, I did plenty of watching. I don't want to have to go to the slimnica for knee surgery!
Next is breakfast in the school cafeteria. Breakfast is different in Latvia but usually good. A 30-minute time for a devotional, encouragement, etc. follows breakfast.
For the rest of the day the players are working on a rotating basis in 5 different areas: 2 trainings, 1 discussion, 1 free sport and 1 physical development. Each session is 1.5 hours so the campers are worked hard.
The older campers stay in a dorm like setting (2 stall bathroom for the entire group -- no showers here, must use the ones in the gym). The beds are former steel army cots but the mattresses are ok if you stack about three together. I've got a couple of soccer coaches as roommates. Limited English, limited Latvian...lots of short sentences and head nods. They don't snore and I'm hoping I don't snore TOO loud!
The younger campers are staying classrooms in the school buildings attached to the gym. The other American here has a young group of 14 campers all in one room. They sleep on the floor. Lots of giggling, farting noises and toothpaste pranks. I think we will work them quite a bit harder tomorrow so maybe they will settle down and sleep tonight. They are really good kids though. We don't have to worry too much about them. In fact, the organizers have brought 16-ounce boxing gloves to settle disagreements!
A few pictures of some activities:
(Liene - plays on girls under 18 Latvian national team)
(Daily devotional time)
Some our younger campers battling it out...
(Valle Vidusskola)
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