Team 5 Week 2

Monday
La Plant
• Program Activities: kickball, hitting/fielding, trash pick-up (social responsibility), thank you cards, friendship bracelets, football
• Numbers: 7 (4 girls, 3 boys; ages 6-10 – Edward for the first time)
• Report: It is great to partner with the Boys and Girls Club because we have inside space and local knowledge with the staff. However, it also gives the youth an option to escape if they are not interested in the Initiative’s programming offerings. We encountered this situation last week and it occurred again. However, we were able to engage the whole group in kickball for the first part of our day and then we split off with softball/hitting and indoor options. It was nice to get the group moving around outdoors, but it took some convincing. We also took a few youth on a circle around the BGC to pick-up trash and to help take responsibility for the upkeep of the facility.

Swiftbird
• Program Activities: kickball in mowed field, thank you cards, hitting/fielding, chalk art and hopscotch
• Numbers: 7 (4 girls, 3 boys; ages 4-13)
• Report: Once everyone had the proper footwear, we started programming with a whole group game of kickball up on the field. The wind was blowing very hard, which made kicking fair balls a real effort. However, they all ran the bases well. As the skies darkened, we moved over to the community building and worked on making and decorating thank you cards in the carport. The rain finally chased us onto the porch where we hunkered down to stay dry and emerged fifteen minutes later into the sunlight. Those that finished their art began hitting and working on skills for the remainder of the day. This was another group that ranged in age, as with last week, but seemed to be dominated by ages six and under.

Tuesday
Bear Creek
• Program Activities: sharks and minnows to warm up, kickball, fitness reviews, trash pick-up (social responsibility), thank you cards, playground tag
• Numbers: 9 (6 girls, 3 boys; ages 5-11)
• Report: The kids were excited to see us once again. We brought the group down to the field per our usual routine. We opened with a spirited game of sharks and minnows to get them moving, thinking about being active and excited for what was to come. They all played well during kickball and were in good spirits. After a break for water, we revisited the fitness assessment tasks to focus on healthy living. We have discovered that most of the youth that were tested at the start of the summer are not the youth we are seeing at the end. Bear Creek has had the most consistent group, as far as we can tell, so we wanted to make sure to revisit that concept. The fitness work was folded into another pillar – social responsibility. We had them focus on caring for the community center and “keeping mother earth from getting sick.” We filled and disposed of six bags of trash. The youth were all then excited to move indoors for a final activity of making thank you cards. This group, with minor “he’s being mean(s)” and “she hit me(s),” gets along very well and is willing to accept our planned programming. We ended with our customary circle and complemented each other for a good day.

Cheery Creek
• Program Activities: kickball, softball, bottle shakers (recycling effort and social responsibility), beading and friendship bracelets
• Numbers: 14 (7 girls, 7 boys; ages 3-14)
• Report: The plan for the day was to prepare for Wednesday’s game with Eagle Butte. However, we quickly discovered that the bulk of the team was off at a camp for the week meaning that at least five players that participated in the pervious game would by unavailable. Tugboat, a youth that had been very involved before, was occupied and unable to assist for the day, which was a major set-back as well. That forced us to Plan B (wait, was there a Plan B?). We worked on skills with the assembled group and, with the help of some youth, spread the word throughout the community that players were needed. More flyers were distributed and we leaned on the youth to take ownership to round up a group by the following day. Still, there was program to run, so we stayed focused on the day’s theme of skills by playing kickball and practicing hitting. Debbie once again worked her magic with the younger group at the playground and made soda bottle shakers to use for cheering at the game. With fingers crossed, we left the river valley under sunny skies and optimistic from the slow arrival of potential players and pledges to find others.

Wednesday
Bear Creek
• Program Activities: kickball, catch, tag and variations on sharks minnows, fairy hunting and flower seeking
• Numbers: 5 (3 girls, 2 boys; ages 5-7)
• Report: We arrived earlier than normal and we also had shortened programming due to the scheduled softball game down in Cherry Creek. Still, we were able to get youth engaged for the day, after they finished their chores, in outdoor activities. We again got them running and had their heart rates up with kickball and other active games. Afterward, we cooled down in the shade with a story about and subsequent hunt for fairies lead by Debbie. This younger crew was very receptive to the effort and we wrapped up with our thank-you circle.

Cheery Creek
• Program Activities: softball game vs. Eagle Butte
• Numbers: 8 players – with more watching in the stands at various times throughout the game
• Report: Our optimism from Tuesday was quickly tested when we drove into town. Youth that had committed to playing were off in other communities or could not be found. We spent nearly forty-five minutes driving throughout the community searching for our regular youth and any other interested players. Slowly, youth made it out to the field and we were able to scrape together a co-ed team of ten that include three youth we had never seen and the addition of two ringers – Michael and Craig. The team from Eagle Butte arrived and we had the first pitch at 3:45. It was instantly apparent that the opposing youth had been coached and knew how to play, creating nerves and doubts in the Cherry Creek kids. Still they played well and enjoyed the competition. They all tried their hardest, all we ‘coaches’ could have asked. We played two games comprised of seven innings, with the second game ending in a tighter score than the first. Improvement! In all, it was a success for Cherry Creek to host the games. Families and spectators observed throughout the afternoon and the youth had a chance to compete.

Though we were the team present for the game, we executed a plan laid out from other Initiative teams. Also, the Eagle Butte team was transported and coached by Dean from the Youth Diabetes Prevention Program. He has been a great community contact and support. As with the first game, the YDPP supplied food and water for the participants. The Initiative has certainly benefited from the engagement of the YDPP.

Thursday
Note: we had to alter our days of service to accommodate the softball game down in Cherry Creek. We visited La Plant and Swiftbird to make up for the missed programming on Wednesday.

La Plant
• Program Activities: hitting and throwing, beading, board games, indoor ‘culture camp’ activities
• Numbers: 5 (4 girls, 1 boy; ages 6-11)
• Report: The BGC was closed when we arrived, no program staff were present. We later discovered that Teresa had taken the day off. That was a surprise to us and also caused many youth to believe no program would take place for the day. Still we knocked on doors and with the facility closed, we programmed outside for the first hour with two youth that showed up. Then, Tyson from the Youth Outreach program arrived to prepare for his culture camp, but the Club was still closed. He drove to off to pick up Tasina, the assistant director, and brought her to La Plant (she did not have a ride in from her house – the reason the BGC was locked). Thankfully, the Club was opened because a large storm rolled through. We had to move all activities indoors where we remained for the rest of the day. We programmed with the youth inside and briefly observed as Tyson started his activities.

Swiftbird
• Program Activities: kickball, sharks and minnows – why running and exercise is good, red/green light, bracelets, beads, nails, hitting and fielding
• Numbers: 13 (7 girls, 6 boys; ages 4-13 – Sam joined for first time)
• Report: We were able to round up our largest number of youth in the community and it gave good energy to the day’s programming. We opened with field games in the grass near the playground. Despite the age differences and the large, ankle-braking holes in the turf, the group was engaged and participated well. Once the group’s focus wondered from the games, we moved into split activities with hitting/fielding and beading. Youth transitioned between the different options and remained engaged throughout the entire time. Perhaps, a reason for the high numbers and good involvement was the presence of Sam, an older youth. He participated for first time for any group, as far as we knew, and he played very well everyone. His inclusion to the group was great, it was just unfortunate that he only joined us for our last day.

Friday
Close-up and Goodbyes
Report:
We knew from the start of the summer that we were the ‘closers.’ We were the ones to shut down programming and relay the collective farewell on behalf of the Initiative. Our day was spent driving to the communities to thank the local contacts and say goodbye to the youth. On the east end of the Reservation, we gave thank you cards made by the youth to Teresa and Tasina. We were grateful for the partnership with the Boys and Girls Club and their support throughout the summer. Out there, we also drove to White Horse to learn more about the community and investigate its future programming potential. Back in Eagle Butte, we stopped at Tyson’s house and at the Youth Diabetes Prevention Program to again express our gratitude for their support throughout the summer and to pass along a few thank you cards. Afterward, we continued to the west side of the Reservation and deposited programming supplies and Initiative gear back at the Sioux YMCA. We also stopped in Cherry Creek to see the youth a final time and pass out more cards. Finally, in Bear Creek, we gathered up the youth one last time to play some games and enjoy their positive spirits. We programmed for about an hour and a half and the youth, in their way, seemed to express their appreciation for our summer long presence. They were able to recall the names of all the Initiative staff and gave out lots of hugs. It was clear that the addition of Bear Creek to the programming roster was a good decision.

As we conclude our time out in Cheyenne River, we wish to express our thanks to the Sioux YMCA staff, its board and the local community members for their knowledge and time with us. We had a great experience. And, we want to particularly acknowledge Mona Thompson and Carol Mann who were invaluable partners in Team 5’s success and this year Initiative as a whole.

With gratitude,
--Craig, Debbie, Michael