Week 79: Shout Out to GRS

 This week I want to give a little shout out to the organization Grass Roots Soccer. In their own words, “Grassroot soccer is an HIV prevention organization that uses the power of soccer to educate, inspire, and mobilize communities to stop the spread of HIV and AIDS.” GRS is present in 25 countries and based in Cape Town, South Africa.  I was trained to be a GRS coach last January and it was not until this week that I finished my first program. A program consists of eleven interactive lessons and a graduation ceremony. Previously I never got past lesson four before the practices were derailed for one reason or another. However, all of those failed attempts made this victory all the sweeter. I am grateful to the organization for making such a great teaching tool and to my kids and co-coach for showing up and listening.  As always I am fairly certain that I learned more than anyone else and once I was able to let go of my control, it went considerably better. The most powerful moment for me involved the debrief with my co-coach and finding out what she learned from the program, a good reminder how necessary open and honest conversations about HIV and its spread can be.