Basketball

My great MTC predecessor, President Robert Kennerley accomplished many great things here in the MTC—one of the most significant is that he moved the missionaries’ gym and exercise time from the night-time to the early morning.  Each morning, we gather with all of the missionaries and play—volleyball, badminton, jump-rope, table tennis, kickball, maybe some 4-square, a little chess occasionally and basketball!.  I purchased one-more BB bank board (portable) and hoop to expand their play.

            I have always loved to play and watch the game of basketball.  I’m not very good, I’m not very tall and I’m old—but I still love it.  Please note in the picture my wonderful acquaintance, Elder Tyler Haws (former and future BYU BB great) who serves nearby in the Quezon City Mission and is currently assigned as the assistant to his wonderful mission president, President DeLaMare (also formerly a very good BB player). (Please don’t send or share this picture to anybody because both Elder Haws and I don’t want to be embarrassed!)  The President says that Elder Haws is so humble, obedient and faithful.  He doesn’t compete with anybody while he is in the service of the Lord.

            Every morning I watch the MTC missionaries play their hearts out on the court.  The young Pilipino missionaries love to play basketball.  Many are fans of the NBA teams and keep track of the games and players.  Here are a few things I observe about the young missionaries’ basketball skills: 

            They love to dribble, drive and dodge—through their legs, around their legs, over the top and down under; they wheel, they spin, they fake, they feign, they step, reverse, jump and pump. The go left, they go right, they go over.  Wow—do they have the moves—lively, agile, athletic, fancy, fantastic—just incredible!  They practice all of the smooth moves endlessly and all of them do it showing their amazing young prowess to each other and to everyone else who watches.  I’m sure that Jimmer could learn some new tricks! There are just two things at which that they don’t do well:  1) They don’t know how to pass to somebody else and, 2) They rarely can make a basket!  An amazing display!   I love it and I love them!

 

President GT