As part of the U.S. State Departmentˇ¦s Sports Envoy Program, WNBA President Donna Orender, Indiana Fever forward Ebony Hoffman and former NBA player Rolando Blackman have traveled to Lebanon to serve as ambassadors of sport.
During their five-day trip, they will visit four cities where they will conduct clinics for both coaches and players, visit schools and speak to youth about the importance of about nutrition, strength and conditioning, and team building.
Hoffman is writing a blog to chronicle her experiences on the trip. Below is the first entry . Please check back for updates.
 Photo courtesy of the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, U.S. Department of State |
Blog Entry #1, 10/23/09
Hello from Beirut! I must admit after being asked to be part of this amazing trip and accepting immediately as soon as I had a chance to talk, I suddenly realized where I was going. Or certainly had a perception of it from the great media of Fox News and CNN. I can positively tell you what you hear and read about this country is so off kilter. I am having the privilege of being involved in a program that supports and encourages sports to all ages and genders. It's amazing how sports can bring two countries together that have different views on every level, and bridge the gap between the two. As we were landing I saw the true beauty of this country from a bird's eye view with lush beaches and mountains that stretch beyond sight. Donna and I were pretty tired after having been in the air for such a long time.
 Photo courtesy of Ebony Hoffman |
One of the interesting parts of this trip has been having body guards wherever you go and armored cars to ride in. It's amazing!! After touching down, going through customs, and getting our bags we were able to go to the hotel and kick our feet up for an hour or so before we attended a dinner party held by Ambassador Michele Sison. The party was great; I was able to meet many people that have important jobs here in Lebanon, for example the director of cultural affairs, director of public affairs, and the head of the IOC just to name a few. I also had a chance to meet and spend most of the evening with the Lebanese Women's National Team, who are remarkable women and extremely hard working. These women work full-time jobs and still go to practice everyday and one young lady is even studying to be a doctor -- truly outstanding.
 Photo courtesy of Ebony Hoffman |
The next day we arrived at Balamand University, which is the largest university in North Lebanon. When we got there university officials gave us a warm welcome, escorted around the campus and gave us a history lesson of the churches and surrounding area. They then accompanied us to the gym where the coach's clinic was going to be held. Once we started the clinic it ran smoothly. Rolando started it off with teaching defensive principles and I chimed in with post defense. (Thanks Lin Dunn :) ) Donna and I then took over and showed some basic offensive warm up drills for them to use for pre-game. After that we headed to the cafeteria and ate; the food didnˇ¦t blow my socks off but it was good. We then headed back to the gym for the kids clinic, and boy were they ready for what we had in store for them. They were so enthusiastic and attentive wanting to learn whatever information we were ready to give. Donna went first this time around and got them to settle down with a camper clap. The way she handled them you could tell she's used to dealing with kids!! She got them moving and sliding and doing the karaoke, it was brilliant. It was then my turn and of course I had to rev it up a notch; I mainly had them do quick feet, slides and contesting the ball. They were great! Rolando then took over and taught the kids some ball handling drills to show them what they needed to work on to become a good ball player. I donˇ¦t think you all realize that Rolando Blackman is a future Hall Of Famer!! So we finished signed autographs, handed out certificates and left for some R&R at the hotel.
 Photo courtesy of the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, U.S. Department of State |
The next day we got an early start due to the fact that the village we were scheduled to be at was an hour and a half away up and around a huge mountain. When we arrive at the gym we are greeted by 20 coaches who were eager to learn something new and learn different teaching techniques from a coaching standpoint and from a player point of view, which I'm told was extremely helpful. We started the day with me teaching a secondary break and all the options that you can get from it. Next was Rolando who taught pick-and-roll defense and press break. All in all it was a very good session. We then headed five minutes down the road and had a traditional Lebanese lunch that was fit for a King or Queen. We started with cold appetizers that were already on the table when we got there so Donna and I thought that this was it so we ate pretty hardy. Little did we know that it was only the first course and there were 5 more coming -- absolutely insane!!!! The food was delicious but we did have a funny thing happen. So the waiter brought this dish that to me and everyone else at the table looked like chicken, so Donna asks me "What is this" and I reply "Chicken." So she tastes it and so do Rolando and me and it tastes like chicken, until we go a little deeper and I realize these bones are way too small to be chicken. To make a long story short we had Frog which I liked but Donna didn't care too much for after she found out what it was. It was too funny. After she heard the words how fast the fork came out of her mouth. After that Donna left us to do interviews and Rolando went back to gym to start the kids camp which went well!! So far my trip here has been amazing and I hope by writing this many more will know how beautiful this place is if you give it a chance!!
Signing out,
Ebony
 Photo courtesy of the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, U.S. Department of State |