Northwestern University Athletics
"One, Two, Three, Vietnam!"
9/1/2015 11:00:00 AM | General, Field Hockey
Northwestern field hockey standout Dominique Masters recounts her experiences this past summer in Vietnam - participating in Coach for College - in this edition of "Wildcats Off the Field." Coach for College is a service learning program that brings together US student-athletes and Vietnamese university students to teach academics, sports and life skills at summer camps to children in rural Vietnam.
I can remember our very last night together as coaches and directors; we sat in a circle reflecting on the previous weeks spent together.
All strangers to start from different backgrounds, universities and countries, we had somehow become so close it felt as if we had known each other for years. As we each went around the room talking about what our highlights were, one of the coaches said that the part she was going to find the hardest when she arrived home was how to tell her friends and family how truly incredible her experience had been.
I had come across the email about Coach for College accidently and for some reason decided to do some more research. All the testimonials were positive but it was, in a way, what I expected yet it wasn't. It exceeded all my expectations and then some. I spent three amazing weeks coaching and teaching underprivileged children in Vietnam but what I experienced was so much more than that. I was exposed to the beautiful culture, I ate the most delicious food, I taught incredibly gracious children and made friends to last a lifetime.
A few of us arrived early into Ho Chi Minh City and had a couple of days to acclimatise and explore. There is nothing that can prepare you for the constant humidity and noise of such a lively city. I instantly fell in love with the bustle of the motorbikes and businesses, even though there was a torrential downpour every five minutes. I also learned very quickly that if you are going to cross the road, you must have some serious confidence. In the middle of the city, you are outnumbered by an infinite number of motorbikes, but the trick is to keep walking ahead and allow the motorbikes to go around you. That sounds pretty easy but when you are trying to get to the other side of a huge crossroad and have motorbikes coming from all angles, it can feel a little suicidal. Throw in some buses and cars -- which don't stop for anything -- and you have got yourself a messy situation.
In Ho Chi Minh we visited the Vietnam War museum, the Independence Palace and explored the markets. It was incredible to see the war museum since culturally I had never been exposed to some of the horrors that went on. I was able to see first hand the impact of the war on Vietnam. The markets were also an incredible experience. It was quite overwhelming walking through the crowded aisles full of incredible clothes, shoes, jewellery and food since we were pretty fresh off the plane so my bartering skills were not very strong. Plus, every single stall had someone inviting you to have a look at what they had so it was important not to stand in one place for too long!
After the weekend in Ho Chi Minh we flew as a group to Da Nang on the east coast of Vietnam and stayed in guest houses during the week and on the weekends drove to Hoi An and Hue. I was part of a group made up of eight U.S students and eight Vietnamese students teaching and coaching 7th and 8th grade students, along with six directors. We were split in to four coloured teams -- red, green, yellow and orange -- with two American coaches and two Vietnamese coaches to translate, but we also worked with different coaches for our subjects and sports. I was part of the red team teaching biology and coaching soccer. Each week we would teach Monday to Thursday and have competition day on Friday consisting of subject exams for biology, English, physics and math, and competitions in each of the sports for soccer, volleyball, basketball and baseball. A typical day involved waking up before 6 a.m. and getting to school to teach and coach from 7 a.m. until 11:30. We would then return back to the guesthouse for lunch and a quick power nap before returning once again to teach from 1:30 until 5 p.m. In the evening we would spend time going through the curriculum and planning the lessons for the next day.
The school was situated in a village that was a 15-minute bus ride from our guesthouse. Each colored team was assigned a classroom for the three weeks. The classrooms were very simple; all they contained were wooden benches, a chalkboard and luckily some fans! The main courtyard was used for baseball and volleyball and there was a basketball court and a small field behind where we would play soccer. Sometimes on the soccer field we would have to compete with a small family of three cows who would wander on as they pleased. They even walked into the main courtyard while we were teaching which was more distracting for the U.S. coaches than the children!
As the days turned to weeks, I could feel the exhaustion starting to creep up on me. As much as it would have been easy to go through the motions of teaching or just allow the children play instead of coaching, there was something so revitalising about seeing the children's faces as we stumbled off the bus that instantly gave me life and energy. I was able to act like a fool in front of them, dance and sing to help them remember facts. I would draw pictures to try and explain different concepts and even though it was silly and I was speaking to them in English, I could feel the connection.
The two weekends that we had off, we spent exploring in Hoi An and Hue. It was nice to get out of the countryside and see more of Vietnam. We got to ride bicycles around Hoi An, which was a huge highlight for me. I would liken it to cycling down Sheridan Road when the whole campus is walking between classes, but a hundred times harder. Each weekend was such a whirlwind of excitement for us all, but I couldn't help but miss the children and, for once in my life, I couldn't wait for Monday morning! I loved getting to know the children, hearing about them and seeing them grow and learn. Even though there was a language barrier I could still laugh with them.
As the last days drew upon us I could feel the strain of having to say goodbye. It felt as though I had been there for the whole summer and I wanted more than anything for it to last. Our final afternoon was spent exploring around the school with them on their bikes. Over 100 children and 16 students cycling around a small village should have been a health and safety issue but it just felt so normal. We were invited into the home of one of the students and it really hit home how grateful the children were everyday. It was quite basic with just a mattress and bed in the main room, which was adjacent to a kitchen and then a small wooden staircase up to another floor. It made me appreciate everything I had seen so much more, including the children's smiling faces which we never failed to see every single day.
The morning of our departure was torturous. It was pouring with rain while we had a short ceremony and then a couple of hours to say goodbye to our children. I can safely say that I have used up my tears for the next three years! It was the hardest thing I have ever done in my life. We received gifts and letters and I gave out letters and pictures to my class and a few Northwestern t-shirts that I had on hand. I will never forget having to get on to the bus with a hundred sobbing children waving goodbye. It wasn't so much wondering if I would ever meet them again but more the hope that I had done my part in inspiring them to stay in school and obtain a good education.
As I reflected on the plane home, I felt physically and emotionally drained, but I was proud to have given all my efforts to the program and the children. Our director said to us on our first day, "I always say to students, I wish you could introduce the person who gets off the plane on the first day and the person who gets on the plane on the last." I now understand why and, in closing, I hope my reflections inspire others from Northwestern University to follow in my footsteps.
I can remember our very last night together as coaches and directors; we sat in a circle reflecting on the previous weeks spent together.
All strangers to start from different backgrounds, universities and countries, we had somehow become so close it felt as if we had known each other for years. As we each went around the room talking about what our highlights were, one of the coaches said that the part she was going to find the hardest when she arrived home was how to tell her friends and family how truly incredible her experience had been.I had come across the email about Coach for College accidently and for some reason decided to do some more research. All the testimonials were positive but it was, in a way, what I expected yet it wasn't. It exceeded all my expectations and then some. I spent three amazing weeks coaching and teaching underprivileged children in Vietnam but what I experienced was so much more than that. I was exposed to the beautiful culture, I ate the most delicious food, I taught incredibly gracious children and made friends to last a lifetime.
A few of us arrived early into Ho Chi Minh City and had a couple of days to acclimatise and explore. There is nothing that can prepare you for the constant humidity and noise of such a lively city. I instantly fell in love with the bustle of the motorbikes and businesses, even though there was a torrential downpour every five minutes. I also learned very quickly that if you are going to cross the road, you must have some serious confidence. In the middle of the city, you are outnumbered by an infinite number of motorbikes, but the trick is to keep walking ahead and allow the motorbikes to go around you. That sounds pretty easy but when you are trying to get to the other side of a huge crossroad and have motorbikes coming from all angles, it can feel a little suicidal. Throw in some buses and cars -- which don't stop for anything -- and you have got yourself a messy situation.
In Ho Chi Minh we visited the Vietnam War museum, the Independence Palace and explored the markets. It was incredible to see the war museum since culturally I had never been exposed to some of the horrors that went on. I was able to see first hand the impact of the war on Vietnam. The markets were also an incredible experience. It was quite overwhelming walking through the crowded aisles full of incredible clothes, shoes, jewellery and food since we were pretty fresh off the plane so my bartering skills were not very strong. Plus, every single stall had someone inviting you to have a look at what they had so it was important not to stand in one place for too long!
After the weekend in Ho Chi Minh we flew as a group to Da Nang on the east coast of Vietnam and stayed in guest houses during the week and on the weekends drove to Hoi An and Hue. I was part of a group made up of eight U.S students and eight Vietnamese students teaching and coaching 7th and 8th grade students, along with six directors. We were split in to four coloured teams -- red, green, yellow and orange -- with two American coaches and two Vietnamese coaches to translate, but we also worked with different coaches for our subjects and sports. I was part of the red team teaching biology and coaching soccer. Each week we would teach Monday to Thursday and have competition day on Friday consisting of subject exams for biology, English, physics and math, and competitions in each of the sports for soccer, volleyball, basketball and baseball. A typical day involved waking up before 6 a.m. and getting to school to teach and coach from 7 a.m. until 11:30. We would then return back to the guesthouse for lunch and a quick power nap before returning once again to teach from 1:30 until 5 p.m. In the evening we would spend time going through the curriculum and planning the lessons for the next day.
The school was situated in a village that was a 15-minute bus ride from our guesthouse. Each colored team was assigned a classroom for the three weeks. The classrooms were very simple; all they contained were wooden benches, a chalkboard and luckily some fans! The main courtyard was used for baseball and volleyball and there was a basketball court and a small field behind where we would play soccer. Sometimes on the soccer field we would have to compete with a small family of three cows who would wander on as they pleased. They even walked into the main courtyard while we were teaching which was more distracting for the U.S. coaches than the children!
As the days turned to weeks, I could feel the exhaustion starting to creep up on me. As much as it would have been easy to go through the motions of teaching or just allow the children play instead of coaching, there was something so revitalising about seeing the children's faces as we stumbled off the bus that instantly gave me life and energy. I was able to act like a fool in front of them, dance and sing to help them remember facts. I would draw pictures to try and explain different concepts and even though it was silly and I was speaking to them in English, I could feel the connection.
The two weekends that we had off, we spent exploring in Hoi An and Hue. It was nice to get out of the countryside and see more of Vietnam. We got to ride bicycles around Hoi An, which was a huge highlight for me. I would liken it to cycling down Sheridan Road when the whole campus is walking between classes, but a hundred times harder. Each weekend was such a whirlwind of excitement for us all, but I couldn't help but miss the children and, for once in my life, I couldn't wait for Monday morning! I loved getting to know the children, hearing about them and seeing them grow and learn. Even though there was a language barrier I could still laugh with them.
As the last days drew upon us I could feel the strain of having to say goodbye. It felt as though I had been there for the whole summer and I wanted more than anything for it to last. Our final afternoon was spent exploring around the school with them on their bikes. Over 100 children and 16 students cycling around a small village should have been a health and safety issue but it just felt so normal. We were invited into the home of one of the students and it really hit home how grateful the children were everyday. It was quite basic with just a mattress and bed in the main room, which was adjacent to a kitchen and then a small wooden staircase up to another floor. It made me appreciate everything I had seen so much more, including the children's smiling faces which we never failed to see every single day.
The morning of our departure was torturous. It was pouring with rain while we had a short ceremony and then a couple of hours to say goodbye to our children. I can safely say that I have used up my tears for the next three years! It was the hardest thing I have ever done in my life. We received gifts and letters and I gave out letters and pictures to my class and a few Northwestern t-shirts that I had on hand. I will never forget having to get on to the bus with a hundred sobbing children waving goodbye. It wasn't so much wondering if I would ever meet them again but more the hope that I had done my part in inspiring them to stay in school and obtain a good education.
As I reflected on the plane home, I felt physically and emotionally drained, but I was proud to have given all my efforts to the program and the children. Our director said to us on our first day, "I always say to students, I wish you could introduce the person who gets off the plane on the first day and the person who gets on the plane on the last." I now understand why and, in closing, I hope my reflections inspire others from Northwestern University to follow in my footsteps.
••••••
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