Rabun Gap student, alum coach with Dribble Academy in India
We're continuing our connection with Dribble Academy in India this summer.
Rising senior Miko Stankewitz '19 of Poland spent volunteering with Dribble Academy, an empowering organization that focuses on teaching life skills through basketball while learning the art of sharing, friendship, bonding and teamwork for underprivileged children in India.
During his time in Delhi, India, Miko worked with children on their basketball skills, while also sharing how basketball has made an impact in his life. Miko also taught classroom sessions in addition to basketball skills. He encouraged the young students to achieve their dreams and excel in school.
"Basketball is my passion and I always love to share the joy and everything that basketball has blessed me with in my life,” Stankewitz said.
Eagles basketball Coach Roger Cox formed a connection with Dribble Academy several years ago through current student and varsity basketball player Vishal Sharma ‘19, who lives in Delhi.
Dribble Academy founder Pradyut Violeti visited the Rabun Gap campus in December to share his organization with Upper and Middle School students.
“I coach so I can help young people grow, develop, mature, and advance to higher levels in life. Rabun Gap is a wonderful place to partner with parents in doing this rewarding work. Dribble Academy is doing the same thing in a more intense way in an environment where many children have little to no direction or hope.” Cox said. “They are enlightening them, caring for them, teaching them, supporting them, and loving them in a way that they may never otherwise experience. I believe this is the work God has called us all to contribute toward in one capacity or another. We should be directly or indirectly involved in this type of effort because it changes the lives of children who have not been born into fortunate circumstances.”
Rabun Gap alum Nate Cox '14 also spent time in India this summer coaching with Dribble Academy in May and June.
Check out this Q&A with Miko about his experience in India:
What did you take away from the experience?
It was certainly a great experience for me. The culture, people, food, everything was so much different than anything I have ever experienced. The respect that kids have for elders and the game of basketball is priceless. I spent almost a month in India and the people that I was surrounded with were truly an inspiration. They spend their lives taking care of those kids, coaching them and teaching them. I also got to meet up with my brother Vishal and spend a few days with his family. They showed me around and they treated me like an honorable guest. I am not going to lie, a lot happened during my stay in India and it was exhausting at times, but the experience as a whole was precious.
What was your day-to-day like there? What skills did you help develop in the children?
Every day we would wake up before 6:00 am and go straight to school. We would start the morning sessions on the court with the younger kids and finish around 10:30 am. After that, we would go home to have breakfast and we would wait until 4:00 pm to get on the court again. Simply because it was just too hot to play basketball outside in the middle of the day. Later, I would lead a session in the classroom with the youngest kids. I would tell them about my life: my school, my country, my successes and my failures. I tried to inspire them as much as I can and motivate them to focus on school and take advantage of every opportunity to grow as a person. Next, I would take a little bit older kids on the court and teach them about basketball as much as I could. After, that there was time for me to take care of the "Seniors", the oldest group of kids. I would lead another session in the classroom sharing my knowledge about the game but also teaching them life skills that basketball once taught me. I tried to focus on what Coach Cox teaches us every day: precision, respect, commitment and mental toughness. Lastly, I would go with my Seniors on the court and lead the last session of the day. We would usually finish around 9:00 pm. Next, I would go home to get some rest and watch the World Cup.
I want to thank Dribble Academy, the coaches, and teachers who made my trip possible and took an amazing care of me. They are truly an inspiration and deserve the recognition. I thank them from the bottom of my heart.
Rabun Gap-Nacoochee School
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Rabun Gap-Nacoochee School is a private, coeducational day and boarding school for grades Pre-K through 12. Centrally located between Atlanta, GA, Greenville, SC, and Asheville, NC, we prepare young people for college, career, and a lifetime of leadership and service.
