Americans take for granted that women are allowed to participate on sports teams at every age level, but in many countries, that is an alien notion. In 2007, Paul Revere Middle School P.E. teacher Holli Omori spent a month at the Bangladesh Krira Shikkha Protshtan (BKSP), the national sports facility, with fellow teacher Ray Marsden. When they arrived in Bangladesh, she learned that physical education for girls in the largely Muslim country was either a version of musical chairs, or no physical activity at all. After visiting the country, Omori set up a nonprofit group called Sports Education Leadership Foundation (SELF) to help youth develop SELF-esteem, SELF-confidence, and SELF-discipline through sports and physical activity while instilling the value of global citizenship. Her hope was that she could not only help the girls in Bangladesh, but also provide an opportunity for Pacific Palisades students to observe cultural differences. Omori, who was an All-American basketball player for Central Wyoming College before transferring to Colorado State University where she continued to play, was asked by Bangladeshi officials to return to the BKSP. ‘I will, if I can also work with the girls,’ Omori told them. They agreed and this past November, she returned with six students, from Revere, Palisades High and Crespi Carmelite High. ‘They had shown leadership skills, were in my P.E. class at Revere or had played on the Revere boys’ basketball team,’ said Omori, who was named the Nike/LeBron James ‘More Than a Coach’ award winner for the city of Los Angeles in 2009. After the 10-day trip, Omori said how proud she was of her students. ‘Never once did I hear a complaint about having to take cold showers, or brushing teeth with bottled water or the electricity going out each night. I enjoyed seeing how they conducted themselves with the officials and the friendships they made with the players and people in the villages.’ Omori, who grew up in Indiana, received a bachelor’s degree in exercise sports and a master’s in education from Colorado State in 1989. She coached basketball at CSU, New Mexico and the University of Denver, but felt she spent too much time recruiting. Since she had completed her student teaching in middle school, she liked the age and came to Revere in 2002. After the trip, Omori asked each student for his/her reflections. Hannah Wasserman, an’eighth grader at Paul Revere whose sports are soccer, basketball and dance, wrote: ‘The rush of people and the congested air overwhelmed me when I first arrived. Dressed as an American was uncomfortable.’We were we starred at, followed and asked to take pictures with the people. The food was shockingly delicious and no matter where we were, tea was offered.’ MAASAI Ephriam, a junior who plays soccer, basketball and football at Crespi, wrote: ’After a 14-hour flight from Los Angeles to Hong Kong, we then flew to Dhaka, Bangladesh. On our first day in that city we went to the International School of Dhaka and played competitive badminton and ultimate Frisbee with students about our age. Later, a bus was waiting to take us to the recently built dorms at BKSP.’ ‘The next morning, we met the basketball team that we would train twice a day for the next week. The average height of the players was over 6 feet tall, so all we had to do was help them with their fundamentals. It felt good to teach them new drills. By the end of the week, I had developed friendships and whenever we were not practicing, they would want me to take pictures with them, or grab my arms and call me ‘muscle man.’ ‘We went down to the ‘hostel’ to see where they lived. The conditions were terrible compared to the dorms we were staying in, but none of them cared because it was better than the homes where they had grown up. It made me feel really special when some of the players said that they would pray that I come back next year. They also said they will miss me ‘so much.’ ’When we were not training, we visited villages in Bangladesh, everyone would stare at us and even follow us.’ ’The people are extremely poor, most don’t have shoes and many have terrible health and/or mutations. There is no fresh running water and the malaria risk is high. ’One day, we ventured to one of the ancient buildings in Bangladesh and were treated like celebrities. People asked us to take pictures with their babies, and there wasn’t a pair of eyes that was not fixed on us in the massive courtyard. We were welcomed inside some of the people’s homes and offered food.’ They use cow poop to fuel the fire for the food they cook. We gave toys and played with the children in the villages.’ On our last day, we visited an orphanage and distributed cleats and soccer balls to the young children. It was crazy to see a field full of little kids having a blast with the soccer balls and cleats.’ ‘ ”””’Going to Bangladesh with the S.E.L.F. Project was an experience that I will never forget.’One of the players, Asim, gave me a bracelet that his father gave him before he came to BKSP.’ This showed me how much I meant to him. I look forward to doing the same for other people, like Asim, all over the world.” Ashli Marino, a’junior at Palisades High School who plays soccer and lacrosse and takes dance lessons, wrote:’ ‘Arriving in Bangladesh was overwhelming with the thick smoky air, Muslim men and women shocked by our skin color, and their long, intense glares of disapproval. Entering Dhaka by microbus and swerving through rickshaws and CNG’s (small motorized vehicles) gave our first taste of chaotic traffic in Bangladesh, where three lanes of traffic were suddenly transformed into six and red lights stopped no one.’ ‘Traffic was not the most memorable aspect of this trip though.’ It was the joy in kids’ faces in the villages after we gave them gifts. ‘ ’One reason Ms. Omori asked Hannah Wasserman and me to join her on this trip to Bangladesh was to give hope and inspiration to the girls of BKSP.’Being with the girls and seeing how fascinated they were by us gave me a sense of how diverse cultures really are and how such small tokens of respect and time can pay off in one’s personality.’ ’My experience in Bangladesh has given me a drive to do more in my life to help the less fortunate, and a gratitude to my country knowing I have the freedom to be who I am without any limitations.” Gabe Plesent, a freshman at PaliHi who plays soccer, basketball and baseball, wrote: ‘The moment we stepped off the plane things were different.’ All the women were covered and most of the men wore hats and long, white shirts that went down to their ankles.’ ‘A kind man named Nazim, a P.E. teacher at the International School of Dhaka, escorted us to the hotel from the airport. While in Dhaka, we visited a place called ‘Old Hindu Street,’ where we got some dirty looks from the local people because of our skin color and clothing. ‘At the sports institute, we got up every morning at 6:45 a.m. to practice basketball with the team. We also met with the principal of the academic school and he informed us that at BKSP, sports come first and academics second. That was very shocking to us because we are all student-athletes; student comes first.” ‘ Sam Wasserman, a PaliHi sophomore who plays soccer, basketball and baseball, wrote: ‘During my days in Bangladesh and Hong Kong, I noticed the poverty that plagues many. While playing basketball with the BKSP basketball team I gained relationships with people across the globe. I also noticed how driven they were to become the best in their country. I take that home with me to become the best person that I can be.’ Evan Shaner, a senior who plays basketball, cross-country, lacrosse and runs track for PaliHi, wrote: ‘My experience in Bangladesh is one of speaking without talking, virtually listening without understanding.’The friendships made on this adventure are more than first impressions.’They stem from sheer, raw respect, passion of personality and eventually intangible attachment, making the vast expanse of oceans and land, of Pacific or Atlantic, seem a little bit closer.’ ‘After a 14-hour flight and a 10-day trip, no matter where I travel my final destination is always home.’ However, this time I return with a new sense of culture, and the empowerment of others and myself.’ Visit: YouTube: Self Project Bangladesh Trip (BKSP), visit www.theselfproject.org or call (310) 218-9753. Paul Revere Middle School P.E. teacher Holli Omori was invited to the Bangladesh National Sports Facility and, when not training athletes, went into nearby villages and met with children.
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