Juntas, meaning together in Spanish, is just a piece of a cheer I taught my girls’ basketball team yesterday afternoon at lunch recess.
With leagues coming up and hardly any space on my yard due to construction, running actual basketball games during our practices is a no go. As a result of having no hoops, passing drills are about as close as we can get to mimicking what a true basketball experience might be like. I could tell that my team was feeling discouraged because of the lack of resources and space at our school.
In order to transform their attitude, I knew I would have to create some kind of outlet. I knew I needed to find a way for them to acknowledge that they are a unique team without the reassurance of putting a ball into a basket. Thus, "Juntas! Juntas!" was born.
A simple and silly twenty second cheer completely changed how the team worked together. Not only has their energy grown since we made up our cheer, but also their excitement to play basketball. Their team spirit has increased immensely simply due to the fact that we stand in a circle, clap our hands, and chant juntas.
With juntas, the team has really grasped the concept that winning doesn't matter; that playing on a team is all about working together and making sure that when one of our teammates feels low, the others are there to pick her up. I never thought a special cheer would be so uplifting to a group of twelve ladies.
-Coach Whitney (Buena Vista Elementary)
