By Kimberly Hopson
L’Observateur

LULING – Sixth grade students at R. K. Smith Middle School put their learning (and ball-handling) skills to the test on Monday during Harlem Globetrotter Tay “Firefly” Fisher’s special visit to the school. Fisher came to speak with the students about the ABCs of Bullying Prevention, an outreach program that is part of the Globetrotters’ 2013 “You Write the Rules” World Tour.
The exhibition team initiated the tour to celebrate its 87th consecutive year. The group plans to stop at more than 300 schools and youth centers along the way. Fisher, a four-year veteran of the team, showed off some signature tricks during his talk and engaged his audience by using volunteers who answered his questions correctly.
Fisher explained to the students that action, bravery and compassion can help put a stop to bullying in school. He encouraged the children to take action and tell a parent, teacher or other adult if they see a fight brewing or witness someone being bullied. Bravery involves children “being the bigger person” and walking away from confrontation and gossiping should they come in contact with it. Fisher said compassion and helping others can help create an environment where aggressive behavior is unacceptable, helping to reduce conflict.
“I know that coming here doing the anti-bullying program is a good thing because a lot of schools need it around the country,” said Fisher. “It’s a big issue in schools and communities in general. I’m just happy that a Globetrotter was able to come here and talk to them about it because that doesn’t happen very often.”
The Harlem Globetrotters will also play at the Lakefront Arena in New Orleans on Sunday, Feb. 24, at 2 p.m., as part of the tour. The special “You Write the Rules” theme will allow fans to decide the rules for the game, which could be anything from playing with two basketballs at once to receiving double points for each basket.