Being away from your family is hard, but imagine not being able to see them for five years.
College basketball star Norbertus Giga hadn’t seen his family since he moved to the United States from Kaunas, Lithuania. He knew he had to make the sacrifice if he wanted to follow his dreams. Although the family was close, his mother encouraged him to go.
Giga was missing his family, so his coaches and teammates at Jacksonville State decided to bring his mom to him.
They wanted it to be a surprise, so they tricked him into thinking they were calling a meeting about basketball. The coaches asked him to meet with them. When he arrived, he seemed puzzled that he was the only player there. The coaches had originally told him that he would be watching film from his game.
Coaches often do this with players, so they can point out what they are doing wrong or what they need to do next time. Giga wasn’t suspecting anything other than a room of angry coaches who were ready to start criticizing his moves on the court.
He was also curious about the cameras that were filming him.
As he started to look around, he noticed his mother, Edita Gigiene. He couldn’t believe his eyes. He started to break down and cry, and his mother walked over to him. The mother and son embraced as his coaches looked on and smiled.
The coaches shared the reunion online, and it went viral. Giga is using the video as motivation to help him play better and fight off feelings of being homesick. Gigiene also hopes that her presence can help inspire the entire team to play better.
It’s clear that Giga’s coaches care about him.
It’s nice to see them put effort into their players off the court. Playing basketball in another country and being away from your family would be hard. However, thanks to these coaches, it might be a little easier for Giga.
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