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Fernando Lejardi has been playing at the highest level of Jai Alai in Florida for almost two decades. He just received three Jai Alai baskets made of plastic, straight from Markina, in the Basque Country. “This kind of baskets are for starters, they're impossible to break,” he told EuskalKultura.com. He already had another one at home and, plus the professional ones he has, he could be instructing a group of around five people. “The idea is just to have some fun, and we'll go from there.”

Elko, NV. There is not a Jai Alai fronton in Elko, Nevada, just a regular one, but that doesn't keep Lejardi from having a good time teaching his young daughter, Nekane, to play his favorite sport with amateur baskets. “It's fun,” he says. And if Nekane can enjoy Jai Alai, so can the rest of the kids (and adults!) in the area. That's the reason why the retired athlete order three amateur baskets—to show anyone wishing to try this fun game the ropes.

Lejardi told this bulletin that since there are a lot of kids and youngsters practicing dance at the Basque Club, as part of the goal of keeping the culture alive, he would be more than happy to include some Jai Alai in the Euskal Etxea's program. “I don't know what will happen. The idea is just to have some fun, and we'll go from there.” And he also added, “but I'm ready to teach anybody who wants to learn.”

-If you are interested or you know  anybody who is, contact Fernando or his wife, Mercedes Mendive, on Facebook