Before going to China and Hong Kong, I had never heard of Sports Day. The idea of asking the entire school to take part in a track meet that lasted a couple of days seemed very ambitious to me, but I have to admit there are a few things that I really liked about it. A lot of times people think that you have to be really athletic to try out for a school sport. We tend to think that sports need to be “professional”. Only the best players or runners can make the cut and get on the team. That shouldn’t be the case. I think Sports Day adds value to students lives.
Everyone Gets a Chance
The Sports Day model encourages a counter cultural way of thinking. No matter how good or how bad you are, you can participate. Everyone deserves a chance to try. As you watch the videos below, you will see students giving it there all. Some of these students have lost the motivation to study. They have been told that they aren’t any good at academics. They know what it is like to fail, but many of them don’t know that it’s okay to fail. Here is an article and Youtube on the benefits of failure from JK Rowling. We need to learn to see past our failures. I think Sports Day can help us do that.
They Learn About Themselves
Students want to fight for something. I see it in there eyes. Win or loose they will give it there best. What’s their reward? They get to be there for each other. They share in the memories together. They may even receive a metal or a trophy or maybe they discover for the first time that they are good at a certain event, or perhaps they set a personal best time for themselves. In addition, hopefully they will also learn good sportsmanship – How to win and how to loose well. Lots of successful business men and women have commented on the role that sports played in shaping their character.
Support From Their Classmates
If these were standard track and field events from the US, yes the bar would be raised higher. Performances would likely be better as students spend more time training, but only committed track and field classmates would be there to see it. Okay parents and people from the community could also come and watch, but that’s not the same as having all your classmates together to watch, cheer and support you.
Let Students Shine
Schools in Hong Kong and China often don’t have the budget to spend on sports that schools in the US have. That’s fine. They don’t have to all offer competitive after school sports programs. Asian families tend to be more focused on academic results than western families. School administrators, teachers and parents all emphasize the importance of academics. Therefore it makes sense that the majority of students participating in Sports Day are not top notch runners who regularly train. Of course, there are students who are naturally gifted and those who have trained. These students are more likely to make a name for themselves and gain some recognition. Still what I really like about Sports Day is that everyone is given a chance. Even those who have little to no sports training can excel on Sports Day. Not everyone is good academically. If running is an area where students can shine, that’s great. Let them shine and enjoy the spot light for awhile. It will help them build self esteem and a more rounded understanding of who they are.
Past Sports Day
Are you interested in other WFLC events? Here are a few others.
Tea Ceremony
High School Musical
English Summer Camp
Another fun event that WFLC students get to participate in is TWGH’s English Summer Camp. The program is has been going for many years now. Check out the link to see what it’s about.
