Haven’t been able to have a sports day since middle school, I was pretty excited to participate in one before I graduate. This experience stands out to me as I was chosen as one of the captains of Ignatius.

Promoting

Though I am not part of the House Committee, I tried my best to promote and encourage students to participate in the event. I did so by first talking to my friends and posting on Instagram about it. It was a relief to see that most of my team was able to be present. To increase house spirit, I brought some red face paint for participants. However, it didn’t work out particularly well considering how hot the weather was.

Participating

The extreme warm weather definitely took a toll on all of the teams. Events that required more intense physical activity were harder to carry out. I tried my best to be encouraging and uplifting, and throughout the day, I saw our team members bond. After break, we participated in the two-person-three-legged water bucket relay race. This was the event that required the most communication. Although we were behind the first few laps, we soon developed strategies on speed, who make efficient partners, and how we would transfer the water. Our team was able to catch up quickly and win that round. The following event was capture-the-flag. Again, we were behind as most of our team was in the “jail” zone. To save the “jailed” players, our team started having two people run out as distractions. When our team was able to get out, most of the other teams were in our jail. It became easy to steal their flags and win that round. The same pattern of communication and strategy continued on in the proceeding activities. I saw how we were more motivated to push through the heat and ultimately win enough points to help Ignatius tie Sirius as a house.

Post-Sports Day

I thought that this day really brought out the inner “dragons”/school spirit of students, at least in my team. One thing I did suggest to the House Committee was that Sports Day would be better if it was scheduled in the winter, maybe the day before winter break. This would address the issue of weather and perhaps, safety. Moreover, since a lot of students have final tests and SATs, people were not as motivated to come. Other than that, I hope I can participate in one more Sports Day before graduating.