In 2022, our athletes took part in the International Schools Sports League and the Friendship Festival, bringing home medals and a second-place trophy
This school year, with the return of in-person activities, Middle and High School students participated in two sports championships - the Friendship Festival and the International Schools Sports League. Both took place at the NR Educational Sports Resort in São Paulo, with schools from Brazil and abroad.
The International Schools Sports League
The International Schools Sports League takes place twice each school year for students in Grades 9 through 12 who are members of our boys’ and girls’ soccer, basketball, and volleyball teams. Through the School’s physical education program, students on our School Teams, coordinated by Ms. Denise Jayme, receive training and guidance to prepare for the championship. This year fifty-three of our student-athletes participated in the event, competing against eight other schools from Brazil and abroad.
Our girls’ soccer team brought home the silver trophy, taking second place in the championship, following in the footsteps of the team’s former athletes, who won the gold in 2019. According to Ms. Denise, participating in the tournament teaches values to students—they develop autonomy and integrate with athletes and teams from other schools even while competing.
“This championship is incredible. We spent all year training for it. Going back on this trip after three years of the pandemic was special. Making this happen was one of our greatest accomplishments this year. I know how grateful students are for the opportunity. For me, the greatest accomplishment was seeing the joy on the faces of our athletes,” comments the coordinator.
The Friendship Festival
Aiming to teach our Cougars more than just sports techniques, the Friendship Festival is a tournament with no podium. Instead, it focuses on values such as working hard and as a team and understanding that winning is not always the most important.
From May 19 through 24, the Middle School boys’ and girls’ basketball, volleyball, and soccer teams played friendly matches against five Brazilian schools and three from Paraguay. Our cheerleaders were also there to cheer them on. Eighty-four students in Grades 6 to 8 were at the event and earned participation medals to bring home.
According to Mr. Kaio Lamounier, our physical education teacher and team coach, sport is used as a tool in the tournament to teach values and provide students with a differentiated sports experience. For him, strengthening ties with friends and family is one of the most important things students learn.
“The tournament has an amiable and interesting atmosphere to work with students because even though there is no podium, students come wanting to win. There is no way to take away the desire to win. But it is a chance to work with situations when we don’t win and help students understand that training and preparation are long-term processes that go far beyond winning. Showing them this different context is enriching because they learn to appreciate the opportunity to be at the event and socialize with one another and with students from other schools,” he says.