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Sports in the international setting:Helping to build character
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Soccer in South America. Baseball in the US. Taekwondo in SouthKorea, and rugby in Australia. Every nation has an appreciation for sports, though the most popular games vary by region. And whileSecondary school sports may not command the following of professional teams, school athletic programs and the athletes that participate in them are very important to many communities around the world. It’s a little different in an international setting, though. For the expatriate community in Shanghai, not everyone plays the same sports, and, indeed, different groups place different values on participation in sports.
At Yew Chung International School of Shanghai (YCIS Shanghai), sports are important — but not just because teams will win a championship title. Instead, the YCIS program sees value in sports because of its contribution to building character, and the life lessons inherent in participating in athletics.
In fact, at YCIS, where there is a positive values program called “Character Education,” sports are naturally part of the equation. The character traits that coaches help students develop on the playing field have a significant effect on those students’ performance in the classroom, in social settings, and for their future. After all, as is emphasized in the works of youth sports expert and author Jim Thompson, “(coaches) can best teach character on the playing field, using sports to teach life lessons.”
As a Youth Worker/Counselor at YCIS Shanghai, Leo Lazo sees the impact learning about positive values has on students every day, in the classroom and on the field. The school takes a proactive approach to building character, beginning with a school culture that places importance on learning about these values. Lazo explains that the YCIS Character Education Program focuses on 36 key character traits, and sports, he notes, enables students to put some of these traits into action.
The 36 traits taught at YCIS cover a broad range, and many of these traits fit well with sports: some, like endurance, boldness, and determination, focus on the self. Others, such as compassion, forgiveness, and generosity focus outward, to others who are recipients of the expression.
“Punctuality, determination, self-control and dependability, for example,” says Lazo, are also traits that translate to sports. “It’s vital to be punctual to all practices and games, and self-control is necessary, since your actions on the field affect your team.”
Celebrated US college basketball coach John Wooden famously said, “Ability may get you to the top, but it takes character to keep you there,” and nearly three decades later, those words still carry a valuable lesson.
“One of the key lessons students take with them for the rest of their life is responsibility,” says Lazo. “They show up to practice, on time, every time.”
Lazo adds that the character traits required for success in the sporting arena also pave the way for success in life. “You need to push ahead even when things aren’t going your way. No team has ever overcome insurmountable deficits to win games without putting into play character traits like determination, self-control and endurance. Anyone who applies these will realize great accomplishments,” he says.
Warren Newbery, a YCIS Secondary Physical Education teacher, notes that the sports program at YCIS also offers students the unique opportunity of playing with classmates of different nationalities. “Our teams are comprised of students from all around the world working together, which is excellent preparation for their future in the globally competitive workplace — this is part of what YCIS prepares them for.”
For Newbery, leadership is one of the key lessons of sports. “It’s wonderful to see students mature and develop into leaders through their sporting activities,” he says.
YCIS Primary Physical Education teacher Gavin Cottingham agrees: “Sometimes, a single player with extraordinary determination and leadership can transform a team. Last year, one of the students on our girl’s basketball team was particularly driven and dedicated to improve, even though she had only one year of experience. She inspired the team to come to school for 6:30am practices, and to play harder. Her dedication to improving the team, and her leadership, was a big part of why we won the ACAMIS championship,” says Cottingham.
At YCIS, sports is driven by a twist on an old adage: “it’s not whether you win or lose, it’s the character traits you learn as you play the game.” Developing strong character traits while still in school not only helps foster competitiveness and skills in sports, but also helps prepare students for the game of life, as well.
Some benefits of participatingin sports for children:
Develops the habits of hard work, practice, and dedication
Builds leadership skills
Enhances effective teamwork
Improves valuable communication skills
Cultivates the idea that a team is greater than an individual
Encourages goal-setting and commitment to achieving goals
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