When I moved overseas to embark my journey as an international school educator, I left behind many personal belongings. Among them, stored somewhere in the back of a garden shed, are a few boxes containing trophies that symbolize some of the successes I had playing sports during my teenage years.
Perhaps one day, I will unpack them and share stories with my children, likely embellishing my athletic achievements. As I reflect on those moments, I think about my coaches, teammates, and the significant events that shaped each match or season. Playing sports provided me with some of my most cherished memories from my school years.
For many students, participation in sports is a significant highlight, and earning a spot on the roster for a tournament is a key goal as younger students advance through the grades. For some student athletes, this represents the pinnacle of their athletic careers, while for others, it serves as a stepping stone toward college or professional sports pathways.
Over the years, I have observed that students join sports teams for a variety of motivational reasons. It is essential for sports administrators and coaches to recognize these diverse motivations and create opportunities that enable students to feel they have achieved something meaningful through their involvement.
We all encounter students who are highly competitive and driven solely by the desire to win—those who are passionate about sports and sign up for as many teams as the athletics calendar allows. However, we also have students who are drawn to the friendships they can form with teammates, those seeking balance in their school week, or students who simply wish to maintain physical fitness. Some may not even enjoy sports that much but recognize that participation enhances their university applications by showcasing involvement in athletics and co-curricular activities.
During my own high school years, year-round participation in sports was mandatory for all students, something I personally loved as a sports-enthusiastic teenager. While I do not feel the need to compel students to engage in sports, I believe it is crucial for school administrators, teachers, coaches, and parents to emphasize the many benefits that student participation in sports offers.
Whenever I speak with students heading to tournaments, I like to ensure they depart with clear goals that go beyond the results on the court or field. The nature of sports is such that if we measure success solely by trophies and medals, only a few will “win,” while most will return home as “losers.”
In reality, there is so much more to gain from sports, and so much more for our students to “win.” I hope that all my student-athletes return from a tournament feeling they have gained something valuable from the experience, even if it is not a shiny object hanging around their neck:
Have they made new friends or learned something new about themselves or the place they visited?
Did they develop leadership skills or the ability to support others when they were feeling down?
Have they returned with greater confidence in their athletic abilities or in their capacity to communicate and motivate others?
Did they have so much fun that they eagerly anticipate the next season or game?
Have they discovered something that brings them joy and that they wish to continue doing after they leave school?
All of these are “wins,” and for most of our students, these are arguably more significant than the W-L columns that determine who takes home a trophy. These are wins that can serve our students for many years after the trophies and medals have been packed away into boxes and stored.
Author: Filipe Nogueira, Director of Athletics and Activities
