At Full Speed: Inside SA L'Avenue's Sports Day

Whizzing past the 400-metre track were our students, running with stride - commemorating the spirit and thrill of Sports Day! On September 20th, our school hosted its annual sporting event, a day dedicated to cultivating sportsmanship and ingenuity through a series of athletic games and matches. Students seized the opportunity to hone their skills and concurrently immerse themselves in the lively atmosphere of unity that the day brought.

Mr Slamet, the Secondary school’s infamous PE Teacher, shares, “Through this event, students can work together - enriching their social skills, sportsmanship, and fair play.” Building on this, the day’s events truly showed that wins do not come only from achieving 1st place, but from spending time with someone not-so-familiar. 

This momentous occasion opened with a spirited house team march, each house beaming with excitement for what the day had in store. Paired with the groovy Zumba session led by professional aerobic dance instructor Mr Edi Sofyan, the opening ceremony could not have captivated us more!

Competitive activities began with the running race, where boys and girls from each grade raced each other through the Stadion GMSB track. These passionate participants felt the flame within them to get ahead, surpassing their classmates in the pursuit of winning. ELC and Primary students played fun mini-games, including kicking a soccer ball around a cone, playing with a small parachute, and other games to build on their endurance. Football and frisbee games played by primary students were very engaging. They also played a game called Rob the Nest, where teams raced to fill their hula-hoop nests with plastic balls, stealing from others once the box was empty, until the team with the most balls won. 

For Secondary students, the thunderous chorus of the crowd roared louder as the girls of Fire made their way into the winner's circle, competing against Water in football, exhibiting that they were worthy contenders for the win. An exciting game of handball was carried out by Grade 9 students, where Fire again made a stellar performance, but Water made an unexpected comeback, winning the boys' division of handball. A memorable moment that stood out was the fact that everyone put their best foot forward and cooperated as a team, encapsulating the harmony of Sports Day. 

When asked what Sports Day taught her about herself, girls' football player Yucky from Grade 10B responded, “That I thrive in competitive environments. When I focus and block out distractions, I perform better than I expect.” She also mentioned that the football game reminded her of how much she values her teammates, “…celebrating their wins as much as my own.” A truly poignant and raw moment from this contestant. 

As the day came to a close, the moment everyone had been waiting for finally came. This year truly is the year for the underdogs as Air victoriously snatched the win! It was their very first time winning Sports Day, with the highest score of the day.

Shifting perspectives, our Master of Ceremony, Kieran from Grade 10A, stated that, “As an MC I had to organise and improvise on the whim,” reflecting his spontaneity and passion! “It made me realise how much responsibility and effort go into building an event such as this.” 

This year's Sports Day did not disappoint— it taught us the evocative values of collaboration and friendship, while providing an inside view of the considerable work that teachers and students put into this occasion.