Sports Day at Mount Litera School International

Usually in the month of January/February schools traditionally have their Annual Sports Day. While we are in the midst of this pandemic we all wondered how this would ever be possible? Our Student Council came to the forefront and they said well… ‘Never Say Die’. On 17th February 2021, Mount…

Usually in the month of January/February schools traditionally have their Annual Sports Day. While we are in the midst of this pandemic we all wondered how this would ever be possible? Our Student Council came to the forefront and they said well… ‘Never Say Die’. 

On 17th February 2021, Mount Litera School International had its first ever Virtual Sports Day which began with the speech from the Sports Captain who said, “Some of you may know that recently India played Australia in a 4 match test series. In the first test India got all out for 36 runs. But that didn’t stop them from going on and winning the series, with major contributions, grit, and a gutsy attitude from players such as Ashwin and Vihari, who were injured but still stayed at the battlefield and managed to stick out a draw. And this is precisely what our school has done. We have not let ourselves get affected by the disaster in the first innings, but instead used it as an opportunity to reach even greater heights and push our limits even further, through this virtual sports day.” 

The day began with the Oath ceremony, sports display by each house in three different categories, viz- Gymnastics, Jump rope and Yoga. There were house points for each category, post which there was a short break. 

The participants were then divided into two categories of age group. Category 1 – Grade 6 to 8 and Category 2 – Grade 9 – 12. One can’t do any athletic, field or track events online because each one was in their house but the students were so innovative, they created competitions like Butt kick, Jumping Jack, Bottle flip, Plank holds, Clock fit. At the end they had Bottle flip and apple stacking. Parents also took part in the event. They were so enthused that we even had a parents race. Post this we had a closing ceremony.

Some of the highlights of the ceremony were that –

Nobody ever thought that we would ever have a virtual sports day, we never thought that it would ever be possible. However, it was possible and we made it happen. So while we were not there in physical space, the spirit, not only of the houses but more importantly the spirit of the school is what remained even more precious. While kids were cheering for their houses they were also cheering for the school. Well, how did we bring about sportsmanship and how did we have fair play? Well, there were not more than six participants in any category. In each of the categories there was a teacher who was assigned and the teachers were responsible for pinning that particular candidate, keeping the time, watching the form, looking at what was happening. We had two P.E. sir’s and they both split themselves between the two categories, so they were highlighting the main things that we had. 

At the end of the day, we just couldn’t imagine that we ever celebrated such a sports day but we feel very satisfied and the  kids thoroughly, thoroughly enjoyed it. If you were to close your eyes to the virtual space and just listen to some of the cheering, you would have actually imagined that you were on the sports field. So with the ‘Never Say Die’ attitude we kept up the spirit of the school and we managed to do what we never imagined the year ago that we would have managed. This lock down and this pandemic has taught us to be more innovative, and move ahead, no matter what, with a never say die spirit and attitude. 

To conclude with the Sports Captains words, “As a school, we should be extremely proud to say that we are keeping the spirit of sportsmanship high, by demonstrating values such as being a risk taker and taking forward such an initiative in these testing times. But this is what sport teaches you. If sport is an embodiment of the experiences that we ourselves are faced with, it teaches us the values of exemplifying modesty when you are a winner, but also accepting defeat gracefully and sincerely.  It teaches you to take risks, it teaches you to display grit and display resilience. If we really delve into the symbolism, our experiences in life, whether I’m a 16-year-old boy or I’m a qualified professional in the educational sector, any sport, whether it be cricket, football, chess, track, it can be seen as a microcosm of the obstacles that we face in life. Therefore today, I suggest that we as students of MLSI, students of the IB, that we demonstrate what it is to be a true sportsman or sportswoman.”

Please watch this video and enjoy the unique way in which our students cheered each other….