Enjoying the Games, With Friendship and Growth Along the Way

Inside the modern sports halls and on the standard athletics tracks at YWIES Beijing Yizhuang, cheers and shouts of encouragement rang out continuously. Although everyone hoped to win each game, victory was not the only measure of success for these young athletes. Enjoying the competitions, making friends, and building character were the greatest rewards of these games.

During the interview, Cherry, a Year 6 student from YWIES Beijing Yizhuang, showed a level of maturity beyond her years: “I feel that enjoying the games is more important. If you only focus on the results, it might just become a number to you—something that flashes by in an instant. But if you enjoy the process, that happiness will stay in your heart for a very long time.”

Eleanor from YCIS Chongqing agreed that enjoying the games is far more important than winning, “Even though winning can make you feel really good—as though your hard work had paid off in a way—you might overwork yourself. Having fun and making memories are more important in the long run.”

Pavel, a Year 8 student from YCIS Beijing, was excited to share his experiences playing in his very first football match: “I usually play as a defender, but today the coach asked me to try playing as a striker, and I nearly scored a goal!”

Yancy from YCIS Chongqing shared the story of her team's incredible comeback after falling 7 points behind. “In the final, we were trailing by 7 points, but in the last two minutes, we still didn't give up. In the end, we turned the tables and overtook them to win the championship. I think this is the lesson that sports have taught me: never give up.”

Peggy, a Year 9 student from YCIS Hong Kong, also believes that a maintaining a positive mindset is crucial in any difficult situation. She emphasised that teamwork is the key to solving problems: “Together with your teammates, you feel much more motivated, and your mindset becomes far more positive.”

Peggy noted that she had met her best friend during a sports competition. “I think it's really important to make new friends. When you get together with students from other campuses, it is a great chance to know more amazing people and make friends who share a passion for sport. You might even meet your best friend for life.”

Erhard, a Year 6 student from YWIES Yantai, believes that competitions are a fantastic way to make new friends. “If you're nervous about making new friends, a competition will make you better, more confident. It also helps your football skills or whatever game you play—and helps you be better overall.”

Nathan, a Year 7 student from YCIS Beijing, has been playing football for years, and he is full of confidence about his performance on the pitch: “I train for football every day, so I think I'm a hard worker. It matters more to have fun because you can have a better experience with your teammates and meet other people.”

Friendly Competition, Resilience, and Growth

‌‌YCYW has always emphasised the pivotal role of physical education in our students' growth, regarding it as an integral part of their holistic education philosophy.

Dr Simon Lo, the Chief Physical Education and Health Officer of YCYW, leads the team responsible for the physical education and sports curriculum. He actively encourages greater participation in Co-Curricular Activities (CCAs), as well as the formation of more sports teams and competitions.

In Dr Lo's view, successful physical education must begin with a comprehensive curriculum. “Students come from different backgrounds and have different talents. Some students might be good at swimming and aquatic sports, while others might prefer team sports or excel in individual sports. Therefore, the first thing for the physical education curriculum is that it needs to be comprehensive and include everything.”

Dr Lo stated that physical education should also place great emphasis on the arrangement of the CCAs, allowing students to freely participate in different activities according to their personal interests. Of course, more importantly, students need to progress to a higher level of intensive training and put themselves in various competitions as a test, competing against others to see how good they really are.

“The success is always in participation in sports, and then eventually that becomes their lifelong sports.”

Mr Michael Hampshire, Regional Sports Manager of YCYW, summarized the YCYW School Games in several words: Friendly competition, Resilience, and Growth. “We want students to engage in the right way, working together, enjoying themselves, and growing as a collective across our network. It's about meeting new friends and really embracing what team competition is all about.”

Mr Hampshire emphasised that the competitions and the results are merely a "by-product" of YCYW's physical education teaching. “Physical education classes are the foundation, and that's where the real passion starts—from teachers to students. So, we don't want to just focus on one area, but rather on resilience and growth.”

A Sense of Belonging and Community Cohesion

Both Dr Lo and Mr Hampshire described this year's School Games as “highly successful”. In their view, this success was not only due to the students’ active participation and excellent performances, but also thanks to the tremendous support provided by the host, YWIES Beijing Yizhuang. The support included the delicious food, excellent sports facilities, enthusiastic students and teachers, and the vibrant atmosphere—everyone had a wonderful time.

Spanning approximately 178 mu, with a total floor area of 20,000 square metres, the YWIES Beijing Yizhuang campus was designed by the US-based firm Fielding Nair International. Its design integrates 21st-century open-plan teaching concepts into the learning environment. The school boasts comprehensive academic and lifestyle facilities, including a football pitch, multi-purpose indoor sports halls, Athletic fields, and outdoor recreational facilities, all of which ensured the smooth running of the YCYW School Games.

The student ambassadors from YWIES Beijing Yizhuang—the volunteers for the YCYW School Games—demonstrated great enthusiasm and a strong sense responsibility, and they thoroughly enjoyed the experience.

Mandy, a Year 7 student ambassador, witnessed not only the intensity of the games but also the unique value of volunteering. “When I participated in the event and became part of it, rather than just sitting in the stands watching, the sense of fulfilment was unparalleled. It gave me a strong sense of belonging and achievement.”

Student ambassador Alice shared that the greatest gain for her from the event was “getting to know more students from other campuses,” and that she was also able to practice her English communication skills through helping others.

Student ambassador Isla reflected deeply and remarked: “After seeing friends from different campuses gathered together to take part in this amazing event, I feel really happy that I am part of the community. Being able to serve as a volunteer and help with different activities is really nice.”

Mr Malcolm Harrison, the Western Co-Principal at YCYW Beijing Yizhuang, was delighted to see everyone enjoying this year's YCYW School Games. He summarised: “I hope that the students made friends not only amongst their own teams but with people from other campuses as well, because the most important thing about sports is it brings people together, and it’s the place for developing lifelong friendships.”

Dr Lo and Mr Hampshire are already looking forward to next year's YCYW School Games, “We had a wonderful time here and look forward to organising more diverse sports activities next year and for more people.”