Festival of Sports
Good morning everyone, and welcome to ACS(I)’s Festival of Sports! We’re delighted to have you here on this sunny Friday morning, and we hope you are just as excited as we are for the array of house events we have today. Starting us off at the track, we have our running event. May the best house win!
There’s a palpable sense of anticipation as athletes from different houses gather at the stands before the track. Although they may be from different levels or classes, they are united, if only for today, by a common mission - winning honour and glory for their House. The air is filled with cheers and laughter as the athletes prepare for their races but a tense hush soon falls over the crowd as the boys make their way onto the track. Weeks of training have led to this - 15 seconds of racing, 15 seconds of giving their best for their house and for ACS. Under the blazing heat of the sun, illuminating each athlete with their determined expressions and eyes set on the finish line, the crowd seems to hold its breath. The sharp clap echoes as the athletes take off in one powerful burst. The crowd comes to life again, cheering for their fellow schoolmates. Just like that, the race is over.
As the morning progresses, tens of athletes will step foot on the track. When the relay race finally starts, the crowd rushes out of the stands and watches from the edge of the track, screaming and cheering as if their support is what will win the race for their house - and maybe it will! With music blasting and face-painting sessions in the stands, it is clear that the track and field segment is more than just the races, or about which House wins, but rather the unity we all feel as we are brought together as one AC family. As everyone - athletes and spectators, winners and losers alike - walk away from the track, it is clear that we have taken that step towards creating a more bonded school family. No matter what we may have won or lost today, each one of us has gained something infinitely more valuable - the chance to grow closer as one school.
What a great start to the sports carnival! The track events definitely hyped everyone up. Moving on to the swimmers - all ready to take on their events. From the 4×100 free relays to the medley relays, there is an event for everyone who wishes to participate. Splashes and laughter can be heard from the pools, where the swimmers are eagerly warming up, stretching and testing the cold waters. Here, excitement is contagious as cheers for the different houses erupt from the stands above the pool. Competitors take their places on the starting blocks, tension building, until the starting whistle goes off! With sudden bursts of energy, they dive flawlessly into the clear blue pool, plunging into its depths and then swiftly gaining speed as they emerge - churning the waters with powerful strokes. Anticipation grows as the competition intensifies. The swimmers seem to be neck to neck, pushing themselves to their limits as they race to the end.
Victorious swimmers are awarded with shiny medals amongst thunderous applause - a testament of their effort. An overall festive spirit lingers as the swimming events continue on, fostering unity through mutual sense of joy and accomplishment. What a great way to boost spirits while cultivating school spirit!
Next up is the captain’s ball event, where teams from the various houses battle it out in an intense series of matches. The Space Frame is bustling with students decked in their respective house shirts, and the dynamic myriad of eight colours adds to the liveliness of the event. It’s game on for the captains ball teams as they give their all in the courts, passing the ball to one another with utmost concentration and ease. This exhilarating game is a true embodiment of teamwork. All the teams are displaying excellent cooperation and chemistry, as they go head-to-head scoring point after point for their houses. In this intense battle of the Houses, the ball is flung from player to player in a matter of mere seconds. If you do so much as blink, you just might miss half the match!
Students enthusiastically cheer the players on, with some Houses even coming up with unique cheers to motivate their housemates. As the cheers reach a crescendo, the tension in the atmosphere is similarly brought to new heights. What an amazing show of zest and house spirit!
Moving on from the myriad of exhilarating events of the festival, taking place not so far away from the fun and festivities, we have the urban hike that takes our students through a long, meandering trail that snakes through the school, across roads and onto the untamed nature right outside the school walls. The students make their merry way out of school as cheerful chatter scatters across the campus, filling the air like a melody of blithe bells. The hike sends students along a journey through the surrounding district and the nearby meadows of lush grass and serenely swaying rain trees. A slow end to the first school term, the hike calmly closed out the first chapter of the school year.
That’s it for today everyone! Thank you all for your active participation, and we hope you all had a wonderful time at ACS(I)’s Festival of Sports. See you next year!
