When I was in Year 7, I joined my first sports team: CISSA Touch Rugby. It was the first time that I ever joined a sports Co-Curricular Activity (CCA), including in my previous schools. It was something I was not at all prepared for, but I came out of the experience having made new friends from the team, gained experience in a sport I’d never played before, and have a newfound passion for sports in general.  

This all quickly snowballed into sports becoming an integral part of my life at YCIS Shanghai. I played badminton in Year 7, basketball, and football in Year 8, and outside of CISSA competitions, I played sports during recess. Sports were always my first choice.

However, Year 9 proved to be a bit of an impediment to my love of sports, as the second semester—due to the coronavirus pandemic—involved home e-Learning and, in the first semester, I had not attended any sports CCAs, only casual sports during recess. 

Undeterred, the moment I came back to school starting in Year 10, I got back into sports. I signed up for Friday Football, played basketball every recess and lunch break with friends, and invested lots of time in sports. Thanks to YCIS Shanghai, sports had become essential to me, and I was not going to drop them after a short hiatus.

Just a couple of weeks ago, I signed up for the school SISAC football team. I cannot wait to see what is in store for me as I get into yet another sports team, which I hope will help me grow as an athlete and give me new opportunities to represent YCIS Shanghai as a member of one of its school teams!

None of this would have been available to me or available at such a high standard were I anywhere but at YCIS Shanghai. It seems like immense luck allowed me to stay here for as long as I have and experience sports to the fullest.

By Sean, Year 10, YCIS Pudong Secondary