The unknowns are so hard for all of us, but for students who thrive on running after school service learning programs or competing on sports teams, the unknowns are practically unbearable.  

Todd Davis, Service Learning Coordinator, and I have had a lot of questions from students this week about ASAs and athletics.  When are ASAs going to start?  Will there be a volleyball season this year?  Can I start my CAS project now or do I have to wait until we are back on campus?

While we may not have all the answers, we are going to start rolling out a few ASAs for all divisions over the next couple of weeks.  We are working with our staff to select the ASAs that will work well virtually.  We are setting up schedules that will enable students and teachers to have a break after school before jumping back online to run or participate in activities.  And we are setting up activities that will get students moving!

So check back here for updates, but know that as we complete our first full week of school-wide online learning, we are preparing for the next big thing.

It turns out that this pandemic has actually been good for some top athletes, and not so good for some (now former) world record holders.  According to the New York Times, many athletes – from track and field to baseball – are competing better than they have in years. And world records are being broken the in the wake.

“They say they have channeled the frustration of forced shutdowns into opportunity, and that they feel refreshed by increased rest, less exhaustive travel, enhanced focus on training, healed injuries, creative improvisation and a less stressful perspective about sport.” (Longman, 2020)

It’s one thing, though, for a professional athlete with strength and conditioning facilities, sports fields, top nutrition, and full-time coaches to suddenly set new world records.  But what does that mean for student athletes? 

Claire Curzan, a 16 year old swimmer from the USA was almost relieved when the Tokyo Olympics were cancelled.  She had found herself swept up in the dizzying schedule of a promising young athlete and was feeling the pressure of being a future Olympian.

“When her club pool shut down in March, though, Curzan was forced to rethink her approach. She improvised her workouts, wearing a wetsuit and swimming 30 to 45 minutes a day in an unheated backyard pool while tethered to a stretch cord. She ran to maintain her stamina. She began to focus on her own improvement instead of her international ranking.

And, perhaps most important, with no predawn practice sessions, she slept at least nine hours per night, instead of six or seven. After resuming her normal workouts, Curzan posted four personal-best times at an intrasquad meet.” (Longman, 2020)

The takeaway – and my point in sharing this article – is that these athletes are benefiting from more rest and less stress.  Those are things our students have control over  – rest and stress.  If you can learn to let go of worrying about life under COVID, decide to embrace shorter school days with a little less homework, set a regular sleep schedule (eight hours per night for adults, up to 10 hours for adolescents and teens), eat your fruits and vegetables, and add an extra workout to your day, you might come out of this thing better than you went into it. 

Longman, Jeré. “The Pandemic’s Secret Formula: Backyard Workouts and Lots of Sleep.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 30 Aug. 2020, www.nytimes.com/2020/08/30/sports/olympics/pandemic-olympics-training.html?referringSource=articleShare.

As part of ISY’s Mother Tongue program, the Yangon Spanish School is offering its Spanish classes online for this session.  Classes will be taught using the Gotomeeting platform and are facilitated by instructors who are professional teachers and native speakers.  Children ages 9 & up are welcome to participate in online classes.

If you are interested in enrolling your child in the Spanish Language Mother Tongue program, contact Oriol Mayol at info@yangonspanishschool.com.  

 Please include the following information in your email:

• Age of child
• Level of Spanish (a placement test can be done)
• If your child is returning to the program from last year
• Days and times of availability each week

 Instructors will create small groups or set up private lessons based on the level of interest from ISY families.