海嘉国际双语学校女子足球队参加年度锦标赛决赛

　　在留学领域上众所周知，如果你在体育上非常突出，更容易被欧美一流的高中和大学录取。英国最著名的伊顿公学上有着条著名宗旨：运动第一，学习第二。牛津大学久负盛名的罗德奖学金，招生标准其一就是热爱体育，最好有运动成就。

　　国外名校能喊出“运动第一，学习第二”这样的口号，并不是因为他们不重视学业，而是他们认为，比起单一的分数，预测一个孩子未来成功的指标要复杂的多。而这些指标绝对不是单单依靠课堂上的那些知识就能顺利完成，运动所带来的团队合作、毅力也可以是其中之一。

　　作为一所融合中西方文化的国际学校，运动精神是海嘉国际双语学校不可或缺的一部分。作为国际学校体育运动协会（ISAC）和中蒙国际学校协会(ACAMIS)的会员，海嘉每年举办几十余场重要的校际体育赛事，如ACMIS Sliver Division男女篮球锦标赛等。学期末，海嘉女子足球队前往成都参加了年度的的ACMIS锦标赛决赛，我们采访了女子足球队的选手们，一同和您分享他们与运动的点滴精彩：

　　赛季来临的时候，女子们每周都要进行3次足球训练，每一个学生都需要兼顾学业和其他课外课活动，如何协调好时间对于每一位选手来说都是一个考验。

　　12年级的Eve就是其中之一。作为毕业生，Eve在海嘉坚持足球运动已经五年了。面临升学和毕业的压力，很多球队的选手都会选择退出球队，但是Eve在加入球队以后，始终保持着每周2-3天的训练时间。

　　如何协调好学业和兴趣爱好的时间呢？

　　在Eve看来，自我管理能力是很重要的一项能力。在IGCSE、IB课程的自主学习中，她很好的锻炼了自我的时间管理能力，把一切做到之前。“提前一个月准备好考试的一切，把长远的目标划定出每天需要完成的小目标，持续坚持”在这个12年级的海嘉毕业生身上，你会发现她持之以恒的坚韧。

　　同样，来自九年级的Chloe从四年级的就开始踢球了，并持续至今。对Chloe而言，在运动中她学会了自信和从容“我们每个星期都会出现，训练有时候会很激烈，但是我们喜欢奔跑、竞赛的感觉。”

　　对于赛场的队员们来说，每个人都通过足球收获了更多。对Grace 和 Annika 来说，足球是一种很好的方式来建立和发展友谊。女子球队是一个非常好的环境，让选手中在赛场中学会合作、收获友谊。不同年级的选手聚集在一起，他们有着足球共同的热情，他们学会互相鼓励、互相合作，一同见证彼此的成功，也一同分担比赛的失利、紧张。

　　共同的目标，是选手们团结一致的基础。正如Grace所说的：“我了解队友们的优点和缺点，以便我们能够更好地互相帮助。在运动中，我们学会了包容、团结和协作。”

　　体育对于任何正在发育的青少年来说都很重要，而且在训练和现场学到的技能和经验教训是技能是宝贵的人生课程。面对学习的各类压力，正如足球教练Albert van der Gugten向我们介绍的那样：“足球运动可以很好地缓解他们在学习上的紧张情绪，舒缓他们的压力，并且在未来的升学中有所助益。更重要的是，他们在赛场中、赛场下，更可以和不同的人接触，互相学习。在赛场中，他们将收获的是无可替代的友谊。”

　　赛季结束了，孩子们开始了他们的暑假生活，而赛后选手们也保持密切的联系。一整个赛季，女队的选手们有输有赢，然而在我们采访的过程中，他们对于成败有着自己独到的认知。正如Chole所说的：“我们不会只关注成败，我们专注的是，在每一次成败中收获的经验。所有的经历，都让我们变得更加强大。”

　　而这，正是足球的魅力所在。

　　With the immense growth at BIBA since its inception in 2006, one of the sports that has also been rapidly developing is the BIBA HS Girls Football team. From its humble beginnings where it was a struggle to scrape together a team for games and tournaments to this year with a squad of 22 strong, the growth and development is a sign that girls football is taking off at BIBA.

　　With a team that is diverse in skill and culture, the girls commit to coming together 3 times a week over the football season to train. With each student having to juggle school work, homework and other extra-curricular activities, it is a great lesson in prioritizing time. Eve, who is in Grade 12, has been playing football for BIBA for 5 years. As a student who is quiet in most aspects of life and school, Eve enjoys the aspect of football that requires her to be more aggressive and assertive. Her team mate Chloe, who is a grade 9 student and plays attack for the team, says that sometimes the trainings can be intense. She has played since the 4th grade and loves the support from her teammates. “They show up every week, are committed and have the passion to play the game.”

　　The girls have all found their way to soccer for various reasons. For Grace and Annika it has been a positive way of meeting new people and developing friendships. The BIBA HS Girls Football team is an extremely supportive environment where the girls come together across different grade levels with a common passion for the game. They support, encourage and deeply want to see each other succeed. The girls all have their strengths and weaknesses and help to balance each other out. This year was the first time that the BIBA HS girl’s football team made it to a tournament final, a sign that the squad is going from strength to strength.     　　Sport is important for any developing teenager and the skills and lessons learned in training and on the field are skills are valuable life lessons, as Eve has discovered this year as she has balanced football with her last year at high school, exam pressure, graduation and extra-curricular activities. The coach for the Girls HS Football team Albert van der Gugten tells us about how the skills gained through football are transferrable and can be taken and used as the students navigate their way through High School, university and work. Mr van der Gugten has been teaching at BIBA since 2016 and this year would be his 3rd year coaching the students to the ACAMIS tournament held in Chengdu. This tournament hosts teams from across China and is one that only 12 students from the squad are selected to attend.

　　Across the football season, the team takes part in many matches during the school week, with tournaments being held on the weekend competing against schools from around Beijing and sometimes Tianjin. Grace enjoys the challenges involved in playing in a team sport, learning her teammates strengths and weaknesses in order for them to be able to help each other out. No sports team is successful without working together to reach a common goal. Teamwork is essential to a good performance from any sports team, professional or not, and is a great way to teach students certain life lessons, such as cooperating well with others and taking responsibility for actions. Such lessons are applicable to life outside of sports and can be applied to work or school. Other important benefits gained from participating in a team sport are cooperation, social interaction, confidence and accountability.

　　Throughout the season the girls have learned valuable lessons, including how to deal with failure. “Instead of dwelling on the negatives, we focus on the positives and learn from our mistakes” says Chloe. Coach Gugten agrees, “In life you will not always win. Sport helps the students to build resilience and perseverance. It is great to win, but it is also good to learn how to lose.”