Live Worldwise Through Sports
To Live Worldwise is the theme at Dulwich College (Singapore) this year – which can be interpreted in many different ways, but essentially is about shaping our global citizens of the future. At the start of the year, Mr Magnus, our Head of College, talked about creating an inclusive and equitable culture, empowering our young people to become leaders to make the world a better place. Sport offers a unique environment to help achieve these aims, but how?
I am privileged to see how this is being achieved on a daily basis. Walking around the College, you can see how our programme transforms young people's lives. In a world of Key Performance Indicators and wanting evidence to show progression and improvement, it is often the softer skills of developing the character that is overlooked. At the heart of our sports provision, is the development of character traits Determination, Courage, Skillfulness and Graciousness (DCSG). Four qualities that we do not measure or give grades for and do not necessarily report on, but through our behaviours, we encourage and nurture them in our students every day. It is these traits that will help to develop well-balanced people. On any day, our students are up, giving their all from 6am in the morning. Some even start getting up at 5am, long before the average household even thinks of stirring. From 6-8am every morning, our staff deliver outstanding sessions for our students. They carry out the College's sports programmes made accessible for all. We have committed to enabling the participants to become the best versions of themselves.
The fitness suite has young athletes determined to give their best, driving their bodies to the limit. The dance studio is filled with dancers working together to choreograph their routines, full of expression and feeling. The skill development continues in the sports halls and onto the playing fields under the watchful eyes of the talented and empathetic teachers, delivering sessions that engage every student, demanding their focus and engendering the spirit of teamwork and a commitment to be the very best they can. Across the swimming pool, students display enormous courage to challenge themselves to reach the highest standards, often cramping up and staggering out of the pool, content that they have given their all with the ever encouraging and knowledgeable staff supporting them all the way. At the end of every session, I see students thanking our staff, encouraging each other and embracing everyone's own identity. This graciousness marks school sport apart from club and academy environments. Although all the staff are passionate about their sports and look to deliver outstanding sessions, the individual they are coaching and developing comes first, not the sport. The nurturing of our values of Determination, Courage, Skillfulness and Graciousness will make young people grow into well-rounded adults, capable of embracing everybody's differences and encouraging each other to give their best.
Sport is not about a level attained on a piece of paper, the grade assessed in a class, or what level you are aspiring to play at; it is how you conduct yourself that matters. So as the fog of COVID-19 starts to lift, we can begin to develop the often-unquantifiable traits unique to playing and being involved in sport and creative expression. When people are given the freedom to express themselves, you see their character come to the fore. The sport played and the activity involved in is irrelevant. It is how we develop young people and enable them to Live Worldwise, at the heart of everything we do, that matters. Schools have done a remarkable job keeping young people fit and healthy over the past two years. We are thinking creatively to provide meaningful experiences and educate young people to remain fit and healthy. The part that has been missing, is the development of personal traits through playing sports, an environment that pods of two or five cannot quite replicate.
What a privilege it is to work in an environment where we can help transform young people's attitudes and help shape their character and personalities. The work that is going on outside of the curriculum hours is supporting the outstanding Physical Education lessons, nurturing, encouraging, and enabling our students to Live Worldwise. It has never been more critical to develop the whole person; the next generation is entering a complex world. Having Determination, Courage, Skillfulness, and Graciousness will be traits that will help this, enabling them to become empathetic of their environment and capable of living alongside each other whilst expressing themselves freely. I am so grateful to work in an environment that enables young people to flourish, allows them to express themselves, and has sports staff at Dulwich College (Singapore) committed to ensuring our provision develops good people, not simply good athletes.
Our commitment to the whole programme is how sports enables the next generation to Live Worldwise. From early mornings to late evenings, and throughout the weekends for the benefit of all our students. This commitment has never been more important.
