Feeling Guilty Doesn’t Count, p. 09 and Sports: Chapel Forever in Our Memories

By Paula Veneroso Photos: Fernanda Caires

THE SCHOOL’S SPORTS PROGRAM GROWS AND NOW ACCOMMODATES 70% OF STUDENTS, THE MAJORITY OF WHOM ARE PRACTICING TWO OR MORE SPORTS SPORTS: CHAPEL FOREVER IN OUR MEMORIES

When invited to share their best moments at Chapel, almost all current and former students refer to sports. The school has always supported physical activities, dedicating continuous and increasingly investing in professionals, materials, and infrastructure, in the last three years this commitment has intensified. And this result can be seen daily. As soon as the school day ends, students, teachers, and coaches begin to make their way to the field and courts, announcing the start of afterschool practices. Beyond the traditional sports played by the Trojans, that is the High School students from 7th to 12th grade, three years ago the Young Trojans program was implemented. This activities program accommodates all Elementary School students, until recently it has been offered to 3rd through 6th grade students, however, the program grew, and as of 2022 has begun to include students in 1st and 2nd grades. “Before, Elementary School students’ participation in afterschool activities was limited by the number of spots offered by partner companies or independent teachers who rendered these services,” explains Bruno Pereira, sports director, and program creator, who arrived at Chapel in 2018 and since then has worked to expand students’ participation in physical activities and

sports. This dedication bears fruit: today, 70% of Chapel students practice at least one sport as an afterschool activity. Young Trojans offers soccer, basketball, volleyball, and cheerleading, for all boys and girls. “When the project was implemented, our immediate goal was to increase the number of girls participating in collective sports activities. There were a good number of girls doing ballet or gymnastics, but very few playing basketball or soccer, for example.” This objective was quickly met, and the amount of boys and girls participating in different sports is practically the same,” explains Mr. Pereira. Other goals were to make children acquire knowledge and develop a connection to the sports categories they will be competing in when in High School. “It is about preparing students for success. And that does not only mean winning, success can be achieved through the satisfaction of representing the school in competitions or participating in a friendly game. But for this, technical, physical, and emotional preparation is required,” he adds. More than this, according to him, the idea behind the program goes beyond the benefits brought on by sports and physical activities, one of the greatest objectives is to reinforce students’ sense of belonging. “These moments are permanently registered in their memories. We always receive alumni testimonials reaffirming how sports were important in their development and construction of affectionate school life memories,” he evaluates. Young Trojans granted that this feeling of belonging to Chapel’s sports community, already present amongst High School students, expanded into Elementary School. This becomes clear as soon as Chapel shirts are on to participate in friendly games or sporting festivals. “These events are a form of preparation for students to gain experience and enjoy all the values which sports provide: teamwork, resilience, and persistence to name a few. Furthermore, for an athlete to properly exercise his role, he must commit to practice, foster a good relationship with others, communicate well, and learn to lead and be led,” affirms the director. In a round of friendly games, students will experience results that go beyond the scoreboard. Playing with schoolmates, learning to be good hosts when receiving others to play at home, and interacting with different cultures are a few examples of pre and post-game practices that highlight positive school years experience. “This interaction is very pleasing, they see friends from other schools again, come across neighbors from condominiums, and this greatly impacts them,” comments Mr. Pereira.

From Young Trojan to Junior Varsity

When students begin 7th grade, they can become a part of the sports team in the Junior Varsity category, which is composed of players up to 14 years old. Member of the São Paulo High School League (SPHSL) - a sports league composed of American and British schools - Chapel has always participated in sports festivals proposed by the entity. Up until 2018, there was no championship for the JV category, only friendly matches. However, as of that year, the SPHSL began organizing a half-yearly tournament for JV teams. The sports director explains that this is a competition in which the five international school members - Chapel, PACA (Pan American Christian Academy), St. Paul’s School, Graded School, and EAC (Escola Americana de Campinas) - play amongst each other in a single round. As well as this competition, JV teams also contest in the traditional Little 8 tournament, which takes place in the NR Camp, close to Campos de Jordão (SP). For this tournament, in addition to the SPHSL schools, three more schools from out of state participate, EARJ (Escola Americana do Rio de Janeiro), British School, and EAB (Escola Americana de Brasília). The implementation of Young Trojans distinctly increased the number of female students interested in being part of female teams in these tournaments. “After this, we have, for the first time, an extremely high number of 7th grade girls enrolled in the JV category, and having teams with approximately 30 students,” comments Mr. Pereira. Because of this, Chapel sparked a change in the Little 8 tournament. In parallel to the main tournament, where the main teams are composed of the older students, the 14-year-olds, another tournament is held, with the younger students, aged

NBA BASKETBALL PROGRAM INTEGRATES YOUNG TROJANS

Asigned partnership between Chapel and NBA Basketball School - an educational branch of the world’s most important basketball league -, implemented for students who participate in the Young Trojans sports program, is in its third year. “The NBA program’s methodology and mission, its pedagogical pillars, are very aligned with Chapel’s Mission and Values. This was the reason why we signed the partnership,” says Chapel’s sports director, Bruno Pereira. In this program, students go through levels of individual learning, which makes it personalized. “Within a group with different levels of learning, the teacher can differentiate actions to reach all students,” explains the director. For this, teachers undergo inperson and remote training and also attend refresher courses offered by the NBA half-yearly.

FROM ATHLETE TO EDUCATOR: BRUNO PEREIRA’S JOURNEY

As a basketball player during his youth, Bruno Pereira was part of Esperia club’s Junior Varsity team in São Paulo and played for Guarulhos’ (SP) city team before starting his undergraduate in dentistry in Campinas, a course he did not complete. “After two years, I was sure I had to go back to sports and began my undergraduate in Physical Education at PUC Campinas. From that moment on, I went back to my roots,” he reveals. Working with sports since his graduation, in a short time, he went from intern to teacher’s assistant. “My job is sports and education, developing children, shaping individuals,” comments the teacher, who built his career inside schools. After 12 years acting in Brazilian and international schools in Campinas, he moved to the state capital and began working at St. Francis College, where he stayed until he applied for the job he currently holds at Chapel. “I am very proud to have received the invitation to work here, and it grows with each passing day. Today, I can say that I am an unconditional Chapel School fan,” he comments. He says it truly is love, “I receive a lot of support here and I have an excellent relationship with everyone, students, colleagues, principals, employees, and all this just makes this love deeper,” he celebrates. The door to his office is always open to welcome students, talk about games, organize extra practice, vent frustrations, and share successes. “Students’ break time is never mine because I like to be here to attend to their needs,” confirms the teacher, who never relinquished being in a classroom and has always sought self-learning and development, having done two specialized courses (in the fields of sports at school and school physical education), besides other courses in his field. He is currently undergoing a Master’s in International Education.

CHAPEL’S SPORTS VOCABULARY

An insider scoop on abbreviations and terms used in the school’s athletic activities:

Varsity

The school’s main team. At Chapel, the teams are composed of students from 10th to 12th grade.

Junior Varsity (JV)

Teams composed of students from 7th to 9th grades.

Trojan

The school’s mascot is represented by a Trojan warrior. The Trojan is a valiant fighter, who is not discouraged while facing even the biggest adversities. It is common to refer to athletes as trojans.

Little 8

A six-day Junior Varsity championship for international schools. Two days and a half are dedicated to the competition of one sports category (basketball for example) and another two days and a half for another sport (soccer for example). The tournament, which takes place in camp NR, holds an opening and closing ceremony.

NR

Camp where the Big 8 and Little 8 sports tournaments are held. The resort NR is located in Santo Antônio do Pinhal in São Paulo, close to Campos de Jordão.

Young Trojans

Sports program for Elementary School (1st to 6th grades) capable of engrossing all students. With a half-yearly enrolment, students can participate in an individual or collective sporting category up to five times a week, as soon as regular classes end.

Big 8

A six-day Varsity tournament for international schools. Two days and a half are dedicated to the competition of one sports category (basketball for example) and another two days and a half for another sport (soccer for example). The tournament, which takes place in camp NR, holds an opening and closing ceremony.

SPHSL – São Paulo High School League

Sports league composed of American and British schools, and is responsible for the traditional SPHSL tournament, with games hosted in turns by schools. The championship is contested halfyearly by teams from Chapel, Graded, PACA, EAC, and St. Paul’s in Varsity categories, and since 2018 in Junior Varsity. In the first semester of the year, cheerleading presentations take place, as well as basketball and soccer tournaments. In the second semester, in addition to cheerleading, there are futsal, softball, and volleyball tournaments.

12 to 13. “This did not use to happen. Before, the younger student would only travel for the tournament if they were an above-average athlete. With the program, which is totally inclusive, every student enrolled at Chapel will have the opportunity to take part in a tournament,” explains. With the support of the school’s administration, whenever a Varsity game happens, Mr. Pereira will schedule, in the same week, a game for the younger students. “We want everyone to go through the same experiences, and that within the school prepare themselves not only as athletes, but as citizens because these experiences are responsible for the development of their personality, character, and the social-emotional skills we value so much.” athletes begin to compete in the Varsity category, with participation in the SPHSL championship and Big 8 championship - Season 1 and Season 2 - are contested by eight international schools in Brazil. The São Paulo High School League championship is the longest tournament. Held in two rounds, it lasts a semester. During this period, teams participate in games at Chapel and other schools before disputing the semi-final and final phases. In one semester competitions for soccer and basketball take place, while during the other semester futsal, softball, and volleyball happen.

“The tournaments are short and last three or 4 days, yet very intense, and take place in the NR camp,” explains Mr. Pereira. The cheerleading squad performs in both semesters, always accompanying the basketball and futsal teams, and with a performance in the Big 8 tournament. According to the sports director, Chapel’s greatest difference is maintaining a fixed sports calendar, which is disclosed in advance. “As soon as the school year starts, families already know when game days will be, the time, place (at school or outside school), and can then organize their own schedules,” explains the director, reinforcing that open communication with students and families is key. “Complying with the calendar involves a lot of responsibility, not only for the sport itself but above all, the commitment athletes must have towards their team and their academic development, which are very valued at Chapel,” he notes.

A Refined Orchestra

extensive and meticulous planning involving various sectors of the school: security, maintenance and cleaning, food services, teachers, and coaches. “In a matter of 20 minutes, we wrap up a day of regular classes to start the period of afterschool activities, in which all sporting areas are simultaneously used and perfectly appropriate for specific age groups and sport,” clarifies Mr. Pereira. For example, within the soccer field, more age-appropriate smaller fields are drawn for younger students, for 7 to 12-year-olds. For this, the school provides smaller and lighter balls, as well as all other types of equipment, which are all age-appropriate. “During Young Trojan practices, we can have four to six smaller soccer fields working simultaneously, each one with two teachers with students from the same age groups, boys and girls. “We have had 15 teachers working at the same time, all hired, especially for this program. Whenever a group increases, Chapel hires more assistant teachers to maintain the quality of services rendered to families,” he says. The same happens with other sports. On the courts, the volleyball nets’ heights are altered, and the basketball hoops are adapted according to students’ age groups. “Here at Chapel, we do not apply an adult sport for the child, that is why our environment and equipment are appropriate for our students to experience success and enjoy practicing activities. When Young Trojan practices end, everything is changed back to welcome High School students. This is how sports will remain in their lives,” finalizes Mr. Pereira.

TROJANS: THE ORIGIN OF THE CHAPEL MASCOT*

Close to its 60th year of inception, Chapel’s sports mascot was idealized by Robert Wong, when he was an eighthgrade student in 1962. He shares that he was inspired by the teaching of Father Thomas Delaney, who was at the time responsible for the school’s parish and basketball team. “He would tell us the importance of being brave, and said we always had to fight with enthusiasm, energy, and passion.” The former student remembers sporting competitions as important learning moments.

“In these competitions, we learned that more important than winning or losing our greater objective was to work as a team and acquire discipline. This made us a cohesive, united team that tried to make very few mistakes, and that took the fundamentals of sports seriously. We had grit, meaning we had a fighting spirit,” says Mr. Wong.

It was based on these principles that he suggested the image of a Trojan soldier to be their mascot. Even though he held a minority view - after all, the tendency amongst American schools was to choose animals as their team’s mascots - his idea was accepted. “I used to say that our mascot should be a human figure, gifted with the energy and strength, the attributes Father Thomas highlighted. That was when I suggested ‘Trojans,’ who were very skillful, strong, brave, and disciplined soldiers,” he recalls.