Pallavi Model School at Boduppal has a serious sports-orientation. They have tied up with Sports Gurukul, a Mumbai based company, which offers sports coaching and training services to schools and corporates. At Pallavi, the Sports Gurukul team manages the sports aspects and so far have done a great job of it. I remember going to the function a couple of years ago and when I was contacted to speak at their Sports Day this year, I was only too pleased. Sushil, the Director at Pallavi Model School, who is an able and compassionate administrator and Aruna, the Principal, who is highly energetic, motivating and a fine role model were present so it was like going back home for me. She is a great motivator as well and a wonderful compere.
One of the good things about Pallavi is that it has invested in a huge ground that serves as a cricket and multipurpose ground. It was in this ground that six schools (three DPS franchisees and three Pallavi Schools) came together for this Sports Day.
The function itself was hectic and never had I so much work to do. From lamp lighting to handing over the torch to be lit in true Olympic fashion, to releasing balloons (one bunch which landed in a nearby apartment much to the glee of the young children there), to hoisting a flag, giving away prizes and the speech. Of course I sat through the entire show after that and watched the games, dance, the taekwondo performance (very impressive) and so on.
The talk was small - I spent less than 10 minutes at the podium. I generally tried to comfort the parents that investing in sports is never going to go waste primarily because sports teaches so many things that academic study cannot. Sports is completely experiential and it is about finding yourself, dealing with success and failure and picking yourself up each time we fall. Sports makes children more honest, resilient, competitive and compassionate too. So parents can full heartedly encourage sports as far as children go because they will only benefit from it.
To the children my advice was to participate wholeheartedly as the nursery kids had in a race just before, have fun and be completely purposeless except to participate in life. Not worry about losing at all, because losing and wining is part of the story and one cannot win without losing. There will come a stage in all the participation when you may feel the need to own your performance and perform better and that is when you seek to win. But one win does not make a champion and there are some of you who may wish to make the great sacrifices and efforts that champions do. Suffice to know that all of you have the raw material - after that its the desire, the inclination, the effort - that will take you where you want to go. For sheer participation you are all champions and then its your personal story.
As always it was nice to be a part of a sporting event and among young minds and children and watch their enthusiasm, energy and fun and imbibe some of it myself.
One of the good things about Pallavi is that it has invested in a huge ground that serves as a cricket and multipurpose ground. It was in this ground that six schools (three DPS franchisees and three Pallavi Schools) came together for this Sports Day.
The function itself was hectic and never had I so much work to do. From lamp lighting to handing over the torch to be lit in true Olympic fashion, to releasing balloons (one bunch which landed in a nearby apartment much to the glee of the young children there), to hoisting a flag, giving away prizes and the speech. Of course I sat through the entire show after that and watched the games, dance, the taekwondo performance (very impressive) and so on.
The talk was small - I spent less than 10 minutes at the podium. I generally tried to comfort the parents that investing in sports is never going to go waste primarily because sports teaches so many things that academic study cannot. Sports is completely experiential and it is about finding yourself, dealing with success and failure and picking yourself up each time we fall. Sports makes children more honest, resilient, competitive and compassionate too. So parents can full heartedly encourage sports as far as children go because they will only benefit from it.
To the children my advice was to participate wholeheartedly as the nursery kids had in a race just before, have fun and be completely purposeless except to participate in life. Not worry about losing at all, because losing and wining is part of the story and one cannot win without losing. There will come a stage in all the participation when you may feel the need to own your performance and perform better and that is when you seek to win. But one win does not make a champion and there are some of you who may wish to make the great sacrifices and efforts that champions do. Suffice to know that all of you have the raw material - after that its the desire, the inclination, the effort - that will take you where you want to go. For sheer participation you are all champions and then its your personal story.
As always it was nice to be a part of a sporting event and among young minds and children and watch their enthusiasm, energy and fun and imbibe some of it myself.
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