#Be Encouraged
After School Activities
Kumdo • Praise Team • Guitar • Swim • Painting
Naijo Rui and Riker Pownall practice properly
swinging their wooden swords. When swinging
swords in Kumdo, you have to swing faster not
harder because the real force comes from your whole
body moving forward.
After school swim became an
opportunity for the elementary students to
grow as athletes and also learn how to be
confident as individuals.
Despite the immense growth they were
able to experience at the end of the season,
the elementary students were “concerned”
and “excited” for the new activity they signed
up for.
A grade five student, Randy Park, com-
mented, “I was kind of nervous I was on a
new swim team and in a new pool.” Although
he was a relatively experienced swimmer, he
expressed the foreign environment and the
anxiety created from the new location were,
at first, a burden for him.
However, it did not take long for these
elementary school swimmers to get into a
rhythm and practice. Grade one student Ain
Watanabe mentioned she “was able to focus
in practice” better when she received more
and more “encouragement from teachers”.
She also went on and pointed out as she
went to more practices, she got to be more
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“used to the environment”
which allowed her to practice more comfort-
ably.
As they became more comfortable with
the environment and got to know the coach-
es and teammates, it was time for them to
get into their businesses -- improving their
swimming.
Randy Park, mentioned they mainly
learned new skills by “constant training”.
When they had to utilize skills they were not
necessarily familiar with, or had to learn a
new stroke, teachers -- Ms. Mircea and Mr.
Jung -- “explained” to the students “how to
do certain moves” step by step. Randy said,
“When I’m having trouble swimming a par-
ticular stroke, Ms. Mircea gave me a lot help
in learning them.”
Ihor, a grade four student talked
about the certificates Ms. Mircea gave
out for students’ accomplishments. “Ms.
Mircea gave us certificates when we
Fall Sports and Activities
learned
new skills, or new
strokes,” he said, “I was really happy
when I got new certificates.”
From little celebrations of their accom-
plishments like certificates, students learned
to appreciate themselves more and were
able to gain confidence
Thomas Hughes, a grade three student,
said he “became a better swimmer” overall,
and felt more “positive” about his swimming.
Ihor commented he is “not scared”
about competition anymore.
In the end, it seems the coaches of the
swim team, Ms. Mircea and Mr. Jung, de-
serve credit for teaching the students how
to swim better and developing courage and
fearlessness in the students swimming, so
they can reach maximum potential as they
continue swimming.