Usually set in late October or early November, Woodrose’s Intramurals Opening marks the beginning of the competition between the school’s four teams: Red, Blue, Gold, and Green. This event opens the school’s inter-team competition leading up to Family Day through regularly scheduled sports and schoolwide tournaments, better known as Continuing Games. These activities, which happen during the months in between the opening and closing of the Intrams season, are a beloved part of the Woodrose culture. They allow students to interact with those from other grade levels, develop inter-batch collaboration, learn the virtue of sportsmanship, and of course, win points for their teams. 

During Continuing Games, elementary school students can be seen running around the esplanade while other students are playing select games in the gym. On the other hand, high school students can be seen ‘mommy-ing,’ or supervising the younger kids at their games. Despite the big age difference between the Grade 1 and Grade 12 students who are attending one of their first and last Continuing Games at Woodrose, the majority of them share the same outlook towards this unique experience.

When asked about their favorite activity during the games, first graders mentioned that they enjoy their relays. Red Team first grader Zoe said that joining relays makes her feel good since “it’s fun to play with everybody.” Yaana Saavedra of Green from Grade 12 expressed the same sentiment, saying that because the relays are different each time, the element of surprise is always fun. “You don’t know what the relay instructions are, which makes it exciting.”

Maria from Green in Grade 1 hopes that the games will be more fun “when she goes to higher grades” because as students grow older, the number of games that they can play increases depending on their grade level. Though this system may seem limiting to younger students, the gradual introduction to more sports during their PE classes is what prepares them for the activities that they are eligible to join. It is what allowed Gold’s choreographer, Sophia Yabyabin of 12B, to look back on her previous experiences of playing softball with fond memories, since she once managed to score a home run. Her friend Rafa from 12A also added that participating in the games provides one with more exposure to new sports.

Looking back at their experience in Continuing Games throughout the years, the two of them are grateful to call it a “core memory” in their Woodrose life. “Family Day is something that only happens when you’re in Woodrose, and it’s a beautiful thing to see because it pushes everyone to work their hardest. Not everyone gets to experience that [joy and satisfaction] after working hard, so even though it’s just a school event, it’s amazing that people can build that much spirit out of nothing,” Sofia said. 

While team spirit and collaboration are the most important lessons taught through Woodrose’s Intrams culture, they should simultaneously establish the virtue of good sportsmanship among students. The games are always fun and competitive, but they also teach one the importance of doing their best and accepting the outcomes. Grade 1 student Robyn from Blue expressed how she gets nervous about whether or not her shoe is double-tied or single-tied because “I don’t want to slip during the game and cause our team to lose.” This is a common feeling among most students since each game played comes with the risk of losing, and nobody wants to let down their team. However, Grade 12 student and Blue Team props head Pauline Calma stated that while winning is fun, it is still important to keep in mind the virtue of sportsmanship. “One thing about the games is that they become super competitive at times,” she explained. “Cheer for your team, but respect others when they get the points, because the value of sportsmanship in games really reflects the reputation of your team.” 

The Continuing Games are events that carry hope for the younger batches, and nostalgia for the older ones. The lessons learned during these unique experiences within the brick walls of Woodrose mark the end of a chapter in the lives of the Grade 12 students, but the beginning of a new one for the Grade 1s, who are definitely excited to experience similar events as they grow older. Aside from the memories that have been and will continue to be made by the next generation of students, these will also allow them to live in the moment and have fun throughout the course of their eventful school years.

INTERVIEWEES:

[BLUE TEAM] Olivia Batuhan 1B & Robin King 1B; Pauline Calma 12C

[GREEN TEAM] Astrid Hernandez 1A, Maria de Leon 1B & Isabella Gomez 1C; Yanna Saavedra 12A

[RED TEAM] Zoe 1B; Alex Besid 12A

[GOLD TEAM] Adi Cuevas 1C; Rafa Peralta 12A & Sofia Yabyabin 12B