Students at eduKenya’s Kwa Watoto School were thrilled to compete in the first annual Sports Day, a day marked by a healthy sense of team spirit and competition. There was great excitement leading up to the event, as the students had been placed in different “houses” at the beginning of the quarter, with adult patrons assigned to each house. The purpose of dividing students into houses was to teach teamwork and how to compete with character – by winning with humility, losing graciously and cheering on teammates.

The athletic field utilized for the Sports Day was nearly six times the size of the field used by students for their weekly physical education class. The change of location and spaciousness of the field upped the already high levels of enthusiasm and anticipation.

Students competed in field events, including discus, short putt, high jump, long jump and triple jump. Track events included relays and sprints of various distances. Younger students competed in sack races and other fun games like blowing balloons, racing through tunnels and filling and emptying tins.In addition to competing, the students enjoyed cheering on staff and parents who ran in 200 meter races, especially the highly competitive male staff!John F. Kennedy said, “Physical fitness is not only one of the most important keys to a healthy body, it is the basis of dynamic and creative intellectual activity." We agree, and Kwa Watoto students attend physical education classes each week. Yet it was exciting to have a special day set aside to focus on teamwork, learn about healthy competition and build school spirit.