The Art of Tug of War

At my school in the States, I have seen my fair share of Tug of War competitions. It involved staff and students, and generally was a friendly competition.

At Er Shin...Tug of War is no joke.

I heard from the other English teacher that every year there is a pretty serious Tug of War tournament. My initial thought: Ok, well it is Tug of War. How serious can it get?

Little did I know...

I decided to go and check it out during my lunchtime. I walked into the gymnasium and students were crowded up to the viewing rope to see the beginning of the competition. Each class had participants on the boys team and the girls team. I realized that one of my students was standing next to me watching, so I asked her why she wasn't participating. Her response: "I am too small. The teacher told me no."

They have cuts...for Tug of War...I mean...??

Granted the girl was small, still...it is TUG OF WAR! Everyone should have the chance to play Tug of War!!

That may have been the first clue that this was a little more than a friendly competition.

I saw the kids getting ready for their first set of games. The last kid had on a weighted vest, and the two "anchors" wore helmets.

That was definitely the second clue.

The gymnasium wasn't necessarily packed, but it was LOUD. Each homeroom was cheering on their team (because remember, not everyone made the team). One team even brought their own noisemakers - water bottles with little pellets in them - and used them while cheering.

There were referees and the beginning of the competition started off with the sound of a cap gun. Umm...at this point I realized there were more than a few clues...this tournament was serious stuff. I mean, they wore pinnies with numbers on them!

When each competition started, I noticed how seriously the kids and the teachers took this, and it was actually kind of amazing. They seemed to take the same approach and focus on the tournament, as they do in the classroom when it comes to work. It was rather strange. It just goes to show how apparent the work ethic is here! It even spills over to Tug of War!

It was really a great experience to see my kids outside of the classroom, and I could tell they appreciated my interest in watching them. Here are some pictures from the day!

Here are the boys:

First, the vests...weighted vests...



Of course, the boys need a peptalk before they compete:




In action:






Unfortunately, a loss. Look at how devastated they are!



Here is a short clip of the boys. Look at how that little guy in the front gets thrown around :(




And here are some shots of the girls:







And a clip of the girls: