MS World Cup Club Promotes Schoolwide Engagement
“Who do you think will win the 2022 World Cup?” “Obviously it will be Brazil!” “No way, Messi will carry Argentina all the way to win the only trophy he still needs!”
Conversations like this one echoed through the hallways, classrooms, and gathering spaces of YISS from early November until Winter Break. Students, teachers, and staff delighted in debating which team would win each game and which players were the best. Capitalizing on this interest in the World Cup, middle school students formed a World Cup Club to create further opportunities for our community to bond over their shared passion for the game of soccer, as well as the countries and the people involved in it.
The World Cup Club consisted of both soccer aficionados and students who were new to the sport, but interested in learning more. Members included MS Soccer Team players Bria, Alon, Aiden, Mike, Tate, Joshua, as well as passionate fans Jacob C., David, Theo, Lily, and Reagan. Mrs. Brockett, Coach Kevin, and Ms. Alvarez hosted the club every Thursday afternoon after school. In the weekly meetings, club members played soccer, watched highlights of key matches, and planned how to further promote school-wide engagement. Our members also took turns doing daily announcements over the intercom, where we provided the middle school with updates on the most newsworthy moments of the event.
At the beginning of November, we teamed up with some of our peers to design and build a large-scale World Cup bracket for the YISS cafeteria. Sixth graders Daniel C. and Ryan L were the architects of this enormous bracket and applied their math skills as they calculated the size of each flag and its exact placement on the wall relative to all the other flags. Meeting together after school, Alon, Mike, Theo, David, Lily, and Tate then carefully followed these plans as they built the bracket on the wall - it fit perfectly! Then, as the World Cup progressed, club members daily updated the points and standings of each team, allowing the whole YISS community to track the progress of the event.
On November 22, the World Cup Club gathered to watch perhaps the most shocking match of the World Cup: Argentina vs. Saudi Arabia. Relaxing in Ms. Alvarez’s classroom on comfy seats, eating fried chicken and pizza, we all felt confident that Argentina, our clear favorite, would easily win the match. However, we watched open-mouthed as the game unfolded and Saudi Arabia dominated Messi and the Argentinian team. Many of us converted to cheering for the underdogs, but several hardcore Argentina fans were devastated by the result and the apparent disgrace of their team. It remains a night to remember, particularly as Argentina overcame this stunning early loss to go on and win the cup!
For the middle school, the club hosted a World Cup Prediction Competition. Our members visited homerooms and asked students and teachers to complete brackets with their best predictions for the outcome of the World Cup matchups. Over 90 students across the grades and many teachers submitted completed brackets for a chance to win prizes if their predictions were the most accurate. While most students predicted that Brazil would win, there were 16 students and teachers who correctly predicted that Argentina would win. Ms. Dwight had the most accurate bracket out of all the competition participants and won a special treat for her class! Paul S. in sixth grade, Timothy S. and Zaoan Y. in seventh grade, and Andy Y. in eighth grade had the best predictions out of the students in their respective grades and will receive prizes along with the runners-up for each grade.
Ultimately, the 2022 Qatar World Cup will go down in history for many suspenseful moments, as well as for its unique challenges and conflicts. Whether it was the goal drought in the group stage or the magnificent run of team Morocco, our World Cup Club thoroughly enjoyed discussing every detail and being swept along in the fun of watching players live out their dreams.