Our U14 Girls Football team have just come to the end of their season. It’s been wonderful playing against other schools again, and applying the skills and strategies of training to competitive fixtures. Human Technologies allows us to look more closely at some of other crucial aspects of socialisation, fitness, and mental fortitude that allow students to be successful in sport, and beyond to so many walks of life…

“Look at the size of them..!” said Agatha, staring across as the DBIS team got off the bus and entered our pitch at Kwong Fuk Park. Almost half of our U14 team are Y7s and Agatha, Sara, Jessie and Perlie most intensely experienced that peculiar feeling of worry about being ready to take on another team after a short pre-season training period. 

It is always the case that as we kick off in Term One ahead of all the other sports, and compete against schools often twice our population, that our football students battle those feelings of nerves as adrenaline spills over into apprehension. Not only that, but these are the first set of competitive football fixtures many will have played at all for the last few years owing to the impact of Covid on organised sports in Hong Kong.

In Human Technologies, we have been learning about the structure of homo sapiens Triune Brain- a three part brain system of reptile, mammalian and prefrontal cortex formed through the process of evolution across millions of years. 

This sophisticated supercomputer set equips us with all the instincts of survival- fight, flight, flop and freeze- that can be found in less advanced species such as lizards; this operates together with the limbic system which helps regulate our emotions, embed our memories and build social relations amongst mammalian species (hence why elephants, chimpanzees and whales have such complex societal systems); It is between these two where the amygdala and hippocampus can be found. As we prepare for competition, the amygdala pumps out cortisol and adrenaline preparing us to perform and our increased breathing pumps the oxygenated blood to our muscles so that we can perform whichever action is needed.

These essential functions have ensured the survival of our species across approximately 200,000yrs or more- yet, if we don’t engage that unique supercomputer of the prefrontal cortex to regulate our emotional state and allow us to rationalise whichever tough situation we might find ourselves in, it can all appear too much for a Y7 footballer…we might wonder whether we can get through the next 90 minutes! We need to feel safe, secure, and connected to a cause if we are to thrive. 

Across this season, our U14 Girls evolved together as a team. They were excellently led by Coach Tiffany and Coach Sonia, two Y13 students who devoted their time and experience of playing both football and rugby to a high level. They formed wonderful role models for the girls, inspiring confidence and sharing tips from training sessions and life lessons along the way. 

This was a crucial part for the cohesion of our side, and with smiles on their faces, the girls got better at their shooting and passing drills, and even adapted rapidly to understanding how to play together effectively in a system where in defence we compacted our shape- like a hedgehog rolling into a ball- and attacked together moving forward to make our lines compact and increase the pressure we could put then upon the opposition. 

Lucy Burton operated as Captain throughout the season and she quickly learned to give support and direction to others on the pitch so that Kenza could apply her knowledge of defence and capacity for running from the rugby field to the football pitch. Amelie was great in goal and gave us solidity at the back, and could turn defence into attack with her excellent distribution. As she graduates from U14 football she is another student with certain capabilities to coach and play at a higher level in the future.

Vicky White worked hard up front- often outnumbered but never outgunned- and her look of disbelief to delight when she scored her first goal was a season highlight. 

Our midfield were run predominantly by the Y7s of Perlie, Jessie, Agatha and Sara with Jazzy supporting with her tireless running. Jazzy totally eclipsed her beep test result from a HT lesson early this term, as she channelled her focus, adrenaline and desire to track back and support her teammates with a look of grim determination on her face. Positionally, all of our players showed great improvement and Agatha, Perlie and Jessie were all rewarded with goals as a result. Perlie has such a magnificent touch and could turn on a sixpence. She will be a vital member in years to come. 

One final mention goes to Jessie in our penultimate game: she received a couple of kicks, nothing nasty, just what you expect in a well-contested match. When it seemed things might get too much, she picked herself back up, received some supportive words of advice and touchline warm up from Coach Sonia… then came back and scored for us within 30 seconds! 

It was a wonderful example of how Jessie rationalised the situation, using her prefrontal cortex to regulate the flow of adrenaline to once again gain control of her mind. Because she knew she could rely on the strong social bonds of her team- who needed her skills in turn on the pitch- Jessie was able to be present in “The Now”, and recognise that, while her injury was painful, the situation was not insurmountable. It was an excellent example of someone who didn’t give up and that is exactly the attitude that will serve her well in future tests of mental fortitude, be it sporting, academic, social relationships or otherwise. 

All the girls are to be congratulated on their humility and good spirits throughout the season. Year 7s made friends with Y13s, and so on, and they can all look out for each other across the year in and out of school. That is what football can do, but it is what any chosen sport can do as if you are prepared to give it a go and stick through the hard times. If you commit to a team or activity the rewards are enormous and the playing, coaching, and supporting of any team will set you up for a lifetime of fulfilment.