Itapema students don`t get snow days. However, much to their celebration, the city decided to give its kids a day off from school so they could go and cheer for their favorite athletes at the FIVB`s only World Tour 4 star event held in Brazil this season. In all, about 5,000 students were present this Friday in the arena to experience what was to many, their first live volleyball match. Most of the kids were very excited (globo.com):
“I never had so much fun in a school event like this.” – 12 year old Milena Carvalho
“I had only seen games on television before. I`m very happy to be here and I don`t want it to end.” – 12 year old Caio Pereira
The teachers also showed enthusiasm, rejoicing at the chances the students were having to practice the languages they learn in class with athletes from more than 28 different countries present in the tournament:
“As teachers, we couldn`t allow our students to miss this opportunity. It`s an event that involves the whole city, as we never had anything like this here before. This event involves culture and sport, and considering this year we have the soccer World Cup right around the corner, it gives the students opportunities to learn more and more about sporting activities.” – Maria Mallman, teacher
“This event was marvelous. There are athletes and staff from all over the world. Everything is new to the kids. They took pictures with all athletes, got to practice their English and Spanish. They got to see just how important it is to learn different languages.” – Leticia Pessoa, teacher
At the end of the tournament, the cheering from the kids must have paid off for the Brazilian athletes, as they swept the gold medals: Top seeded Evandro Goncalves/Andre Loyola bested Anders Bernstsen Mol/Christian Sorum (Norway) 21-18, 21-16 for the gold while Agatha Bednarczuk/Duda Lisboa swept past Switzerland’s Joana Heidrich/Anouk Verge-Depre for their first FIVB Tour title of 2018.
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