Unlike in most years, the 2022 World Cup took place during the winter, not the summer, so most student soccer fans wanted to watch it during the school day. One possible problem with this overlap is being able to concentrate on academics with the games happening during school hours. You would think this would distract them from the class and would have a negative impact on their grades and learning. I talked to sophomore class president Seth Shapiro about this. He told me that in the classes where he watched games, he always found a way to make the work up afterward. “Good students will find ways to do their work regardless,” he said.
There were also teachers who showed the games during class. I asked two of these teachers if showing the games during class affected their ability to teach the curriculum. Both said no; they actually had the opposite effect. These teachers were able to incorporate what they were doing in class into the World Cup, which made the class more enjoyable both for themselves and the students. Mr. Esteban said, “We watched the games by putting the games in Spanish, and we were able to have conversations about the game.” Talking in Spanish is a big part of learning the language, and if students are talking about something they are passionate about, it can increase their participation. A PE teacher said, “We chose to display the World Cup soccer games in PE class because a week prior we just completed a soccer unit in class.” This is another good way of incorporating the event because it allows students to see soccer from a different perspective after playing it themselves in class.
There are many positives that came from the widespread interest in the World Cup. Despite the potential distraction from schoolwork it poses, it also brings people together. When asked about the positive effects of the World Cup, Seth Shapiro answered, “I feel like there was something special about everyone being able to talk about the same thing. It brought people who might not talk normally together.” Senior Aly Abdelmonem said, “It made me feel happy because I love Messi, and it was fun watching him finally win a World Cup.” Even the teachers agreed on the positive impacts of the tournament. The same PE teacher said, “It did bring students together. Many students cheered on either their country's team or a team they were fans of and appreciated the World Cup.” Mr. Esteban agreed, “Of course: it's a universal sport. It's no wonder that it's followed in a diverse community like Highland Park.” The positive effects of the World Cup are undeniable. Students were able to maintain focus on school while also enjoying the world's biggest sporting event.