To enhance children’s social development and help them become future stars, the proprietress of Liberated Pearl Academy (LPA), Ijeoma Kpechi, has urged parents to encourage their children and wards to participate in extracurricular activities.
She made this call during the school’s second inter-house sports event held on Saturday at Government Secondary School, Eneka, Rivers State.
Mrs Kpechi explained that the purpose of organizing the inter-house sports event was to help children discover the talents embedded within them and to understand that sports can also be a viable source of income, especially considering the current economic situation.
“My vision for this event is that the children will go far and become great personalities like Jay-Jay Okocha, Mikel Obi, and top female footballers. Those who are into athletics could also grow to become national and international sports stars,” she said. “They will be connected to all great sporting opportunities. Even at the university level, they will make great exploits. That’s why I embarked on this event.”
“Considering the unemployment rate in the country, these activities can help them become employable. Scouts and national teams can discover talents here. With these skills being nurtured early, they will face fewer challenges as they grow.”
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Mrs. Kpechi emphasized that while education is essential, extracurricular activities also play a critical role in improving children’s psychological and emotional development.
“Some children may not be very vocal or perform excellently in academics, but they can excel in social or sporting activities. That’s why parents should support both their children and the schools in helping to build their destinies,” she added.
Another staff member of the school, Chimezie Oluchi reiterated that the goal of the sports activities was to identify and develop the children’s hidden talents. She noted that out of 100% of the participating pupils, 88% demonstrated outstanding potential.
“One of the main reasons for this event is to build their interest and strength in sports so they can represent us in the future. Sports is also a means of socialization. We invited other schools to participate, and they came to showcase their talents and strengths. Through this, we are also fostering mutual relationships,” she said.
“Sports is important because of its mental benefits. It helps with alertness, provides a sense of belonging, and builds physical agility.”
On behalf of the school, the teachers expressed their gratitude to God, the proprietress, and the parents for their contributions toward the success of the event.
During the interview session, Mrs. Akuwudike Kelechi, a parent of three, appreciated the proprietress and teachers for organizing the event, noting that it has positively impacted her children’s social development.
“When I enrolled my children in this school, I was impressed by their academic standards and moral teachings. Since then, I’ve seen noticeable changes in my children,” she said.
Mrs. Evelyn Felix, a mother of two, added that she looks forward to seeing more of such activities in the school, as they have made a significant difference in her children’s development.
Unchena David Somtochukwu, a student in Intelligent 3, said he had fun. ” Everything went as planned. I received support from my housemaster. I hope to see more of this next time we have this event.”
At the climax of the event, Red House emerged in first position, followed by Blue House in second, Yellow House in third, and Purple House in fourth.
Highlights of the event included a match pass, “Run-to-Mummy” ball, “Filling the Basket,” “Early to School,” “Fill the Bottle,” egg race, sack race, 100m race, 75m race, 200m race, and 400m race, among others.
Below are the pictures of the event:
