Last week, just before the end of the school year, the AMIT Yud Ashdod team won the Ashdod city-wide championship in mini-soccer. Mini-soccer is modified soccer for younger players. It uses a smaller playing field and has fewer players, which allows everyone to get more involved in the game.
All the Ashdod high schools took part in the tournament, including schools that have won on the national level. The aim of this particular tournament was to improve the atmosphere on soccer fields in Israel and teach good sportsmanship, particularly in light of the recent violent incidents in France during the match between Russia and England. After a very exciting final game that ended 2-2 (including two overtimes), the AMIT Yud was victorious after penalty kicks. Yogev Alkabetz, AMIT Yud PE teacher and coach praised his young players. “This is a huge achievement for our students, who put their all into the game and won fairly. I am proud of their determination and dedication,” said Alkabetz.
Concurrently, and for the first time, AMIT Yud girls competed in a city-wide volleyball tournament. The team placed fourth place out of 10 – quite respectable for their first competition – and returned to school with a sense of accomplishment. One of the players said, “We fought, we practiced a lot, we were determined, and I am sure that next year we will reach the finals.”
AMIT Yud principal Ido Aharonvitch congratulated his students and thanked the Ashdod Municipality for promoting sports for young people. “The Sports Department of the Ashdod Municipality encourages positive and fair competition. This is meaningful learning at its best. The investment in sports translates directly into quality learning. The success of our boys and girls on the playing field helps them realize their special abilities across the board,” said Aharonvitch.
