Jan Apel: Just give me a moment

Just Give Me One Moment

Jan Apel

The moment I arrived at the German School, I embarked on an adventure that has lasted over 30 years. I took on this challenge knowing the need to learn the value of what life presents to you with a good attitude. I began to recognize that "what is, just is" and that the key to unlocking the reality surrounding education is not complaining bitterly and immersing yourself in self deprecation but to shift into accepting what you have on hand. How else could a sports program be so versatile and provide so many students with so many opportunities to play?

Over the years many names have graced the gym with pride and perseverance. I have always been a believer that persistence propels potential to perfection. German School sports is geared to keep our students active and always looking for another challenge. We have had brother-and-sister combinations like Jascha and Jessica Fields; Alice and Jan Kretschmer; Christina and Andrew Machanic; and Malena and Andy Lair Ferrari. We have had "family" names that provided years of athletic talent: Grebel, Jaakson, Pollak, Hodges, Reitmaier, Schultz, Von Nordheim, Bechthold, Rose and White. We also had our share of individual talents like, Franzi Martin, Chris Hall, Alex Bernard, Alex Buechler, Luca Veglio, Gregor Gaza, Stephan Deutscher, Vicky Andreas, Angie Woebking, Ludovic Bell, Philip Hinrichsen, and Sebastian Molineus. It is interesting to note that our school has had students who have participated in sports and who now work here as teachers and staff members. Who could ever forget our point guard for girls basketball, now English teacher Ms. Minami or one of our faithful spectators, Klara Hall now Counselor Fabina. The German School can also take pride in knowing it developed the character of one particularly fine student-athlete, Christoph Westphal. Today Dr. Westphak is advancing the field of medicine one cure at a time through

The Green Team throwing a green ball plays dodgeball on the green top of the Upper School during Sports Day 2009.

Sports Day 2009 with student teams in colorful T-shirts and German School teachers: Lutz Voigt (with soccer ball); Carla Minami (in black shirt), and Coach Jan Apel (lower right).

development. We have been blessed with so many students who cared about their school and sports program.

Since our last celebration, the Athletic Program moved into 2000 with a "bang"! Most of the students played a multiple number of sports because the program gave them the possibility to take on the challenge.

This is what makes the German School sports program nothing like other school programs. Our athletes grow together over the years and become teams that defy obstacles presented to them by such things as a demanding school schedule, limited facility and outside school commitments. It has not been easy to keep the program moving forward. We have drifted away from league affiliation only to shift back but with the same underlying problems remaining: who will play and who can play under the tight school controls.

We have tried to branch out into very competitive programs like METROS for swimming but only have two students that qualify for the experience. We have waren sehr nett und nahmen die Spieler der DSW sehr gastfreundlich auf. Wir Nordamerikaner hatten ge- gen die Mittelamerikaner leider nicht viel zu melden. In den Gruppenspielen wurde das Team der DSW von den Schulen Lomas Verdes und Puebla verdient ge- schlagen. Im letzten Gruppenspiel hatte die DSW aber die Möglichkeit noch einige Punkte gut zu machen und sich beim Spiel gegen die Deutsche Schule New York mit einem Sieg zu verabschieden. Mit einem tollen Spiel mit viel Einsatz- und Laufbereitschaft konnte die Elf der Deutschen Schule Washington das Spiel gegen New York verdient mit 4:1 gewinnen. Außerdem wurde Marcel Stübing von der Deutschen Schule Washington zum besten Spieler des Turniers gewählt.

Im Finale standen sich dann die beiden Teams aus Mexiko-Stadt gegenüber. Mit einem verdienten 2:0 konnte sich Xochimilco für das Endrunden-Turner in Deutschland qualifizieren.

Für die Spieler und Betreuer des Teams der DSW war die Reise nach Mexiko-Stadt eine tolle Erfahrung.