200 students, 130 of whom travel by bus from the surrounding area, attend Chakis Secondary School in Chakis Mahalesi in Manvagat district. Students with limited opportunities showed more interest in sports activities with physical education and sports teacher Çilem Gündüz, who started working at the school 3 years ago. After the school established a volleyball team, Gündüz worked for students to participate in athletics competitions last year. Ball, javelin, ball throwing and march auditions were held as the school did not have the necessary equipment. Teacher Gunduz prepared cobblestones instead of cannons, brooms instead of javelins, and stones for throwing balls for students who would succeed in the audition and represent their school.
The students, to whom Gunduz had seen videos of successful athletes, were trained with stones and broomsticks in the dirt field in the school garden at the end of the lesson and on the weekends.
They touched for the first time before the competition
At the end of the training, 6 students participated in the Antalya Interschool Athletics Provincial Championship held in March. The students achieved great success by getting their first shot put, javelin and throwing ball for 15 minutes before the competition. Dursun Ali Koka and Hatis Tanrivardi came in 3rd place in shot put, Nazmie Kukukkavaradim in 3rd place in throwing ball, Mevlut Buukkansiz and Melis Simsek in 3rd place in 1000m March.
They want equipment
The goal of the students is to acquire the equipment and multiply their success. Most of those who have grown interested in sports now want to follow in the footsteps of their teachers and become physical education and sports teachers.
‘How can we produce, how can we make progress’
Success is not a coincidence or luck, teacher Çilem Gündüz said, “When I arrived, the school had no equipment other than a few balls. They are more successful than they say they are. “When they can do something, they will gain confidence. Unfortunately, we did not have the materials and we could not get them. But I thought there was an alternative. We said that a stone can be a stick. When you want to be successful, you have to be successful with anything, “he said.
Saying that they were happy with the success, Gunduz said, “When we did not have the equipment like javelin, cannon ball, throwing ball due to impossibility, we used stones and sticks. We succeeded and so we are very happy. I did not apply. “Only in our district, but in every place that can support us. Those who came back there. About 20 balls.” “We were able to get help. In fact, I did not have access to high-value materials,” he said.
‘I just wanted them to touch the tool’
“Until I went to the competition, none of my kids touched the cannon ball or the javelin. We won five medals in the group with 20 schools,” Gunduz said.
‘I didn’t think we could win’
Hatis Tanrivardi, an eighth-grade student who is third in the province of Shot Put, said, “When I first saw the stone, I wondered how we would work on it, whether we could succeed. The shot was competitive. It was heavy. I threw it. I tried to throw it. I threw it over 7.5 meters, “he said.
‘We’re going there, we see more beautiful equipment’
Ezithan Koka, an 8th grader who was preparing for the javelin competition with the broom handle, said, “I’m sorry I didn’t get the degree. I’m glad to work with the broom handle in the village. Got it, then it felt very different. We were throwing it here with a stick, I couldn’t get used to it, I was in so much trouble, “he said.
‘The track was more comfortable’
Melis Simsek, who finished third in the 1000m, said, “We worked here because we didn’t have the opportunity. The track was definitely more comfortable. So I didn’t have too much trouble. I want to be a physical education teacher in the future. I want to train children and participate in competitions. ” I want to take them to our town and set a goal and let them feel the excitement, “he said.
‘Working in the soil field is very different from working in the field’
Mevlüt Büyükcansız, an 8th grader in the 1000m walk, said: “It was exciting. The smell of the place and the adrenaline is something else. Working in the field is very different from working in the field there. There is no chance. “We could not do that for the school. We work in the school garden. Our teachers have helped us a lot in this regard, “he said.
‘This is a great achievement for me’
“We didn’t have many opportunities at school. However, I did succeed. It’s a big success for me. It has to be like this,” said Nazmie Kukukkavaradim, 3rd in the province’s throwing team. I succeeded because it was like that. I wanted to work with the ball thrown, but the impossibility made us successful. “If I threw the meter, when I took the throwing ball in my hand, I threw 21 meters when it was small. It was easy for me. My goal is to be a physical education teacher,” he said.