The Sporting Life: Nab the Flag & Race to the Top

Swimming world champion Ning Zetao may have created a sensation on campus last weekend, but NYU Shanghai has never run short of athletic talents to rally around. This month in the spotlight, we feature our awarding-winning American flag football team and runners for public service.

American Flag Football

In mid-October, NYU Shanghai’s “the Lightnings” won three out of five games in the 2016 NFL Flag Football Shanghai League, claiming a runner-up title.

During the two-day competition, the Lightnings successfully advanced through the group phase by seizing two victories from ECUPL Arbiters and Qibao Tigers. They swept USST Hawks 35:6 in the semi-final, and lost to the final champion USST Vikings by 18:28.

Sophomore cornerback Jason Tao said the team, after two years of hard practice, has grown stronger and more experienced, especially with the valuable addition of senior members returning from study-away semesters. They also won two friendly games against ECUPL Arbiters and Shanghai Titans before the league opened.

“We found our form quite early in the game. We were better prepared strategically and our team definitely had a ‘chemical reaction,’” Tao said.

Flag football is a simplified version of American football where the basic rules are similar, except that it avoids intense body contact by using a flag or flag belt.

“Flag football requires definitely more teamwork than, for example, basketball. Learning this sport is also a process of bonding with ‘brothers’ from various cultural backgrounds,” Tao said,  adding that he hopes to see more Chinese peers join the crew.

Vertical Run

On October 23, a group of 13 runners from NYU Shanghai powered through a vertical run that saw them ascend to floor 57 of the International Finance Centre in Lujiazui with 1,460 steps.

It was the first time that NYU Shanghai community members had competed in the charity event, organized by Sun Hung Kai Properties Limited (SHKP). Another 30 students participated as volunteers to support water stations and the information desk.

Finishing his race in 15 minutes and 18 seconds, sophomore Andreas Alexander Strandgaard described the climbing as a fun experience that he has no hesitation to recommend to his friends.

“I could have gotten a bit better time if I had really pushed myself but there is a lot of psychology in being able to abstract from being told that you have ‘already’ climbed 5 floors which in my mind became: you have 52 floors left. I think that made me tired just thinking about how much was left that I never got to really run it,” Strandgaard said.

According to the organizers, participants’ entry fee was donated to the Shanghai Children's Health Foundation for improving medical treatment of children from impoverished families.

“Making a fun day for people who like to challenge themselves while giving the money earned to a charity is something I can only support,” Strandgaard said.

Unified Run

On October 21, 11 students and staff from NYU Shanghai and Pudong Special Education School weathered a storm to complete a three-legged sprint of 30 meters in roughly 15 seconds, winning third place.

The NYUSH-PSES team joined some 600 runners from five countries, China, the United States, Spain, Greece and Ireland in the race, named Shanghai Yung Park Special Olympics Sunshine Unified Run, held at a recovery center in suburban Songjiang district. Heavy rain could not stop the “unified” athletes from racing toward the finish line.

Freshman Greta Solomon bonded with her partners from PSES through two months of hard practice for the race. “Even though we do not speak with each other in the same language. We can all just smile at each other and know that the other kind of understand,” Solomon said. “Such a beneficial event allows me to be a part of something much bigger than myself.”

The event, in its fourth year, aimed to to raise public awareness for helping people with intellectual disabilities better integrate into society by connecting them with local volunteers to work together towards a common goal. The NYU Shanghai volunteers also plan regular visits to PSEP later this semester for more sports exchange, as well as a joint cooking event.