Luiz Carlos (inset photo) from Venda Nova, Brazil:
I’ve practiced different types of martial arts like judo, karate and taekwondo. These sports taught me respect for teachers and what they taught me.
When I was 12 I started to play basketball, and with basketball came new ideas about teamwork, leadership and cooperation.
In both basketball and martial arts, I had to compete against stronger and taller opponents and I had to figure out ways to compete against them. That required creativity.
What I learned from sports has affected my life as a student. In the classroom I had to use discipline and develop team projects. Because of my experience in sports, I achieved good results.
Sports are much more than what you see on the playing field. Sports are templates for our character.
Above, Diana Lopez, who earned a spot on the 2012 U.S. Olympic taekwondo squad at the Olympic Team Trials in March.