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CARIBBEAN EXAMINATIONS COUNCIL

CARIBBEAN ADVANCED PROFICIENCY EXAMINATION

COMMUNICATION STUDIES

INTERNAL ASSESSMENT

2025

Candidate Name: Jai Haresh Shahani

Candidate Number:

Centre Name: St. Maarten Academy

Centre Number: 190001

Year of Examination: 2025

Teacher: Mrs. Edwards Mac Intosh

Theme: Sports
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Topic: How does participation in team sports during adolescence impact social skills and
emotional well-being in young adults?

Date:

Territory: Sint Maarten

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Table of contents
Exposition.................................................................................................................................... 4
General Introduction................................................................................................................... 5
Preface..........................................................................................................................................6
Creative Piece.............................................................................................................................. 7
Reflection................................................................................................................................... 10
Analysis...................................................................................................................................... 11
Conclusion................................................................................................................................. 12
Bibliography...............................................................................................................................13

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Exposition
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General Introduction

The theme for my IA is “Sports” but specifically how participation in sports during adolescence

impacts social skills and emotional well-being in young adults. The purpose of the IA is to

investigate how participating in team sports during adolescence impacts social skills and

emotional well-being in young adults.

The IA includes an expository piece (a speech) titled “ We are One” based on the research

question which looks at how playing sports in your teen years affects your social and emotional

well-being. The IA contains a creative piece titled “Beyond the Game” and it tells the story of a

boy named Miguel who was emotionally and socially challenged due to a rough upbringing and

he was only able to overcome his struggles due to the beautiful game of football and the people

he met along the way. The creative piece was written in the third person view and it is meant for

teens who are struggling with social and emotional problems because it may allow them to learn,

grow, and express themselves in a different way which would be more comfortable.

This theme relates to my academic study by exploring ways that I can integrate the benefits of

sports on teens mentals into a game. As a future game developer, it inspires creating interactive

and team-based games. This reflects personally to my childhood experience of overcoming

social challenges and building friendships through playing football.

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Preface
The purpose of the creative piece is to demonstrate how sports may improve the emotional and

social well-being of struggling teenagers. It is aimed at youngsters facing similar issues,

encouraging them to seek comfort and connection through activities such as sports. The piece is

for online platforms such as websites or blogs, which can reach teens in an engaging, relatable

manner. This ensures that the message inspires and encourages teens effectively.
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Creative Piece

Beyond The Game

Sixteen-year-old Miguel grew up in a rough neighborhood of El Besòs, Spain. It had never been

an easy life. His father abandoned him when he was just a child, and his mother worked many

jobs to support him. Miguel spent a lot of his days alone because she was often absent. He was

struggling with his feelings and didn't know how to express them. His closest friends were anger

and despair, and in school, he struggled to connect with others. He was the quiet kid in the back,

keeping to himself. The football pitch was the one place he felt truly at ease. Playing football has

always been his way of escaping loneliness. When he had the ball at his feet, the weight of his

problems seemed to disappear. Miguel could pour all of his emotions into the game, and for a

moment in time, he felt free.

Something incredible happened one night after a hard-fought game with his home team. A scout

from Barcelona, one of the world's largest football clubs, approached him. The scout saw

Miguel's ability and offered him a spot in the youth academy. Miguel knew this was his way out

and accepted it then and there. Two weeks later, Miguel was on a flight to Barcelona, beginning a

new life he had never imagined possible.

Miguel was at Barcelona's academy with other young players from all around the world. At first,

he was shy and kept to himself, feeling out of place among the other boys. Even though they

tried to be friends with Miguel when they first met asking “Hey new kid what's your name”. He

replied struggling with English saying “yo am Miguel”.

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But as time passed, he started to open up and learn the language. Him and his teammates

connected over the sport they both enjoyed, spending many hours training, eating, and joking

together. They gradually became his new family, filling the void in his heart that had left him

feeling so alone.

One individual in particular had a major impact on Miguel's life Coach Martinez, the youth

coach. Coach Martinez was tough, but he was also compassionate and fair, always encouraging

his players to give their all. He took a special interest in Miguel, seeing something in him beyond

just his skill on the field. Martinez could see Miguel was in a lot of pain and frequently checked

on him after practice. He asked how Miguel was doing, offered advice, and listened when

Miguel needed someone to talk to.

After a tough game, Miguel sat alone on the bench, slamming his boots into his locker while

holding back tears mumbling to himself saying “Fue un gol abierto(It was an open goal)”.

Coach Martinez came over and put a hand on his shoulder and said. “You’re too hard on

yourself, Miguel,”. “Mistakes are part of the game and you can learn from them, you don’t have

to carry everything by yourself, you are part of a team.”

Miguel glanced down, wondering what to say. He had never had someone care about him in this

way before. Martinez became like a father to him, giving advice and encouragement. Miguel

trusted him, because he knew he could count on Coach Matinez. Miguel began to learn how to

manage his emotions while working with Coach Martinez. He realized that he didn't always have

to hide how he felt.

The bonds he made with his teammates made him feel like for once in his life he belonged. For

the first time, he had friends he could trust. They laughed together and inspired one another.
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Through his teammates, Miguel learned how to communicate and trust others. He knew he no

longer had to face anything alone.

By the time Miguel turned twenty, he had played in professional matches and had become a

millionaire a long way from his tough beginnings in El Besòs. His success on the field was due

to his skill and determination but most importantly Coach Martinez. The growth he had

experienced wasn’t just about fame or wealth. Miguel had become stronger, as a player and as a

person. He was still a quiet kid, but now he wasn’t afraid to connect with others, to let people in.

Through football, he had gained not only a family of teammates and supporters but also the

father figure he had always wanted in Coach Martinez. The field was not a place to escape from

his past anymore; it was where he had truly found himself and built a life that he found was

worth living.

Registers:...

Dialectal variation:...

Attitudes to language:...

Communicative behaviours:...
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Reflection
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Analysis

The title of my story is "Beyond The Game," and its theme is sports and how playing football

changed Miguel's life for the better. The story incorporates four elements: dialectal variation,

registers, attitudes to language, and communicative behaviours. I will be discussing two

elements, dialectal variation, and communicative behaviors, which play a crucial part in Miguel’s

journey from isolation to belonging.

Dialectal variation Is the ‘versions’ of a language used, whether standard, non-standard, basilect,

mesolect, acrolect, etcetera. In the story, Miguel’s use of Spanish, such as “Fue un gol abierto”

(It was an open goal), shows his cultural roots from growing up in El Besòs, Spain. This not only

shows his character but also connects him to his past, even as he navigates a new environment.

Dialectal variation was used to show Miguel’s emotions and struggles, especially in moments of

vulnerability, and to emphasize his cultural identity and provide insight to Miguel as he adjusts to

life in a different new place.

Communicative behaviors show the non-verbal elements of communication namely, proxemics,

artifacts, chronemics, facial expression, vocalics, movement, etcetera. Miguel’s initial silence

and isolating himself demonstrate his difficulty in trusting and communicating with others, due

to his troubled upbringing. Also shown when “Miguel sat alone on the bench, slamming his

boots into his locker while holding back tears” showcases the use of non-verbal communication

that conveys his frustration, self-disappointment, and emotional struggle. This reveals Miguel’s

internal feelings of failure and him not being enough after a tough game. Instead of speaking out

about his emotions, he expresses them physically. Communicative behaviors were used in the
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story to highlight Miguel’s emotional growth and the role of supportive relationships in helping

him overcome his struggles.

With the use of dialectal variation and communicative behaviors, "Beyond The Game" shows the

effect football had on Miguel’s life. His dialect reflects his identity and emotional struggles.

Together, these elements demonstrate how sports can improve one's life for the better by serving

as a catalyst for personal growth and meaningful relationships.

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Conclusion
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Bibliography