UWCSEA aims to inspire and empower students to discover Sport as a lifelong passion, supporting the foundations for an active healthy lifestyle, positive personal relationships and service to others.

To cater for the wide range of UWCSEA student interests and aptitudes the Sports programme at UWCSEA Dover is extensive and includes a diverse menu of Aquatics, Games, Gymnastics, Fitness, Martial Arts and Outdoor and Adventurous sporting activities.

The programme serves many purposes: it promotes physical activity, fitness and wellbeing; it challenges students to develop physical skills to their full potential; it allows children access to appropriate levels of competition and; it supports the building of student character and leadership, teamwork, service and community.

In Sports students learn and reflect upon the personal skills and qualities of our UWCSEA profile.  Athletes and teams learn to be resilient self managers, to think creatively and critically when faced with challenges and to remain principled whether confronted by adversity or rewarded with success.

By emphasising teamwork, community engagement, student leadership and service programmes, UWCSEA provides powerful and meaningful opportunities for learners to unite and serve the College and the wider Singapore community through sport.

The UWCSEA skills and qualities are embodied in the ‘Phoenix Spirit’. Through the Phoenix Spirit the members of our sporting community lead by example, embrace challenges and take responsibility for shaping a better world. 

Our Philosophy

UWCSEA follows a long term approach to sport development. This approach, which is adapted from the Canadian Sport for Life model, is founded on the principle that based on their physical maturation, children, youth, and adults need to do the right things at different phases of their physical development to develop successfully in their sport – whether they want to be basketball players, swimmers, climbers, or gymnasts. UWCSEA’s Sports Pathway describes what we believe athletes need to be doing at specific ages and stages.

The three main goals of the UWCSEA's Sports Pathway are:

• Develop the 'Physical Literacy" of all students

• 'Strive for Excellence' in those that choose to pursue Competitive or High Performance sporting pathways 

• Empower students and the wider UWCSEA community to be 'Active for Life'

Our Pathway Stages

A UWCSEA students' Sports Pathway is divided into 4 stages which, while driven by a child's physical development, are generally applicable to the below age groups, grades and College sections: 

Our UWCSEA ‘FUNdamentals’, and ‘Learn to Train’ stages develop ‘physical literacy’ before puberty so children have the basic skills to be ‘active for life’. Physical literacy provides the foundation for those children who choose to pursue our ‘excellence pathway’ in a sport after age 12.

The UWCSEA ‘Train to Train’ and ‘Train to Compete’ stages provide 'Competitive' and 'High Performance' pathways for those who want to specialize in a sport and compete at a higher level, maximizing the physical, mental, and emotional development of each athlete.

For those that do not wish to specialize in sport to this degree, the UWCSEA ‘Active for Life’ stages are about staying physically active through lifelong participation in recreational sport or physical activity in the role of participant, coach, supporter or official.

Infant School (K1 - G1) - 'FUNdamentals' 

In our FUNdamentals stage,  participants develop their fundamental movement skills in structured environments for play. This focus is on providing fun, inclusive, multi sport, and developmentally appropriate sport and physical activity. These experiences will result in the participant developing a wide range of movement skill along with the confidence and desire to participate. 

Through movement and play the focus at this stage is on learning and linking locomotor, object manipulation and balance skills in a variety of multi sport, aquatic, gymnastic, games and adventurous Activities. 

Children are guided by their parents but make their own Activity choices. Students may choose to learn a new sport for just one Season and if they wish, our programme also enables them to be able to pursue their chosen sport throughout the year. Weekday sports activities, including a broad range of games, swimming, gymnastic and climbing activities are available each day after School (2.00 - 3.00pm) and at the weekend in our Community Activity Programme (CAP). 

• Activities include significant time for repetition, require minimal correction allowing children to safely test their own limits, and improve their abilities through experience. 

• Skills are developed by exposing participants to a variety of environments - including indoor halls, gymnasiums and climbing walls,and outdoor playgrounds, courts, fields and swimming pools.

• Access is provided to a wide variety of colourful toys and equipment.

• Competition is informal at this stage with no record of results.

• Competence, capacity and confidence in the fundamental movement patterns underpinning mobility, stability and strength is developed so that children can execute fundamental skills.

• Physical capacities start to be developed through the use of fun, engaging body-weight based strength exercises.

• There is a focus on fair play and respect for others and simple sport rules are introduced. 

Junior School (G2 - G5) - 'Learn to Train' 

At the Junior School ‘Learn to Train’ phase the focus is on refinement of sport specific skills and understanding basic rules, tactics, and strategies. Friendly local inter school competitive events begin in this phase but focus is on skill development and retention rather than winning. Sports are inclusive, fun, and skill based as retaining students in the sports programme into Middle School is a key aim.

Guided by parents, children make their own sports choices. Students may choose to learn a new sport for just one Season and if they wish, our programme also enables them to be able to pursue their chosen sport throughout the year. Weekday sports, including a wide range of games, swimming, gymnastics, climbing and fitness activities are available each day after School (3.00 - 6.00pm). A number of these sports also offer opportunities where children can opt to represent UWCSEA in local international school competition. At the weekend children may choose to extend their sports skills further in the Community Activity Programme (CAP).

• Formal local competition is introduced when foundational skill levels have been consolidated.

• Appropriate levels of friendly competition are planned in training sessions and with local clubs and international Schools. The emphasis is on fun, fair play, equal play time for all students and opportunities to try different events or positions.

• There is a balance between Training (70% of the time) and Competition (30% of the time).

• Children are introduced to the concepts of warm up/cool down, nutrition, hydration, and recovery. 

• Mobility, stability and strength is developed through body-weight and resistance training with light weights. 

• Additional focus is put on building flexibility, speed and endurance in a fun and low structured training environment.

Middle School - 'Active For Life' and 'Train to Train' 

At this stage, Middle School students begin to make their own choices and establish whether they wish to follow the UWCSEA ‘Competitive & High Performance’ or ‘Active for Life’ pathways.  

Those moving towards sport ‘Competitive & High Performance’ enter the UWCSEA ‘Train to Train’ stage. Sporting capability is accelerated and the time committed to preparation and practice in pre season and competition in season is increased. Through a selection process, students are able to represent UWCSEA in the local International School Sports Conference (ACSIS) at U12 & U14 age levels in 18 types of games, swimming, gymnastics, cross country, climbing and sailing. Opportunities to attend regional South East Asian sports tours and competitions begin. Towards the end of this stage athletes will generally specialize in one or two sports and take part in another.

Students choosing the ‘Active for Life’ pathway have the option of following a wide range of ‘Competitive for Life’ or ‘Fit for Life’ Activities. A range of ‘B’ and ‘C’ team level seasonal competitive sports teams which demand less practice and preparation time are available in the ‘Competitive for Life’ programme. These are complemented by weekly, weekend and holiday ‘Fit for Life’ where the focus is on healthy sporting participation and social interaction.

At this stage students are encouraged to help promote, celebrate and develop MS sport through the Student Sports Council.

• Frequency of sport-specific training is between two and six sessions per week depending on sport taken.

• Training programmes are periodized with specific focus on physical, skill development & tactical preparation prior to competition periods and, personal & team performance during competitive periods.

• Skills are refined for greater event & position specialization.

• Fundamental movement skills continue to be used as part of warm-ups, developing competence, capacity and confidence in a wide array of fundamental movement patterns.

• Fitness and mental preparation are introduced as a key focus.

• Activities developing aerobic capacity, mobility, strength, speed and agility are incorporated in training programmes and athletes are introduced to free weights with emphasis on correct technique.

• Total weekly training load is monitored and training environments adapted to reduce injury risks associated with growing for those students who are maturing faster than others.

• Athletes learn and apply the rules of their sport as well as the important personal & social values of fair play and commitment within our Phoenix Spirit framework.

• Formalized localised ACSIS competition starts along with associated standings/rankings and medals. 

• There is a 40% to 60% balance of competition to training.

High School - 'Active For Life' and 'Train to Compete' 

High School (HS) students have generally established whether they wish to follow the UWCSEA ‘Competitive & High Performance’ or ‘Active for Life’ pathways. Some students may be choosing to follow both pathways in different sports at this stage.

Those moving towards ‘Competitive & High Performance’ enter the UWCSEA ‘Train to Compete’ stage. Students participate in UWCSEA Performance Programmes and Under 19 ‘A’, ‘B’ and ‘C’ teams, preparing and training 5 - 14 hrs a week either 6 monthly or year-round. They compete regularly at local club and/or international school level (ACSIS), at regional school level (SEASAC & international training trips & tours) and at a national level (Singapore National Championships / Singapore U18 or Open selective level).

Students choosing the ‘Active for Life’ pathway have the option of following a wide range of ‘Fit for Life’ Activities. These range from karate and waterpolo to kayak polo, fitness, yoga and badminton. In these activities, which take place every weekday, evening, weekend and holiday, the focus is on healthy sporting participation and social interaction. 

All HS students are encouraged to join sports leadership and service programmes. They are able to take on the role of ‘coach’ and ‘official’ in our local and college sports service programmes and they can help promote, celebrate and develop HS sport through the Student Sports Council.

• Generally students specialize in one sport or at most two complementary sports. They may still transfer from one sport to another sport. 

• Athletes learn to perform skills under a variety of competitive conditions (in practice and in formal competition). Training is evidence based and is built on testing to identify strengths and weaknesses.

• Students receive specialized coaching from the UWCSEA team of 20 full time and 150 externally hired coaches.

• Physical conditioning becomes a formal expectation for athletes. Periodized conditioning sessions focus upon development of mobility, stability, strength, speed and agility.

• Competence, capacity and confidence in a wide array of fundamental movement patterns continues.

• Training load is monitored to reduce injury risks associated with growing. Injury recovery and rehabilitation is built into sporting programmes.

• Students are encouraged to consider the effects of nutrition, sleep and the recovery process to optimise health and performance. 

• Dedicated Programme Leaders, the High School sports Coordinator and Head of Health & Performance ensure a healthy balance of sport, work/school, service and family/friend life obligations. 

• Ethical approaches to sport are further developed. Commitment, respect for others, fair play, unity and service are developed through the Phoenix Spirit.