Athletics Philosophy

NIS Athletics Philosophy

A Sport for All Model

The Athletics program at NIS strives to offer a “Sport for All’ model, which is an extension of the student educational experience.  The program aims to develop both the sports specific skills required for competition whilst nurturing lifelong skills such as teamwork, leadership, self discipline, self-esteem and the value of sustained effort, which aligns with the school vision to:

‘Promote passionate, life-long learners who strive for academic excellence through a well-balanced and relevant curriculum’

Participation in sports and activities outside of the classroom has also been proven to improve mental well-being, focus and ultimately help to allow students to develop into balanced, knowledgeable and collaborative learners who are successful both academically and in developing their social emotional skills.  Our aim as a school is to give as many students as possible access to the program whilst allowing healthy intra and inter school competition to thrive and be a focus of school ‘Stallion’ pride.  I believe that higher participation rates are a greater sign of success than win ratios.  That said, I also believe that they don’t need to be mutually exclusive.

Factors to Consider

While we would like to provide an opportunity for every athlete who expresses interest in a program this is not always possible. We will try to avoid cuts in any of the programs.  However, if the number of students trying out for a team creates a situation that is difficult to manage, poses a safety problem, or is problematic because of facility consideration, reducing team size may be necessary. Ultimately, the number of teams and size of the squad in any sport will be determined by the availability of:

Elementary School

At the Elementary School  (U10, U12) level participation is based around the development of motor skills and social skills within a fun and safe environment.  All students will be given the opportunity to participate in the program and every effort will be made to accommodate all students.  At this age group, there will be a greater emphasis on generating social emotional skills and physical literacy than any fixture result.  Each team member will be given approximately equal playing time during any fixtures for both U10 and U12.

Middle School

At the Middle School  (U14) level our primary goal is to make participation enjoyable whilst developing the fundamentals of rules, tactics and skills which govern each sport.  There will be an increased emphasis on teamwork and collaboration at this stage of development.  Each student athlete at middle school will receive playing time in each fixture/tournament dependent on coaches decisions. 

High School

At the High School level the emphasis will also be on enjoyment whilst further developing the leadership and collaboration aspects of each sport.  High school student athletes have the added responsibility of being the role models for the whole school and as such are required to demonstrate those qualities which exemplify a good sportsperson.  At this level there will also be an increased demand on the physical and tactical understanding to help each student fulfil their potential.  While playing time percentages vary at High School with situations, team dynamics and Coaches’ discretion, we make every attempt to ensure that each team member has an opportunity to participate in all games

At NIS we pride ourselves on focusing on the individual needs of each student/athlete.  Therefore, if a student athlete is having issues with their academic commitments in other areas of the school, future participation will be discussed between coaches/AD/teachers/parents to find the most suitable intervention.

CMAC

NIS is a founding member of the CMAC (Chiang Mai Athletic Conference), which allows students at NIS access to healthy local competition.