Week 18 - Winter Break

With a few weeks of time for student bodies and minds to rest our campus will get some time to rest as well.  The grass on the soccer field will have some time to recover.  The campus will be completely closed for use from the 23rd of December through January 4th.  After that, if you (students or parents) want to use the field, gym or fitness room during break, please email dmonicka@aischennai.org to arrange dates and times to ensure the field is available and get the AC turned on in the facilities.

We have a number of events coming up that we really need host families for.  If you would like to know more about why to host I wrote a little here.  Specifically, we need:

• Jan 31-Feb 4 homes for hosting middle school boys and girls for AMIS Choir
• Feb 7-11 homes for hosting high school girls for SAISA Basketball

If you can help out with hosting, please just click on the links above and complete the form.

For ASAs, please remember that they will resume on Monday, January 15th.

ASIAC season three begins in January.  See below for the practice schedule and start days.

Girls Volleyball	M, W, F at 6:30 AM starting on January 15th.
Boys Volleyball	M, W, F at 6:30 AM starting on January 17th.
Tennis	M, W, F at 6:30 AM starting on January 22nd.

The benefits of hosting visitors

One of the components of our athletic and activities program that makes it exciting is that students may have the opportunity to travel.  Many of our trips for SAISA and ASIAC sports as well as some of the arts and activities programs is that the students stay in someone's home instead of a hotel.  The immediate benefit to families is that this keeps costs down making travel much more affordable.  The flip side of that is that we also have to do a fair bit of hosting when others travel to Chennai.

While it is easy to see the financial benefit of a free place to stay, there are big benefits even to those that are providing hosting. One is that you and your children have a connection to another team or group.  I have a son that has made friends from many of the schools we compete with. By the end of a long and intense weekend they are exchanging social media connections and asking about any events they may have in common the next year.  Plus, as a parent, going to a performance or a game will have even more significance when you can cheer for the accomplishments of even more students, even if they are on the opposing team.  Admittedly, some interactions are awkward.  There was a lot of nervous energy in my car one morning when headed to the school just before my son and the students we hosted played a soccer game against each other.  It was the healthy kind of tension though -- a moment that my son will probably feel in the future when there is awkward tension.  It was a moment I know helped him develop character.  He had to share his breakfast, car ride and family's attention with someone about to be the enemy on the field.  But he was graceful about it.  

Some drawbacks that some might feel prevent them from hosting is limited space in your home or apartment, transportation difficulties, not having adequate beds, or being uncomfortable with feeding visiting students, and possibly language, religious or other differences.  We get it.  So we're interested in figuring out how we can eliminate as many of these obstacles or concerns.  If you're hesitant to host, ask parents that have hosted or a student that has been hosted about their experience.  I can almost guarantee that they will have positive memories and be willing to share suggestions.

Week 17 - Mid-December

After school activity information: TRIMESTER 2.  Please note that all activities are in session till Thursday, December 21. Trimester 2 will continue after we come from the winter break until March 2nd, 2018.

It doesn't feel like mid-December to me.  I can look out of my office at the palm trees and kids in the pool.  I grew up in New York and then attended college and lived for 15 years in Alaska.  December shouldn't be this nice.  But the pool is busy.  There are students that are coming in to swim early many days to work independently on improving their swimming.  There also is a group of students coming in early on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday to improve their throws, running and jumps for track season.  I hear from parents and students that want to figure out how to improve their games and athleticism.  We're working on trying to figure out how before and after school activities feed into our other programs.  I had a meeting with the middle school music teachers to review the ASIAC trip to Delhi and we ended discussing how we could build an Honor Band and Honor Choir program into the school culture.  We have year-round programs for some levels of swimming and MUN, but not for many sports or, if you're not taking those classes, the arts.

The Athletics and Activities office is also beginning to review our processes for signing up for ASAs.  Be attentive to changes in the next year.  We want to reduce the frustration of payments and refunds.  We want to reduce the number of cancelled activities.  We want better information out about all the things we offer.  And we want to find gaps in the things we offer and fill them.

Here is a video from SAISA Art:

Week 16 - ASIAC Badminton, Table Tennis and Music

MS: This weekend there are 15 Choir and 15 Band students from the middle school attending ASIAC Music at the American Embassy School in Delhi.  The festival website includes the schedule and live streaming link.

MS: Also this weekend we're hosting the ASIAC Table Tennis and Badminton tournament.  The event website includes the schedule and live stream links.  

HS: Boys SAISA Soccer has a game at AISC on Saturday at 9:30.  There are some great photos from recent matches here and here.

Week 15 - Early December

This weekend we have home matches for SAISA basketball (Friday), SAISA soccer, and ASIAC badminton (both Saturday).  It has become a little difficult to properly promote these events though.  For instance, on Friday the local schools cancelled school so we were not certain that the team we had lined up for basketball was going to come until mid-morning on the day of the game.  For Saturday's soccer match we were on the verge of cancelling because our field was so saturated on Thursday and Friday but we ended up with an evening with a breeze and no rain to gift another home match.  Because of these uncertainties we have WhatsApp groups set up with the parents so we can at least get direct updates out to immediate family. 

Next weekend we host the ASIAC Badminton and Table Tennis tournaments here in Chennai.  If you're interested in hosting please complete this form by Monday morning.  We still have a few homes needed at this point.

The badminton and table tennis schedule and live streams will be available here.  Or, you can stop in to the gym on Friday or Saturday to see the matches in person.

ASIAC Music heads to Delhi on the 7th.  Despite Delhi's air quality problems we have assurances from AES that their air filtration systems make it so that their indoor air quality is excellent.  Choir and Band students won't need to worry about the air quality.

A reminder to parents that have students in ASAs, please be ready to pick your child up at 3:45.  We have very limited ability to supervise unattended children at that time.  Thank you!

Week 13 - SAISA Tennis & Art

Right now the SAISA tennis team is in Amman, Jordan competing against four other schools in singles, doubles and mixed doubles.  AISC sent four boys and two girls to compete.  The tournament program is here and the live stream is available here.

Six artists from the high school are at SAISA art in Kathmandu, Nepal.  There they will learn about some of the local traditional arts as well as work independently and collaboratively to develop pieces.  

The boys SAISA soccer team has another match today at 4, and plans to have them weekly until high school exams. 

ASIAC Badminton is having a friendly match on Saturday from 9-12. 

There may be some visiting layers at the ASIAC table tennis practice on Friday, December 1st.  

ASA registrations are nearly complete.  There are a few weeks to make changes to different activities.  If you need to, stop in to the office (between the iHub and HS Commons) and chat with us about your needs.

Today is the last day of the first trimester's ASAs.  On Monday the 20th the second trimester begins.

Week 12 - CHEMUN

It is difficult to find any time on campus that isn't buzzing and this week is no exception.

The big event we're hosting is CHEMUN, the Chennai Model United Nations conference.  Our middle school and high school students participate.  Running from Friday through Sunday, and with over 400 delegates expected, this MUN may be AISC's largest.  CHEMUN was first established at AISC by former HS Librarian, Indra Simhan in 2006 and is a THIMUN affiliated conference. As such, one of the conference's aims is the exploration of issues with global and well as local impact. Students are expected to employ a variety of communication and critical thinking skills in order to negotiate and reach consensus. This year’s conference theme is  "Isolationism and Internationalism". If you are curious to learn more, please do check out the website: www.chemun.org

Saturday the boy's SAISA soccer team has their first game of the year.  Starting at 9:30, they will have this game after just having had three practices!  

The SAISA Tennis team will head to Amman, Jordan on Thursday the 16th for the invitational matches there.  I'll share the live feed information on this blog as soon as it is available.

Lincoln School in Kathmandu, Nepal is hosting SAISA Art next week as well.  Here is the schedule for that.

Also on Saturday is Design Saturday which starts at 11.  More information about that was in last week's post.

 
Remember that the ASA registration information for the second trimester was sent home and online registration is this weekend and in-person registration will be on November 13th and 14th.  That will begin on Monday morning in the elementary school cafeteria.

Week 11 - Activities and Athletics

This week is a reminder that we have a lot of things going on other than just the sports programs!

The high school play, Servant to Two Masters opened on Thursday.  It was excellent to see our high school students perform.  The seating, set, costumes and their performances all came together.  Unfortunately the Friday show had to be pushed to Saturday.  I hope you were able to catch one of the performances!

The High School ULead conference hosted by the AISC Operation Smile club was scheduled for this weekend but with the school closures was delayed.  Probably until January.

The ASIAC badminton and table tennis seasons have begun.  Practices are on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday mornings.  Unfortunately, we've had such a huge turnout that we will need to reduce the number of students.  On Wednesday there were 70 students that came for badminton.  Unfortunately there are only 12 spots on the team!

SAISA badminton, girls basketball and boys soccer all begin next week.  Basketball and soccer practices will be on M, Tu, Th, and F afternoons.  Badminton will have the first five weeks doing Monday afternoons and Tuesday and Thursday mornings.  That will change in January for the second half of the season.

The ASA registration information for the second trimester was sent home in the past week.  Online registration is November 10-12 and in-person registration will be on November 13th and 14th.

The second Design Saturday of the year will be on November 11th from 9-Noon.  This is for grades 1-5 and there are two options...

The mold and cast challenge is 1000 INR and the printmaking is 500 INR.  Register online through November 5th.  In person registration can be done on the 6th and 7th in the Athletics and Activities office.

Finally, on Monday, November 6th the SAISA season 1 awards will be presented at a ceremony in the Madras Hall at 4:30 PM.  All are welcome to come and briefly celebrate the achievements of our volleyball players and swimmers. 

Week 10 - SAISA Swimming and Volleyball

The big events this week are SAISA Swimming and the Boys and Girls Volleyball tournaments.  Below are links to the sites which have the live feeds, schedules and results.

2017 SAISA Boys Volleyball

The SAISA Boys Volleyball tournament live feed, schedule and results is available here.

2017 SAISA Swimming

The 2017 AISC SAISA Swim Team competes at The American International School of Muscat in Oman.  Follow the event live feed and results here.

2017 SAISA Girls Volleyball

The 2017 SAISA Girls Volleyball tournament is at Lincoln School in Kathmandu, Nepal. Follow the action at this link to the live feed and results.

Week 9 - one quarter of the year!

After spending last weekend watching the ASIAC soccer games and observing how AES hosts the event I have come back energized and enthused.  We'll be hosing ASIAC badminton and table tennis in December, which seems far away, but we're now one quarter of the way through the year so I know that tournament will come up quickly!  One of my observations was that on Sunday morning when the hosts were dropping students off at the school after having spent three nights in their home there was some genuine affection displayed.  Host students from AES were hugging the AISC students that they had housed.  Parents were smiling.  The coaches commented to me about how welcoming the AES families were and even the few Chennai students that were a bit home sick on the first night seemed to feel right at home by the end of the weekend.  These events are not just about sports, music or debate.  They build character and resilience in many other ways and it was rewarding to see it first hand.

Right after break the SAISA teams head out for the swim meet and volleyball tournaments.  Swimming will be in Oman and includes students ten years old and older.  Boys volleyball will be in Mumbai and girls volleyball in Nepal.  When I have the links for the live feeds I will share them in s separate blog post here.

Also after break, the ASIAC table tennis and badminton seasons start for the middle school students.  We recognize that it was difficult to get the word out and have students remember after being out for two weeks that practices would start on Monday morning the 23rd, so students will be expected on Wednesday the 25th in the morning.

Week 8 -- Beginning of October

Things are really picking up at the school!  The pace seems frantic, which means that the upcoming break will be welcome!

This week we have the ASIAC Soccer tournament in Delhi.  The first day of play is over, but you can tune in to the schedule and live feed here if you want to keep up with the daily action.  I can't think them enough, but the coaches -- Mr. Gareth, Miss Monicka, Mr. Bill, and Mr. Suresh -- are at the end of their many weeks of early morning practices.  The 33 athletes have been playing hard and having a great time.

The badminton and table tennis seasons seasons for middle school will begin on Monday, October 23rd, 2017 and will continue through December 6th, 2017, with practices being held in the morning from 6:30 - 7:45 am on Mondays / Wednesdays / Fridays. If you are interested, please come to practice on Monday morning the in the gym.

The SAISA swim team is hosting the Big Bad Blue swim meet this weekend as well!  A huge thank you to Coaches Donna Fava, Velin P., and James Dowling as well as the many volunteers that are helping the meet run smoothly and providing a home stay for visiting swimmers.

The boys SAISA volleyball team had a game on Friday.  The season is wrapping up soon -- the tournament is the week after break in Nepal for the girls and Mumbai for the boys.  We may squeeze a few more local games in before they depart.

There are many other things happening aside from this season's athletics.

If you're looking for the ASA office, we've combined with the Athletics and Activities and are all now located in the office between the iHub and the HS commons.  The ASA staff are prepping for the second trimester activities.

After school Activity - Swim Programs for Trimester - 2.  Registration for ARC Swim lessons will be done separately and in person only for trimester 2 on the following dates: November 6 & 7 in room 1304 the Athletics & Activities office from 8.30 am – 9.00 am.  If you are uncertain about the level of your child, request you to meet Ms. Donna in the Aquatics office. New students can be tested to ascertain their levels on the following dates - November 2 & 3 after school from 3.30 – 4.30 pm.  For detailed information on ARC & Raptors swim club, please click here.

Friday was the High School Discovery Day where students and teachers spend the day delving into interests that don't usually fit into the normal school day.  Students were off on field trips including caring for animals at the Blue Cross Shelter as well as other activities, helping at the elementary school, learning about coding or getting some recreation in.  Here is a photo of some of our students with happy locals after helping with painting at one of the schools.

The High School Model United Nations annual event CHEMUN is quickly approaching.  We have schools from not just India, but also Singapore, Doha and Sudan attending.

Middle school Week Without Walls depart on Monday for their adventures across this amazing country.  

And for the first time, also next week, grade 5 students will be doing a two-night stay down in Pondicherry where students will get some great hands-on activities including the opportunity to do some horseback riding.

The first full month of clubs in the HS has passed.  I'm eager to do some calculations to see what percentage of HS students are involved in clubs.  One thing I want to do is to reach out to students that are not involved in clubs to see what we're missing that might get them interested and have some Raptor Spirit!  

Week 6 & 7 - End of September

The big news out of Activities and Athletics is that the After School Activities office has been relocated to combine with the Athletics and Activities office.  Located between the iHub and the High School Commons, we're now all a bit more centrally located and can provide one stop for all athletic and activity information.  We recognize that this change will be a slight adjustment for families accustomed to the ASA office's previous location.  It also will be an adjustment for all of us!  But ultimately we all realize that this change makes sense.  Our ASA program provides the athletics and activities for elementary students and some middle school programs.  Middle school and high school clubs, arts and sports has come from the Athletics and Activities office.  Ultimately we're providing the same things to the students.

Next week the High School will be quiet with the students and staff off for the Discover India trips.  I'll be out of the office for one of the trips so this post will also serve as next week's update.  There won't be any home volleyball games.  

ASIAC Soccer heads to Delhi for the tournament on the first weekend in October -- just before they depart for the middle school Week Without Walls.

Big Bad Blue swim meet is the same weekend (October 6th and 7th) and we're hosting local swimmers as well as a team coming in from Stonehill International School in Bangalore.  I have to give huge thanks to the families that have opened their homes to hosting visiting swimmers.  

Finally, a quick thought about school spirit.  Recently, members of the Varsity Athletic Council met with me and the discussion about school spirit came up.  A few things were said that helped me realize that often school spirit is measured in relation to athletic events.  Game attendance, cheering for the team, and otherwise celebrating the athletic events is often seen as the bedrock of school spirit.  But they shared that it doesn't have to be.  Indeed, though we want people to show up to our home games and cheer for the school teams, we also want everyone to celebrate the community that we have through school.  And that can look many ways.  Wearing pajamas on Pajama Day is a display of school spirit.  The outfit that I bought over the summer that I intended to use for pep rallies was perfectly suited for One Color Day and sure enough, instead of wearing the suit just for 30 minutes in front of high school students I was wearing it all over campus all day and realized that instead of my intended temporary flash of school spirit, that I could demonstrate that spirit longer term -- possibly to greater effect. 

  

Week 5 - Middle of September

This weekend we have the National Robotics Competition which started on Friday.  Middle and high school students form AISC are competing along with other students from Chennai.  The REKT Club (Robotics, Engineering, Koding (sic) and Technology) is hosting the event.  They designed and built the course which is being run in the Madras Hall.  Stop in to see it while you're at the school tomorrow for International Day!

Twenty of the group of students trying out for the SAISA swim team is off to Colombo for a friendly swim meet.  If you'r a swimming fan, mark October 7th on your calendar because we'll be hosting Big Bad Blue.  If you'd like to help out with the meet in any way just stop in or email Ms. Donna Fava.

Next weekend the entire high school will be out for the Discover India trips.  Information about the trip itineraries is here and the departure and arrival times here.  The staff on each trip are the expert on the specific information about the trips.  A reminder that some of the trips are in areas that are remote or have poor cell service and that no news is good news.  Even some trips that have relatively good service may have students doing things where they leave their phones behind (let's get them to disconnect sometimes!) or are so busy they don't have time to call back.

The SAISA volleyball teams have another game Friday the 15th, but won't have one on the 29th since they will be out for Discover India.  

ASIAC Soccer has no match on the 16th for International Day but will have home games on the 23rd and 30th.

Week 4 - Mid September

This week...

• High School (SAISA) volleyball games on Friday, September 8th and 15th at 4.
• Middle School (ASIAC) soccer matches on Saturday, September 9th starting at 9:30.
• Some of the SAISA swim team will head to Colombo, Sri Lanka for a friendly mid-season meet.  This is a great opportunity for the swimmers to experience the pressures of a swim meet with low stakes.  They also get to connect with their own team as well as get to know the Overseas School of Colombo swimmers.  
• The National Robotics Competition will be the weekend of September 15 and 16. Information will be in the daily bulletins.
• We're working to ensure we have the medical and other forms necessary from students.  Every year the Physical Examination Form should be completed by a physician.  Once a copy of the Student Health Form (which a parent can complete) is submitted then only if there are changes to the information does a new copy need to be sent in.
• The Temporary tattoos that the PCA had made have been a huge hit with some of our teams.  Come watch a game and you're likely to see someone wearing them.  We're always looking for ways to enthuse students and parents so if you think of something come and and let me know!
• The sidebar on the right has a permanent link to the pool schedule, coach bios, current sports, and CHEMUN.  Watch there for other links to timely information. 
• High School clubs have begun meeting as well as some off-season activities like the group of middle and high school students that get together for some running conditioning on Thursday mornings.

Students have organized some conditioning each week on Thursday mornings.

SAISA Tennis

Coaches Roger Bodary and Gregg Phillips will lead the SAISA Tennis team practices this year.  Practices are on the rooftop tennis courts.  The season begins on September 4th.

Practice Schedule:  

• Monday 3:45 to 5:45 PM
• Tuesday 3:45 to 5:45 PM
• Thursday 6:30-7:45 AM
• Friday 6:30-7:45 AM

SAISA Tennis Travel Dates:  Nov. 15, 16, 17, 18, 19 -  Amman Jordan

Week 3 - Early September 2017

The campus is buzzing with students, even at 6:30 in the morning when there are SAISA volleyball, SAISA swimming and ASIAC soccer practices going on.

Naturally, I caught all of the teams mid-conversation!  We have had an excellent turnout for many of these first season sports.

Friday the 1st of September at 4:00 there is a SAISA Volleyball game for both the boys and girls teams.  There will be games most Fridays for the next month.

Saturday the 2nd of September both the ASIAC soccer teams have games.  Girls play first at 9:30 and then the boys teams play.  Most Saturdays there will be ASIAC soccer games.

The pool schedule is now always available here.

Week 2 - Late August 2017

To help find relevant content I will usually color code my items...

Elementary

Middle

High

All

• ASAs have been scheduled so that parents do not need to be present between the end of school and the beginning of the ASA.  The pick up locations for the ASAs have been sent out, just meet your child there.
• The boys and girls ASIAC Soccer teams will have a home game against Abacus School on Saturday, September 2.  Boys will play the first matches at 9:30 and girls the next match at about 11:00.
• The High School Club & Activity Mela is on Tuesday the 29th of August.  The Mela is an opportunity for students to learn about the variety of clubs, activities, arts, and sports that students can be involved in through the year.  Students have this week planner and this annual planner to help them make decisions about their involvement.
• The website host we have used for four years for Activities and Athletics has been having difficulty.  We're working on migrating our content to the school's domain.  You can find some information on the Athletics & Activities link on the Community Life tab of the school's site.  Seasonal and more dynamic information will be posted on this blog weekly.
  
  

Week 1 - Welcome!

I would like to welcome new and returning students and their families to AISC!  I am the new Director of Athletics and Activities but spent the previous four years teaching high school PE here at AISC.

In addition to me being new, my administrative assistant is also new to the role.  Monicka Davi is also available to help students and families be active.

In the After School Activities office, Mrs. Sripriya and Mrs. Ramya continue to provide the organization of the activities for elementary and middle school students.  Their office is near the new Madras Cafe.  Just go past the cafe and turn left along the Madras Campus classrooms.  Their door is on the right, number 1524.

If you have questions or just want to meet, feel free to email me or stop in to the Athletics and Activities office, room 1304, which is between the iHub and the High School Commons.

I look forward to helping make the sports and other activities at AISC an important part of everyone's experience at our school.

The first activities happening this year are ASIAC Boys and Girls Soccer, SAISA Boys and Girls Volleyball, and SAISA Swimming.

We have an ASIAC soccer match planned for Friday, August 25th at 4:00.

SAISA Boys Volleyball

This year the SAISA Boys Volleyball team will be coached by Coach Luca and Coach Mac.  The final tournament is at the American School of Bombay.

Practice schedule:

• Monday 6:30-8:00 AM
• Tuesday 6:30-8:00 AM
• Thursday 6:30-8:00 AM
• Friday 3:45-5:45 PM

SAISA Girls Volleyball

2017 AISC Raptors joking around.  Front row from left to right Weronkia, Michelle, Seungyeon, Bhavia, Yeji
Back row left to right Celia, Sofia, Kavya, Vanessa, Serin.

Coaches Andrew Ranson and Ryan McFarland are coaching the girls team for the fourth year together.  This year the tournament will be October 26th-28th at Lincoln School in Kathmandu, Nepal.

Practice Schedule:
Mondays 4:00-6:00 PM
Tuesdays 4:00-6:00 PM
Thursdays 4:00-6:00 PM
Fridays 4:00-6:00 PM

Some Wednesday mornings will have optional serving practice.

Photos from a local game are here.

ASIAC Girls Soccer

The AISC ASIAC Girls Soccer team and Coach Suresh and Coach Monicka will travel to the American Embassy School in Delhi for the tournament happening October 6th and 7th.

Practice Schedule:

• Monday 6:30-8:00 AM
• Wednesday 6:30-8:00 AM
• Friday 6:30-8:00 AM

Part of the 206-2017 ASIAC Girls soccer team.

ASIAC Boys Soccer

ASIAC Soccer is open to middle school students.  Coaches Bill Hoffmann and Gareth Huxtable will be taking the two 10 person teams to the American Embassy School in Delhi for the season tournament which happens on October 6th and 7th.

Practice schedule:

• Monday 6:30-8:00
• Wednesday  6:30-8:00
• Friday  6:30-8:00

Games are generally planned for Saturday mornings.

SAISA Swimming

The SAISA swim team is open to swimmers from ages 10-19.  Competition is done in age groups of 10-12, 13 & 14, and 15-19.  Coaches Donna Fava, Velin Prabhu, James Dowling, and John Sandman will be providing opportunities for students to improve their stroke and compete in the annual SAISA swim meet, this year held in Muscat, Oman from October 26th through 28th.

Practice schedule:

• Monday 6:15-8:00 AM
• Tuesday  6:15-8:00 AM
• Thursday  6:15-8:00 AM
• Friday  6:15-8:00 AM
• Saturday time trials 1-3 PM

Athletes from the 2016-2017 SAISA season.

SAISA Boys Basketball

Season Start Date: February 19
Tournament Dates: April 19, 20, 21
Location: TAISM in Muscat, Oman
Coaches: Mark Condon & Matty McCarthy
Practice days and times:
Monday: 3:45-5:45
Tuesday: 3:45-5:45
Thursday: 3:45-5:45
Friday: 3:45-5:45 (Except February 23 and March 2nd which will have morning practices.)

Coach Roger Bodary

Coach Roger Bodary

Roger Bodary
From:  Petoskey Michigan, USA
Teaching experience:  17 years (13 years teaching international schools, 4 years in USA schools
Coaching experience: 11 years, which includes Tennis, basketball and soccer.

Coach Luca

Mr. Luca was born, raised and educated in Romania. He has a BA in Physical Education and Sports (2002). He coached volleyball in ACAMIS (Association of China and Mongolia International Schools) while in China. In India, he coached sports in both ASIAC and SAISA leagues in the past years. This academic year he will be teaching Middle School physical education and he will be coaching girls soccer and boys’ volleyball Middle School teams.

Sobha Daniel

Sobha is a lifelong athlete and has played competitive volleyball through high school. Some of Sobha's favorite sports are Volleyball, Basketball and Soccer. Currently, Sobha teaches Elementary Schools Physical Education and centers her classes around joy, courage and community. She is really looking forward to having a fantastic season in MS Girls Volleyball this year. Go Raptors!

Tomas Borohquez

I have always had a passion for sports. In my youth I participates in any and every after school sport or club activity I could; Soccer, Swimming, Martial Arts, Track, Basketball, Volleyball, Tennis, etc. Born and raised in Venezuela, as I grew older my focus was directed towards the most popular sport, soccer. I briefly played semi-professionally and achieved my lifelong goal to play soccer at my highest potential. After that I decided to continue my career sports by coaching. I have coached Soccer for the past 10 years at all levels. My goal is to give athletes a passion for the game and the skills needed to reach their highest potential.

SAISA Boys Soccer

Mr. Tomas Bohorquez and Mr. Jack Bissonnette are coaching the SAISA Boys Soccer team this year.  The season will conclude with the SAISA tournament is hosted by Lincoln School on February 8, 9, and 10 in Kathmandu, Nepal.

Practices are on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays after school.

Here and here are photo galleries from recent home games.

 

Coach Sobha

Coach Sobha

Sobha is a lifelong athlete and has played competitive volleyball through high school. Some of Sobha's favorite sports are Volleyball, Basketball and Soccer. Currently, Sobha teaches Elementary Schools Physical Education and centers her classes around joy, courage and community. She is really looking forward to having a fantastic season in MS Girls Volleyball this year. Go Raptors!

Coach Tommy

I have always had a passion for Soccer. I have a life time of experience playing on school and club teams as well as semi-professionally.  I have coached Soccer for over 10 years at all levels. My goal as a coach is to give my athletes a passion for the game and the skills they need to reach their highest potential.

Coach Ryan McFarland

Ryan McFarland (L) and Ron (R).

Coach McFarland is beginning his fifth year at AISC.  He has taught PE for six years including four years of high school PE at AISC and two years of middle school and high school at an international school in Mongolia.  Prior to that, he lived and worked in Alaska for 15 years where he managed community recreation and sport facilities and programs.  He has coached volleyball, track & field, and soccer for a variety of age groups.  In his youth he dabbled in soccer, tennis, and dance.  In college he played ultimate and was on his college timbersports team.  

Coach Jack Bissonnette

Coach Jack

Coach Jack has been coaching at AISC since 2017-2018 (1 year). He coaches SAISA Soccer and Track and Field. Prior to that, he coached soccer and basketball in Kuwait for two years. Before that, he coached American football at the DII collegiate level, where he gained love for knowledge within the field of endurance and physical training. While growing up, Coach Jack played basketball, soccer, baseball, ran track, and went on to focus on American football in his final years of high school and throughout college. He continues to keep active by snowboarding, golfing, surfing, playing soccer, running, lifting weights, and hiking on occasion.

Coach Andrew Ranson

Andrew Ranson grew up playing indoor and beach volleyball in Southern California and has been coaching since he was 17. He coached boys and girls at the middle school, high school and the club level in California and Maryland before moving to Chennai. His accomplishments as a coach include inspiring dozens of first-time players to love the game, starting a girls volleyball program at his former school, winning a county-wide championship in California and winning a state-wide championship in Maryland. 

Coach Justin Carlson

Coach Justin Carlson

Justin Carlson is in his 3rd year at AISC where he teaches grade 8 science.  In his teaching career he has spent time coaching middle and high school boys and girls basketball.  He is excited about the role of this new coaching endeavor.  Coach Carlson played tennis in high school and has continued playing for fun throughout his life.  He also enjoys ultimate frisbee, baseball, and running.

Coach Suresh

Coach Suresh

Subramanian Kulothungan (Suresh) has played rugby for 15 years as a National Team Player and has coached the Chennai Irish rugby football club team for the past six years. Last year, he was the assistant coach for the ASIAC middle school boys’ soccer team; they finished in 2nd place. In addition, he was also the assistant coach for ASIAC middle school boys’ volleyball team when they finished in 1st place. He and coach Martin led  the ASIAC team to a 1st place finish in ASIAC tournament in 2015 - 2016 and a  3rd place finish in 2016 - 2017 tournament. 

Coach Shez Billett

Shez Billett has been a coach, teacher and outdoor guide for the past 7 years. She has a particular interest in Rock climbing, surfing and yoga. She has previous experience coaching soccer, badminton and cross country running in the past in Australia and in Myanmar. She also enjoys coaching and participating in Adventure races. Shez has competed in Gaelic Football at international level from 2013-2015. She also regularly participates in Ultimate frisbee.

Coach Matty McCarthy

Coach Matty McCarthy

I played basketball for a year at the collegiate level while attending Willamette University and spent my childhood competing for both the schools I attended and local "travel teams". Once my playing career ended, I immediately transitioned into coaching at the young age of 19. I now have two years of experience as an assistant varsity basketball coach in America and have provided countless individual improvement workouts for players of all levels. Looking back, through my passion for and dedication to the game of basketball I gained life-changing skills and lessons in regards to leadership, commitment, work ethic, and collaboration. Additionally, I developed lifelong relationships with my teammates and coaches that I absolutely cherish. Consequently, as I coach i seek to use the game as a platform for both developing relationships with others and personal development. 

Coach Mike Simmons

Coach Mike Simmons

Mike Simmons is in his first year at AISC and coaching the Girls ASIAC Basketball Team. Mike teaches 7th grade social studies and welcomes the opportunity to be involved with athletics. Mike has nine years of experience, coaching both girls and boys basketball on the middle school and high school levels in the USA, Lebanon, and Qatar.