Building community through sports

By Dr. Peggy Pelonis, ACS Athens President

As an integral part of education, sports provide students with much more than physical activity.

The ACS Athens sports curriculum is carefully and thoughtfully designed as our athletic director and team of coaches understand that developing a strong mind is as important as developing a strong body. I have often heard our coaches stress that while winning is desired; most important is how we play the game and what athletes gain in the process. In many ways, sports prepare students for life by building community, encouraging them to take risks and leave their comfort zones to embrace opportunities, developing lifelong skills such as discipline, focus, and team work, embracing failure without breaking, and being contributors to improving life and living.

Coming together as a community is best seen through our sports teams, where students from different countries work toward a common goal. The atmosphere of camaraderie during games, where students cheer each other on and contribute to a sense of belonging through shared experiences, defeats, and victories, is truly inspiring. This sense of unity develops long-lasting relationships and connections that go far beyond the field or gym. Likewise, the opportunities to compete at different levels, local, regional, and

ACS Athens Philosophy of Athletics

international is second to none as our teams are exposed to wider audiences while belonging to groups beyond Greece, such as the ISAA; the sporting community made up of like-minded international schools that aim to bring together diverse groups of students.

Most importantly, students develop strong work ethics and push themselves to achieve beyond their limits; assets that are very important as they get ready to go beyond high school to achieve higher goals. Meanwhile, as failure is an inevitable part of any competition, students learn to cope with setbacks; defeats, injuries, disagreements; all part of the human experience that teaches resilience and perseverance. It is these setbacks that help students develop psychological muscle, and this becomes a resource that will serve them well in life.

School sports play a vital role in developing conscious global citizens as they foster the sense of social responsibility and positive contributions to the world around them. In this sense, sports teams can be viewed as microcosms of the world, and all that is learned within these teams is eventually transferred to the outside world via our students, who inevitably will contribute to a world of inclusivity and equity. Congratulations to our athletes and to the coaches for their hard work and dedication. They are all winners!

In accordance with the ACS Athens Mission Statement, the Athletic department’s intent is to provide students with athletic opportunities that will challenge them and will further develop each student’s educational maturity. The athletic program will always be in conformity with the general objectives of the school and at no time will the educational curriculum be placed in a secondary role.

The fundamental principle of sports, particularly competitive athletics, is to augment the education of the young. Athletics should both promote and supplement the regular curriculum at the school. The athletic department’s concern is the personal development of each athlete. It is however necessary for the student who elects to participate in Athletics to understand that he/she is voluntarily making a choice of self-discipline, self-responsibility and commitment.

Publisher: ACS Athens

Editor/Director of Athletics: Annie Constantinides

Co-Editor: Valia Efstathiou

Photo credits: Valia Efstathiou, Sevasti Vrakatseli, Vangelis Stolis,

Concept & publication design: Maria Matakia www.acs.gr acsathens.athletics

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