Our Mission:
ACS Athens is a student-centered international school, embracing American educational philosophy, principles and values. Through excellence in teaching and diverse educational experiences, ACS Athens challenges all students to realize their unique potential: academically, intellectually, socially and ethically - to thrive as responsible global citizens.
ACS Athens American Community Schools
Empowering individuals to transform the world
as architects of their own learning
ACS Athens Philosophy of Athletics:
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.
www.acs.gr Publisher: ACS Athens Director of Athletics: Annie Constantinides Photo credits: Hugo Onink,Vangelis Stolis, Valia Efstathiou, ACS Athens Sports Events Photo Club & Community Concept & publication design: Leda Tsoukia Copyright©2015-16 All rights reserved. No part of this magazine (text or images) may be reproduced without the consent of the publisher
School Mascot: Lancers School Colors: Navy and Gold Sports Conferences: -International Schools Sports Organization – ISST -Sports Council of International Schools – SCIS Teams: 20 Varsity and Junior Varsity Athletes: over 200 athletes yearly
ACS Athens Athletics “10 Commandments” • Never underestimate your opponent. • Work on your weaknesses until they become your strong points. • Remember that a great effort is usually the result of great attitude • Win with humility, lose with grace • Ignore those who discourage you. • Remember that how you conduct yourself off the field is just as important as how you conduct yourself on the field • Talent is God-given – be humble. Fame is man-given – be thankful. Conceit is self-given – be careful. • Don’t ask to be deprived of tension and discipline- these are the tools that shape success. • Do what has to be done, when it has to has to be done, and as well as it can be done. • Always give your best!
EFFORT RESPECT DISCIPLINE MOTIVATION SPORTSMANSHIP PRIDE
Welcome! Through the year, sports make up a prominent component of the ACS Athens student life; they provide a forum through which every student athlete has the opportunity not only be involved with a sport, but also to experience life-long lessons on a daily basis. The Lancers Illustrated magazine is created in an effort to capture the year’s memories through photos; it is often said that “a photo is worth a thousand words”. Photos can be powerful and they truly bring out and “freeze the moment”; they can portray emotions that become strong memories that no one can ever take away. It is a fact that SPORT is competitive in nature – that is the obvious; what many neglect to see is the multitude of benefits and lessons attained, either because they are not easily visible or because they are not manifested in a clear manner. Within any sport competition, one can experience a multitude of emotions: disappointment, anger, exhilaration, compassion, passion, anxiety, satisfaction, accomplishment and more….and all within a small time frame! That is why SPORT is unique; and its value is immeasurable when matters are seen in the right perspective. The Lancers Illustrated magazine is also a vehicle through which coaches and students present “their story”; they do not share their season results in numbers or competition outcomes, but rather in the values that are attained through the journey. A different perspective to many…. What they have to say is worth reading! Annie Constantinides Director of Athletics
EFFORT ROOTED IN EXCITEMENT AND WILLINGNESS TO LEARN By Lyndi Henderson, Girls Soccer/Junior Varsity Coach
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he word effort perfectly encompasses the JV Girls soccer team’s season. Putting effort into practice and learning the skills needed out on the field is critical for a JV team. This effort is rooted in excitement and a willingness to learn. The team showed me how valuable that effort and excitement is when playing in a tournament with some tough competition. Until the final whistle of the final game was blown, the girls didn’t give up and kept their spirits high. They laughed, had fun, and supported their teammates. My hope for next year is their effort will pay off and they can see the fruits of their labors. What more could a coach ask for!
EFFORT
RESPECT
+ \ri-’spekt\ : A positive feeling of admiration or deference for a person, child, animal, or other entity (such as a nation or a religion), and also specific actions and conduct representative of that esteem. It can be a specific feeling of regard for the actual qualities of the one respected. It can also be conduct in accord with a specific ethic of respect.
\’di-sə-plən\ : Control that is gained by requiring that rules or orders be obeyed. Using reason to determine the best course of action regardless of one’s desires.
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DISCIPLINE
hunger to be motivated By Demetri Pelidis Boys Soccer/Varsity Coach
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oaches are often asked to describe the qualities that make a great team. When I think of this year’s Boys Varsity Soccer team I will always remember them as one of our very best, not only for their season results, but more for their qualitative characteristics that can be expressed by their hunger to be motivated. This team exemplified dedication by coming prepared to morning practices at 7:30 am. This required players to go beyond their comfort zone, have the desire to “stick it out” and be mentally tough. These are some of the elements that formed the foundation for such a successful season. As the season progressed, the players matured into young men because of the good habits they developed together. Playing against many top local private schools and area club teams proved to be a challenge for us during the season. However, it certainly paid off as we reached the ISST tournament which was held in Athens this year. It requires motivation to score 15 goals and concede only 4 during the ISST tournament. Successfully clinching the ISST Div II championship with an undefeated record requires inspiration. This is an accomplishment that was achieved for the first time in our school’s history. Their performance in the tournament is only one of the many reasons I am so proud to have been associated with these young men.
MOTIVATION
SPORTSMANSHIP By Labrini Rontogiannis Girls Volleyball Junior Varsity Coach
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laying sports is more than just physical ability. When watching or playing a sport, we often focus on being great or winning. In that desire to achieve those things, we may sometimes lose ourselves. There is a great deal of emotions involved in athletics and feeling emotional can often let our actions get in the way of our character. Doing the right thing in sports is a measure of character. Sportsmanship is the ability to mix your desire to win and be great, with ethos, dignity and respect. Team sports, like volleyball, require a great deal of sportsmanship. Even more so, sportsmanship is crucial at younger levels. With team sports, there are many stakeholders: your teammates, your coach, your opposition, the officials and of course yourself. At a young age, a coach is not only required to teach the skills involved in the sport, but also exemplify the idea of sportsmanship. The JV Girls Volleyball team was the embodiment of sportsmanship. With their enthusiasm and determination, they led each other through the season with poise and respect. During practices or during games, they supported each other. It didn’t matter if they had played one minute, 5 minutes, or the entire set; their attitudes and demeanor never faltered. They were there for themselves, for their teammates, for the sport. As they stepped off the bus after returning from games, you could never tell if they had won or lost. They showed the same amount of dignity whatever the outcome. Being on a JV team is not easy. Junior Varsity teams are for the most part a mix of middle and high school players. They could range from 11 to 15 years old. Younger players look up to their older teammates and with that, comes a great deal of responsibility. On this team, we had girls from every grade level: from 6th to 10th. Despite the age and level differences within the team, they treated each other as equals. No matter who was playing, or for how much time they played, they supported
each other, and taught each other more than just how to volley or how to serve. What the girls didn’t realize was that their demeanor and sportsmanship was evident to others and was contagious. Without realizing it, they set an example for other girls to follow. And THAT is sportsmanship!
\’prīd\ : A high opinion of one’s own dignity, importance, merit, or superiority, whether as cherished in the mind or as displayed in bearing, conduct, etc.
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PRIDE
TEAMWORK Teamwork is the fuel that makes common people to produce uncommon things By Vangelis Ziagkos Boys Basketball / Varsity Coach
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ccording to a number of definitions and interpretations, Teamwork is the ability of a group of people to work well together. However, is it really as simple as it sounds? The answer is obvious: NO WAY! Teamwork is much more than a group’s ability (ies). Teamwork is not only about working together, but it includes the ability to work effectively towards a common goal. Teamwork is about taking actions which respect to the needs and contributions of others; contributing and accepting the consensus. It is about negotiating a win-win solution to achieve the objectives of the team. Teamwork becomes effec-
tive when the exchange of feedback, ideas and experience among the team’s members becomes an important component of the preparation needed to perform the task; willing to know one another, particularly those with different personalities and backgrounds. Teamwork is about creating a sense of mutual trust, support and protection, focusing on “what we can improve for us” rather than “who is to blame”? It is about placing “myself” below “us”. Teamwork is the fuel that makes common people to produce uncommon things. And as someone said: “If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together”!
© Hugo Onink; Lifeshot
© Hugo Onink; Lifeshot
ACHIEVEMENT Sports and AchiEvement By Angelos Dimitropoulos, Boys Volleyball / Varsity Coach
mitments is not an easy task. Sports involvement is a challenge. Life similarly poses different challenges for which you have to be prepared. By developing your sport skills you gain the life skills you need to face challenges that you will meet in your college, professional and family life. A sport is more than a game; it’s like life played on the court: you lose, you are victorious, you are rejected, you celebrate, you are weak, you are strong, you are scared, you are brave, you fail, you succeed. The thrill of finally achieving your goal may be the best lesson in life! Although it is hard to fail, it is worse to have never tried to succeed! Dream it
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f you are among the students that struggle to chase deadlines, believing that running to be in class on time is the most strenuous exercise you are engaged in and, by the idea of practicing a sport during your senior year, you are already getting sweaty, this is my advice to you:
There has been a lot of research regarding the association between physical activity and academic achievement. Sports can help you become extremely organized, disciplined and efficient with your time, while your participation in sports can “boost” you intellectually and help you relieve your stress. The positive effects sports have on the development of overall student achievement cannot be argued by anyone. When playing, you perform several skills: dribbling, shooting, striking, catching, kicking, volleying etc. The traits and values you gain from doing sports are of equal importance: focus, improvisation, discipline, persistence, teamwork, decision making, leadership and more. The Boys Varsity Volleyball team faced a number of challenges from the beginning of the season; a blend of young and new players along with a few returning veterans had an important milestone to prepare for; their ISST tournament. While the road to their final competition was challenging (having to play against superior club teams) and trying to have practices will all their athletes together, they came together at the end and focused to get the best result possible. The ability to balance your academics with other com-
© Hugo Onink; Lifeshot
Achieve it
Believe it
MENTAL TOUGHNESS By Hernando Planells, Assistant Coach, Women’s Basketball, Duke University
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e hear the words Mental Toughness everywhere – from our coaches, teachers and parents. Many of us want to be mentally tough but do we really know what that means? Does it mean we have to concentrate and focus more or do we have to prepare more vigorously? Before we can start anything in life – we must define what mental toughness means to us.
I had a chance to listen to Jack Clark, a nine time championship Rugby coach from University of California at Berkeley, and he defines Mental Toughness as “Focusing on the next most important thing”. I sat there in amazement because for the first time in my life I was finally able to hear and feel a definition for mental toughness that resonated with me. ‘Focusing on the next most important thing”
gives us every reason to succeed! WE tend to think about things that may or may not happen… we focus on things that think may or will happen next week or even next year. All of it becomes wasted energy that has caused us to miss the most important things, happening in front of us. As a coach, teacher and dad I emphasize focusing on what is next… in sports and in life we cannot wast our time on
the “what ifs”. We must focus on what’s happening right now. You will face many ups and downs and it’s easy to be carried away but finding the focus to redirect your attention to what’s next will carry you further than you can imagine. Doing so takes discipline and training – we are naturally taught to plan ahead and worry about things but with consistent exercises you can and will find a way to be mentally tough.
COMMUNITY WE ARE NOT NAMED “THE AMERICAN COMMUNITY SCHOOLS” FOR NOTHING... By Billy Sotiropoulos, Varsity Athlete - Athletic Council Member
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veryone wants to help. Whether it’s helping a friend with their work, or helping the less fortunate. ACS Athens Athletics is about both. The athletes at ACS Athens create a foundation for each other. They stick with each other on and off the pitch. There have been countless times throughout my three year soccer career at ACS Athens, when I have seen my teammate’s stick up for one another on the pitch. For me, not having played soccer for a club team outside of ACS Athens, seeing this was the norm. However, what took me by surprise was the support system that my teammates and I gave to one another off the pitch; to hand in that homework assignment or to pass that test, so that we all can play soccer as a team. Aside from working together and helping each other on and off the pitch, what is most important is the way that the student-athletes at ACS Athens treat others around them and those less fortunate than themselves. After all, one’s true character is not revealed by how he treats the people above him; a true character is revealed when one is willing to do all that one can do to help those around him/her in a time of need. The
Athletic Council at ACS Athens, which consists of one to two representatives from each varsity sport, built this platform so we can come together as a community and make a difference. This year, the Athletic Council has had many successful fundraising events spanning from shoe drives through which two huge boxes of shoes were filled, to clothes drives where a similar scenario played out. The Council always found creative ways through which it could raise money for the refugee crisis still existing in Greece and thus help its global community. One of the creative ideas was to organize a 3x3 Basketball Tournament in collaboration with the National Honors Society (NHS), through which students would pay to either play or watch. This event was very successful and solely run by the Athletic Council and NHS members. Moreover, the Athletic Council further fundraised for the refugees using conventional methods as well, such as having a booth at the Halloween Carnival where younger children could have some fun or by selling ACS merchandise at the Christmas Bazaar. All members were always there to help for the greater good and for their global community. I would like to thank all the Athletic Council members who have been a part of my final journey as an ACS Athens student-athlete. They have truly made it an impactful one… Angelos Makras, Christos Sougioultzoglou, Maria Rifiotis, Kilian Copp, Anna Backos, Maria Fernandes Camano Garcia, Christina Marrano, Cassandra Salonitis, Konstantinos Tsoumas, and Lida Kritikou
ENTHUSIASM By Annie Fesl Girls Volleyball / Varsity Coach
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othing great was ever achieved without Enthusiasm” – Ralph Waldo Emerson
The ACS Athens Girls Varsity Volleyball team exemplified the true meaning of enthusiasm. Enthusiasm is the intense and eager feeling of active interest in something that you enjoy. From the beginning of the season, my first with this particular group of girls, I noticed there was an incredible amount of interest in the sport and a lot for the girls to learn. Enthusiasm is contagious; one enthusiastic player has the ability to effect the entire emotional environment. During warm-ups at the local and ISST tournaments one player would begin a chant which invited the rest of the team to start cheering and hollering. The positive vibes and encouragement from teammates boosted the confidence of each player affecting the team morale. The Lancers “won” warm-ups and jumped ahead early on many occasions. The Lancers believed in each other and themselves as a team. The belief that they were a good team translated to a strong emotional commitment to winning and to each other. This commitment and belief created more enthusiasm. Throughout the game you could see the enthusiasm and excitement on the court and on the bench. Anytime a player got a kill, ace, block, or excellent dig there were numerous high fives and congratulations given. The bench could be seen jumping up and now or squatting with nervous energy. The morale of the team was high and the results followed. The girls were passionate about the sport, kept tabs on the games going on around them, and identified with other players, learned from their mistakes or their successes. The final game of the season the Lancers were playing for a third place finish in the ISST tournament. There was a clear shift in momentum when a particular player, who struggled with her serve throughout the season, went on a serving run; the pride and confidence boost felt by the rest of the girls created a great deal of enthusiasm that resulted in the game and match win. The girls were chanting, cheering, singing, dancing, and jumping around after the game. The entire gym could feel the joy, passion, and enthusiasm from the ACS Volleyball Team. Go Lancers!
By Eric Souyoultzoglou Boys Volleyball / Junior Varsity Coach
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ur students between 6th to 9th grade, who try out and become members of a junior varsity sport, are driven mostly by the following reasons: its fun, they like being with their friends, they like learning and being challenged, they enjoy the excitement of competing, and they feel proud to talk about having made the team. These reasons leads to enthusiasm in what they do, which leads to passion, loyalty, motivation and improvement. Enthusiasm is the fundamental basis in the long cycle of becoming a complete athlete. Enthusiasm is the leading force and motivation in starting to comprehend and enjoy the sport he or she has chosen
to participate in. Like life itself, the factor of having enthusiasm, is the basis of learning, developing and succeeding in anything you do, be it for college, for a relationship, for a career, or for one’s family and friends. The JV volleyball team had the label of “enthusiasm” written all over their faces during this three month season. The results were fascinating: they never missed practices, they had lots of fun, they improved their skills, and above all, they never lost their passion nor excitement even when the score results were not the ones they hoped for. Enthusiasm is the core and basis of achieving all the benefits sports has to offer, both personal and social. It’s where everything starts. Without it, you cannot become a holistic athlete.
COMPASSION Make the extra effort to shake hands By Christina Marrano, Cassandra Salonitis, Maria Fernandez Camano Garcia Varsity Athletes - Athletic Council Members
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t one point in our short careers as high school athletes, I think we have all heard our coaches or parents tell us after a game we had lost, “It is not about winning or losing, it is about how you played the game.” We always thought that expression was only something that was said to make you feel better about losing a game. We never really understood the full meaning until we played on the Varsity Girls Soccer Team. We trained hard and we played hard, but sometimes that wasn’t enough to win. We were disappointed when we lost, but we never blamed each other nor did we get angry with the opposing team. On the contrary, teammates often consoled each other when we lost with words of encouragement that next time would be better. In addition, we would make the extra effort to congratulate our opponents when they won. We were fierce competitors, but we were also gracious losers. We think our playing can best be summed up by saying, we played with passion AND compassion. We believe teams can only truly excel in sports when they are able to give it all they got, but also have the ability to acknowledge mistakes and learn from them. The Varsity Girls Soccer Team was composed of players who were dedicated and passionate about playing. However, teammates did not blame each other when things did not go as planned. We understood and
realized that everyone had a bad game every once in a while. We were compassionate with each other. We also understood what it felt like for the opposing team when we won a game. We did not take the opportunity to gloat, but, on the contrary, made the extra effort to shake hands and wish them better for their next game. It is not easy to take that extra step to shake the hands and console a team that has lost, especially if you felt that team did not play fair. However, we always found that inner strength to do what was right. Expressing this compassion for a losing team and understanding why a teammate may not be playing her best is the mark of a great team. The Varsity Girls Soccer Team was a great team and we are extremely proud to have been a member of the squad.
By Patrick Dougherty, Carly Killam Middle & High School Cross Country Coaches
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ithout continual growth and progress, such words as improvement, achievement, and success have no meaning.” – Benjamin Franklin
IMPROVEMENT
The 2015 ACS cross -country team taught that improvement needs preparation, improvement must come from within, and improvement doesn’t always result in success. Those that fail to prepare must prepare for failure. Any goal or dream needs to have a plan of action of how they will accomplish that goal. The 2015 cross country team found out the importance of having a plan after the first time trial at the beginning of the season. Many of the runners were disappointed with their times during their first time trial, but as the season progressed runners developed a plan of how they were going to improve their times. As a result, every single runner finished the season with a “personal best”. What many people don’t realize is that cross-country is a team sport and
that the individual needs to do their own part in order to help the team improve. With each individual’s improvement, the team also benefits. However, improvement doesn’t always mean the end result will come in the form of a trophy or reward. The success comes within the journey or the process. It is the reflection upon one’s actions throughout the season. Some will be content with their improvement during the season while others will look at it as a continuation of the learning and growth. The ACS cross-country team looks at it as a continuation and realizes that there is more room for improvement to reach their potential and beyond.
PERSEVERANCE IS THE KEY TO SUCCESS By Dionisis Papadakis, High School Coach Amanda Anastasopoulou, Middle School Coach
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wimming, as every other sport, can provide children with the tools they need to achieve success later in life. As coaches, throughout the swimming season, our efforts focused on instilling in our swimmers the important values needed for shaping their characters not only as athletes but also as individuals. Sportsmanship, perseverance, ethos, persistence, self discipline and fair play are only a few values one can get when involved with sports. If we had to pick only one of the above values that would best describe our teams’ spirit that would be perseverance. Since the nature of the sport requires a high technique level (proper strokes), perseverance is the key to success. But how easy is it for Middle school and High school students, full of enthusi-
asm and excitement, to be persistent and do the same drills over and over again in order to correct a seemingly insignificant mistake which, nevertheless, has an important impact on their swimming performance? Good swimmers know that baby steps, which can be annoyingly slow, are needed for improvement and for mastering the sport; we keep reminding our swimmers that working on the fine details, day in and day out, will bring the desired outcome. Success in the pool is achieved step by step and with one mistake following another! Our older swimmers with their consistent work and effort served as role models to the younger and less experienced swimmers; they practiced with determination and perseverance as they worked towards improving their personal best and by doing so, they were the source of inspiration for all our swimmers. We are proud of our swimmers; their ethos and character. We wish them all the best and we thank them for this great swimming season.
PERSEVERANCE
PREPARATION the Possibility of defeat as a motivation to win By Igor Schoenefeld Varsity Tennis Coach
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f the possibility of defeat in competitions was addressed by tennis coaches more often and constructive criticism took an equal time frame as the motivational pep talk during training lessons and before matches, plenty of matches would have a different outcome; at the very least, they would end on a more positive note for the athlete who lost. How does a coach prepare a young athlete to deal with “defeat” and the accompanying disappointment, so that s/he is able to overcome the experience, transform it and use it for future wins? How much time should coaches dedicate to the concept of dealing with losing? A LOT! Many coaches tell their athletes that losing is part of competition and that learning must come from any given loss; this is certainly correct but, particularly in the game of tennis, the athlete needs to have a time of their own when he/she should reflect on the game outcome and specific match details. Then the coach should step in and engage in a constructive conversation where emotions must be dealt with as well as the tactical and match mistakes that took place. This is the time where trust is also developed between the athlete and the coach. When young tennis players compete, the main reason underlying their match losses is anxiety. Stress can influence the player on a cognitive-motor level, as well as an emotional-motivational one resulting in reduced performance and other emotional setbacks. Prior match preparation rituals, constant pre and after match analyses and coaching guidance are only a few
promising approaches of confronting and getting hold of the players “jitters”. The athlete becomes more mature and learns to accept defeat as an inevitable necessity on the path to success.