An Interview with the Head of Sports & Activities

Why is sport such an important part of the curriculum, and why must it not be neglected?

Many scientific studies have demonstrated a positive connection between sports and the brain’s cognitive function. Playing sports requires remembrance, repetition, discipline, grasping new things every day – a noteworthy parallel can be drawn from the skill sets that are similar to schoolwork.

Maintaining a strong and healthy mind and body enhances memory functions. That coupled with determination and goal-oriented skills that a sport requires can be transferred to the classroom, thus positively impacting students’ academic performance and helping them perform well in their exams as well.

In any sport, discipline is required and practising this from a young age will not only improve their skills on the court or on the pitch but also in the classroom. Learning to have respect for their coach, umpires and teammates can be put into practice at home and in the classroom. Practising the discipline of training and seeing the positive results of this can be carried across into having the discipline to study hard and succeed in exams. 

I hope we can create a sporting culture at ACS where our student-athletes can aspire to compete at the highest level, while also learning to be a humble winner and gracious loser as this is an important lesson to learn in life and something that without participating in sport can be hard to teach. Failure and success are both experienced throughout life and getting comfortable with these emotions at a young age will make for a confident and driven individual in later life.

What makes sport so special at Cobham?

At ACS Cobham, our extensive sports programme combines the very best of international and independent school sport. Our ethos is participation, enjoyment and excellence. With an expert team of dedicated coaches and first-class facilities on our beautiful campus, our aim is to deliver an exceptional student experience. We have something for everyone, with opportunities to play at after-school clubs or represent the school at competition level.

We encourage the widest participation and highest possible standards from the 80+ teams we field each year under the banner of ACS Cobham Cougars. We are delighted to say our approach works, with several ACS athletes going on to represent their country but also giving students the opportunity for a lifelong of sport and physical activity.

What sporting opportunities do young people have access to at Cobham? Facilities, clubs, competitions, etc.

Throughout the academic year, there are three core sports that are offered for 2/3 seasons. In High School, the core sports are basketball, football and swimming. Each student receives specialist coaching, motivation, encouragement and development from our highly qualified and dedicated coaching teams. Each of our three core sports has its own dedicated leader: a Head of Basketball, Head of Football and Head of Swimming.

Seasonal sports are: Cross-Country & Volleyball (Fall), Dance, Rugby 7s (Winter), Baseball, Beach Volleyball, Golf, Softball, Track & Field; Tennis (Spring).

In addition, we run an all-year-round Golf and Tennis Academy for a small number of talented students aspiring to perform at an elite performance level and looking to seek Sports Scholarships in these sports These are led by our Head of Tennis and PGA Golf Professional, and this is a 32-week full-year programme.

In Lower School and Middle School, we offer a multi-seasonal sports programme to encourage a broad and balanced sporting approach.

In terms of competition, we play fixtures against:

• Local Independent State Schools – friendlies
• County & National Cup competitions
• London Schools’ Sports Association (LSSA) – 6 international Schools fixtures & Tournaments every season.
• International Tournaments/Trips/Experiences
• World School Games (Multi-Sport & Swimming)

We also are re-introducing post-covid, the School Ski and Snowboard trip this March 2023 to Switzerland and will be looking to revert to February break from 2024 for a Middle and High School trip on an annual basis.

Why is it so important to celebrate diversity through sport? And why are international schools perfectly placed to deliver this?

Everyone should have the opportunity to be actively involved in whatever sport they choose; in whatever capacity they choose. Our sporting organisation is committed to being inclusive and open to all members of the ACS Cobham community regardless of age, gender, disability, cultural or religious background or sexual orientation, or other attributes that may lead to any person feeling excluded or isolated.

As a school, we pride ourselves on inclusivity and the sports programme allows everyone an opportunity to try a wide range of sports with the end goal of becoming a lifelong love of sport and physical activity. The school values are perfectly suited to our sports, and we want all the children to embrace these when performing in training or in fixtures/tournaments. The “Try-outs” for the start of each season are not aimed at “cutting” performers out from a sport they wish to participate in, they have an opportunity to try out the sports on offer and then choose and commit to that activity for the season. I have tasked all coaches this year to select their teams on the 3 A’s principle: Ability, Attendance and Attitude. For me, attitude is key to improvement in personal ability as this will either allow you to progress, stagnate or reverse along the performance continuum.

What is your vision for the future of sports at Cobham?

Quite simply to do the very best we can with the resources we have at our disposal!

My aims for our sports programme are:

• ALL pupils have a positive experience of physical activity through PE and sport.
• ALL children learn to love being active.
• ALL children participate enthusiastically, and some excel.
• ALL children learn to swim.
• ALL pupils have the opportunity to play in ACS International School teams.
• ALL children make progress.
• ALL pupils continue with some sort of sport or physical activity after leaving school.

We want ACS Cobham to be the first choice for pupils and their families looking to combine first-class education and an outstanding sporting offer, where every pupil feels supported to achieve their full potential in sport and physical activity.

STEVE ADAMS IS HEAD OF SPORTS & ACTIVITIES AT ACS INTERNATIONAL SCHOOLS COBHAM