Page 14 - Demo

New Sports in the Spotlight
Personal initiatives, enthusiasm and drive bring several new sports opportunities to FIS
'Funkey Hockey' coach Margreet Boon teaches the basics (left); girl's rugby action (right)
With more than 370 different courses and dozens of athletic teams on offer throughout the year, Frankfurt International School’s after school activities and athletic programs provide an incredible variety of options for participants – both in terms of diversity and extent to all age groups. New activities are often added to the palette without a lot of trumpeting, but several new sports offerings this year, including field hockey, girls lacrosse and girls rugby are worthy
of the spotlight.
“The introduction of touch rugby, ‘Funkey Hockey’ and lacrosse were driven solely by individual initiatives,” says Activities Director, Ryan Erickson.
“It was actually two Upper School students, Monique and Leah, who introduced touch rugby at school,” adds coach and FIS Grade 3 teacher, Barbara Paraskevakos. “Hearing that I had played rugby in high school and up to my first years in university inspired the girls to start a team here at FIS.”
Monique and Leah pitched their idea about forming a team to FIS Athletics Director, Will Moncrief and Physical Education teacher Scott Bain before making a presentation to Upper School students. Shortly afterward, the team of 14 Grade
10–12 girls was formed. “We have been playing outside non-stop since spring last year,” says
Ms. Paraskevakos. “We even practiced in the snow this winter! Mr. Moncrief was helpful in getting us jerseys with the school logo and rugby balls.”
The difference between touch and regular rugby is that touch rugby is played on a field half the size, with an emphasis on agility and passing. There is no scrumming, kicking or tackling involved. “So far it has been a lot of fun,” says Ms. Paraskevakos. “No stress, and the girls love it!”
Touch rugby isn’t played at any of the other international schools in Europe, nor is it big in Germany, but the FIS Girls Rugby team played their first game with the Touch Rugby Club Frankfurt in early May, and plans to play once more before the end of the school year. “My wish for the girls who started this is that it continues to be a success in the coming years,” says
Ms. Paraskevakos. “They can definitely count on me to be their coach!”
For another group of girls, a previously
unavailable sports opportunity has also made its way onto the field: Lacrosse. “I have been an active lacrosse player for almost 40 years, including coaching high school varsity teams,” says Sue Haviland, who coaches the REAL Lacrosse team and also teaches Math and Physical Education at FISW. “So when my husband, who is a Physical Education teacher here at FIS, came home telling me he had seen lacrosse sticks on campus,
I wasted no time in contacting Ryan Erickson with the idea of offering lacrosse via the REAL program.”
The answer was an immediate yes. Ms. Haviland says, “The ‘girls with the sticks’ were easily tracked
12 FIS World June 2018