Athletics Program

Statement of Purpose

AOBA -JAPAN INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL provides an interscholastic athletic program intended to enrich and enhance academic programs with an aim to provide further opportunities for its students to ‘Be the Best You Can Be’. Athletics are an important aspect of education and should provide a wholesome environment for the development of teamwork, individual skills, positive self esteem, and school spirit/pride through friendly inter-school competitions. In addition, the A-JIS athletic program provides support and motivation for students to achieve in the core-curriculum as well as provide opportunities for enrichment, skill development, and personal growth beyond those available in the classroom.

Goals for A-JIS Athletics Program are to:

•  enhance and expand learning in the classroom
• provide opportunities for students to experience public performance, competition, teamwork, and interaction with fellow students and athletes
• enhance student pride and identification with friends and school
• increase student morale and motivation for achievement and skill development in the academic, physical, and social realms
• practice standards of proper sportsmanship and citizenship behaviors
• enhance the development of a positive self image in each student
• increase student experience in meeting challenges and coping with success and failure
• focuses on student needs, rather than the needs of teachers, coaches, administrators or parents
• provide reflection and feedback in order to maximize learning and growth
• provide guidance in the individual’s selection of activities in which they participate in order to meet life-long as well as immediate goals and aspirations
• interscholastic Athletics Affiliation

Competing Schools

A-JIS is one of eight schools comprising the Kanto Plain Association of  the league of international schools in the Kanto Plain Region (KPASSP). This group consists of:

1. Aoba-Japan International School (A-JIS)   

2. The American School in Japan (ASIJ)

3. Christian Academy in Japan (CAJ)

4. International School of the Sacred Heart (ISSH)

5. Nishimachi International School (NIS)

6. Seisen International School (SIS)

7. St. Mary’s International School (SMIS)

8. St. Maur International School (St. Maur)

9. Yokohama International School (YIS)

Team Sign Up Process

• All athletes are notified of season dates via morning announcements, A-JIS newsletter, PE bulletin board notices, and by teachers in physical education classes.
• Team Sign Up Forms must be completely filled out, signed and returned to the coach before the athlete will be allowed to participate.
• There is no tryout session for team selection.  Any student wishing to participate may do so provided that the student follows the team rules, guidelines, and expectations set forth and established in writing on the team sign up form.

Team Membership

• Any student who wishes to become a member of a Jaguar athletic team must be willing to accept the guidelines, rules, and regulations governing our sports programs. Listed below are rules that all students must adhere to. Additional regulations may be added by each coach for their respective sports and by a host school. Each student planning to participate on an A-JIS team must adhere to the following regulations:
• Each player who wants to be a member of an A-JIS team is required to attend all team-related competitions and functions. Students who are absent from school or not participating in P.E. classes may not participate in games or practices that day.
• Athletes must be in school the full school day to participate in after school practices or games. They must be in school on Friday to participate in weekend activities.  Special circumstances may warrant and excused absence and in such cased the student may be able to practice or play in games.
• All athletes must attend a minimum of 80% of the practices to be considered a full time team member.  Non full time team members may not be considered for individual awards, 2-sport Jaguar team trips, etc.

Attendance

Practice sessions will be established by the coach with approval of the AD, but may change according to extenuating circumstances. Players will be notified in a timely manner of practice sessions. Coaches will take attendance at each practice and each player is expected to attend every practice unless the excuse has been approved ahead of time by the coach. Coaches will consider attendance as one of the criteria with regard to playing time. Students involved in more than one school activity should make arrangements with each coach to meet training requirements so that all players are given equal opportunity.

Practices and Games

• Practices and games will be held between 15:45 and 18:00 Monday to Friday or as scheduled.
• Teams will alternate practicing in the gym or on the field during the school week.
• Saturday practices or games are typically scheduled between 8:00 and 13:00 or as scheduled.
• A schedule will be finalized at the start of each season.

Student Athlete Responsibility

Each A-JIS team player is:

• Expected to be in school THE DAY OF and THE DAY AFTER an athletic event. Students who repeatedly ignore this expectation will jeopardize their status on the team.
• Expected to follow additional rules established by any host school visited.
• Expected to return his/her A-JIS uniform to the coach at the end of the season.
• Students must pay a Y5,000 deposit at the beginning of the season and the deposit will be returned to the students once the uniform has been returned. 
• The deposit will not be returned for lost, stolen, or damaged uniforms. 
• The money will be used to purchase a new uniform to replace the lost, stolen or damaged uniform.
• Responsible to pay for their round-trip transportation and other applicable costs to all tournament sites.
• All athletes are REQUIRED to purchase the EAB team polo shirt and or Bulls warm-up suit, wear the EAB team attire and travel WITH the team to and from away tournaments.

Student Eligibility

Any student who has reached the age of 16 is ineligible to participate. 

• A player must be a full-time student at the school he/she represents.
• A player may move up or down from A, B, or C teams on any given game day, or as necessary.
• Students must be in grades 6-9 to participate in league games. 
• Students in grade 5 are welcome to join the team and practice but will not be permitted to play in league games until grade 6.

Game/Tournament Guidelines

• All participants must travel with the school team unless written permission from a parent/guardian has been submitted to indicate otherwise.
• Exploration of the local environment is not permitted for the duration of the game/tournament unless the participant is accompanied by his/her own parent, or by a member of his/her own school’s faculty or administration outside the time during which any tournament event is scheduled.
• Participants are not allowed to participate in any event that is not a specific function of the tournament.
• Participants will abide by any additional rules established by the host school.
• A game/tournament participant who violates any of the above rules will be reported to the host school authorities who will in turn report the individual and the incident to the violator’s own school     administrator in attendance at the tournament.
• Violating the above rules will result in corrective measures to be decided by Principal and Athletic Director. The corrective measures are as follows:
• Ineligible for participation in their next scheduled game.
• Ineligible for further participation in the tournament. This would include games, dances, awards, awards ceremonies, etc.
• Sent home early at the expense of the parents.

Proper Conduct/Behavior

• As students of A-JIS, everything we do reflects upon our school and ourselves. We need to set a good example and leave a good impression of ourselves and our school exhibiting appropriate behavior at all times.  All teachers and Coaches are expected to report a student for breaking sports team regulations, anytime or anyplace during the season.  If the violation occurs on A-JIS property or during a school related function, regular A-JIS behavioral consequences will apply in addition to athletic consequences.
• All players are representatives of A-JIS and their team, and should conduct themselves properly and courteously at all times. Respect should be shown to officials, coaches, teammates, opponents, spectators and all persons contacted while representing A-JIS.

Initiation

• The A-JIS Athletic Department will not tolerate any form of initiation or hazing of new members on any team. Any athlete who participates in such behavior will be dismissed from the team. If this occurs during a tournament, the athlete(s) will be sent home.

Quitting a Team

An athlete(s) who quits a team may not be eligible to participate in the following season for that particular sport. If an athlete in unable to travel to the tournament, he/she is expected to give the coach at least 3 weeks notice.

Sportsmanship

Good sportsmanship is an essential part of any sport and should be demonstrated at all times. Offensive language and dirty play have no place on the playing field or court. Violators will be removed from the game. Deliberate, premeditated, aggressive or violent actions will result in a referral by the coach to the AD for possible dismissal from the team. The coach, AD and Principal will meet as a committee to review the incident and decide the appropriate consequence.

Prohibited Consumption

The following actions are considered serious. Team members who violate these rules will be referred by the appropriate coach to the AD for possible dismissal from the team.

• Drugs - Absolutely NO drugs allowed, other than those approved for medical purposes.
• Smoking - Absolutely NO smoking is permitted at any time during the sport’s season. Not only is smoking detrimental to your health, it lessens your potential contribution to the team.
• Drinking – Abolutely NO drinking for students under the age of 20.  Alcoholic beverages can only hurt your fitness and performance.

Suspended Students

Students who are suspended will not be allowed to participate in A-JIS athletic activities (practices, games, trips, etc.) for the duration of their suspension.

A-JIS Academic/Behavioral Eligibility Policy

Academic success takes precedence over involvement in extra-curricular events. Therefore, it is the school's policy that a student must be in good standing to represent Aoba-Japan International School in any extra-curricular program. Any student wishing to participate in a school sponsored extra-curricular program must meet the following criteria:

• A minimum average of 70% in all subject areas during the term.  
• No more than one report card grade less than 60% during the term immediately preceding the activity.

The following steps are taken to ensure that any student failing to meet these requirements will be placed on a probationary period until the subject area deficiency is addressed and corrected:

• The student is notified of the deficiency (academic or behavioral) in writing by the respective teacher.  Copies of this are submitted to the Principal and Athletic Director so that the situation is communicated to all parties involved.
• Should the student continues to perform poorly and the problem is not corrected in a set period of time (usually 1~2 weeks), a meeting shall be called between the Teacher, Student, Principal, and Athletic Director (or Coach).  At this time a specific plan of action will be implemented (daily progress report, behavioral/academic contract, etc.).
• Students failing to show proper change/progress may then be suspended from participating in extra-curricular activities until all marks or behavioral issues have been sufficiently addressed and improved to an acceptable level.  The time period for this (usually 1~2 weeks) will be extended accordingly should the student continue to perform poorly.

Physical Education Faculty