Second season is now under way as athletes prepare for their sports: swimming, tennis, basketball, touch and rugby. Adding even more pressure on the athletes’ shoulders are the unnerving coaches who assess each athlete’s performance, athleticism, and potential to be an effective contributor to the team. At first, these coaches may seem distant, but as the athletes get placed into their respective teams, whether it is Varsity or JV, the reserved teachers are in fact very approachable.
Varsity touch rugby coach, Mr. Dodd or “Doddy” as he is often referred to, wants this year’s team to have fun. He believes that if he and Coach Wislang form a team that can have fun and work as a team, then they will be the “team to beat at IASAS”, especially since the girl’s touch team has contested for gold in the last six IASAS Championship games. His coaching philosophy stems from Vince Lombardi, a legendary American football coach, who stated that
“Individual commitment to a group effort – that is what makes a team effort.”
Doddy also believes that it takes time to establish yourself in sports and advises athletes, “Do not quit if you do not make Varsity, that is disrespectful to both teams”.
Similarly, Mr. Doble, the varsity boys’ rugby coach wants his varsity team to become more unified and play a more fluid style of rugby. He aims to develop a Fijian seven-a-side approach, which is very innovative. Doble is a very experienced coach, having coached Josh Masatevi, a Fijian international rugby player. One of the teams with the highest expectation will be the ISM tennis teams as the boys try to defend their third and girls their fourth gold medals. One of the boys’ tennis coaches, Steve Ayling, states his main goal for the season is to have his athletes “enjoy their training and matches”. However, having said that, this year could be more demanding on the players’ partly as Mr. Ayling wants to step up the drills and improve the team’s cardiovascular endurance.
On that note, all the coaches at ISM are there to push, support, and educate. As Lorri Myers said,
“Sometimes, life’s best coaches are those who believe in you and your potential, sometimes even before you do.”
Article by: AJ O’Regan-Brown, 10
Photograph by: Andie Ayala, 12
