Athletics and activities

Vision

A personal choice of excellence. The ASA Athletic Department is dedicated to the intellectual, physical, and personal development of student-athletes, as well as staff. Academic achievement and development of character, maturity, and a sense of fair play determine excellence in our after-school sports program. The Athletic Department subscribes fully to the philosophy and regulations set forth by the American School of Asuncion.

Philosophy

The American School of Asuncion offers an education-based sports program that is built on 6 principles of progressive development 1) Initial activation, 2) Learning fundamentals, 3) Learning to play, 4) Learning to compete, 5) Training to compete, 6) Compete to win. These principles guide coaches in their pathway to foster an environment where student-athletes can thrive and through a positive, education-based experience, take away lessons that stretch far beyond the playing field and will contribute to preparing them for lifelong success and becoming exemplary world citizens.

At the initial levels, ASA’s philosophy focuses on a formative and participatory approach with an equal opportunity to play. At the mid-level, it progressively introduces the competitive component within the participatory and formative approach. At this stage all participants have an opportunity to play, but not necessarily the same amount of time. Finally, at the Varsity level, we strive to establish a winning culture with a selective and competitive approach, while keeping a formative component.

Objectives:

To provide students with an opportunity to participate in a variety of physical activities.
To teach the concepts of teamwork, values of sportsmanship, fair play, and discipline.
To help students gain technical knowledge and develop skills in sports.
To produce competitive teams (VARSITY LEVEL)

PHILOSOPHY: U6 – U10 Level

Formative and participatory approach
Equal opportunity to play

As the hallmark of the ASA sports philosophy at the under 6 – under 10 level, everyone has an equal opportunity to participate and play. ASA encourages and values the spirit of sportsmanship, participation, teamwork, and solidarity regardless of the results of the games or tournaments. At this stage, the sports program seeks to help students develop their skills, learn about playing on a team, and develop good habits of personal responsibility and sportsmanship.

PHILOSOPHY: U12 – U15 Level

Formative and participatory approach.
Competitive component.
Everyone plays but not necessarily for the same duration of time.

At the U12 - U15 levels, ASA also supports the philosophy that everyone has an opportunity to play yet acknowledges the increased level of physical maturity and skill needed when competing against other schools. As a result, ASA seeks a balance in encouraging the spirit of sportsmanship, teamwork, and solidarity along with the additional goal of achieving good results during games and tournaments. At the U12 – U15 levels, each student-athlete will play if they meet the requirements. However, the amount of playing time each student-athlete plays is at the coach’s discretion.

PHILOSOPHY: Varsity Level

Selective and competitive approach.
Winning Culture.
Formative component.

Similar to the sports philosophy at the younger levels, ASA also considers it equally important to ensure that varsity student-athletes who want to compete in sports competitions have the opportunity to practice and participate in games that give them the necessary experience to participate in future tournaments that demand greater competitiveness. At the varsity level, competition with other schools increases significantly and the preparedness of athletes becomes a more critical factor for achieving individual and team success. Team selection will therefore be more competitive than at the younger levels in order to forge teams that can compete against other schools. Thus, coaches will be choosing players that they believe will give the team the best opportunity to win in the present as well as in the future. Although winning is important at the varsity level, we are not willing to lose our integrity as an Athletic Department or as a school to do so. Students are still expected to meet participation requirements to play and keep the values of good sportsmanship at the forefront.

Parents’ Responsibilities:

Help advance the objectives of the sports program by encouraging participation and emphasizing teamwork and sportsmanship with their children.
Always keep in mind that equal participation takes precedence over winning at the more developmental levels.
Make sure that students attend practices and fulfill all participation guidelines.
Support the work of the coaching staff by remaining off the sports fields and/or court during practice sessions and games.
Demonstrate the highest standards of sportsmanship as spectators and exemplify the values of the ASA community at all in-school and out-of-school events.
Provide health insurance for your child, as ASA will not be responsible for any medical bills except for ambulatory services.
Failure to meet the above expectations could lead to your child’s dismissal from his/her team.