Athletic Director, Chris Quinn reports on new sports initiatives for this semester.
Chris Quinn reports on new sports initiatives for this semester.
Life has been challenging across the globe of late. Furthermore, it has been challenging across all our campuses in the UK and in Doha for our students, staff and parents alike. In Doha, we are seeing a gradual return to activity, the campus is coming together, students are extending their boundaries and we are finally realising the possibility of life after Covid – there is a sense of awakening upon us.
"Awaken your wolf" is an expression we have coupled with our new mascot in Doha and we feel that it befits a number of dynamics in the evolution of our school, campus and programme. It is an expression and trigger that can be used in the moment and pause before action – it can be used to prepare ourselves and centre ourselves. In communicating the call to students, staff and parents to awaken your wolf, we ask you to take a deep breath, appreciate the fuel you are giving your body and take a moment to feel centred and ready for what lies ahead.
With restrictions upon us in Doha, engaging our community has not been easy. However, my view is that barriers to engagement and curtailed access to everyday normal routines for us all, such as after-school activities and sports, are obstacles which we must make conscious practical attempt to overcome. It has been great to see families engaged in Pack Challenge 1 which was set very recently. Quite a number of you got yourselves out and about and hit some of my favourite exercise spots around Doha.
In addition to this, in maintaining our commitment to community wellbeing, our HR manager Dimple Chopra has loved providing free online yoga sessions to staff and parents – round 2 is coming soon. There is more to come... we have Pack Challenge 2 in the formation, a Lower School step challenge on the horizon, our wolf campus run in the lead-up to National Sports Day and a senior student/parent Zoom session with Greg Dale (Head of Sport Psychology at Duke University, North Carolina) on the realities of life as a collegiate athlete and what it takes to get there.
Competitive sports are returning!
At ACS Doha we have much to look forward to. We have recently received another gradual relaxation of rules from the MOE which allows us to widen the opportunities for physical activity during the school day. For quite some time, I have been deep in conversation with my counterparts in our UK schools, local athletic directors in our neighbouring schools in Doha, and Gulf regional partner conversations have resumed since the blockade dropped. All of these conversations are framed around the return to sport on various different levels, whether this be the Power of 4 and visits to our UK sister schools, local conferencing against our local competitors who have similar hosting aspirations, or, establishing our return to participation in the Middle East Unity Cup conference – it is all pointing in one direction, competitive sports are coming and they are high on the agenda!
In tandem with this, my responsibility has been to develop an operational plan which fully utilises our amazing facilities and places at its core, the desire to give our students and community the very best sporting opportunities and programmes that Doha has to offer. The tangible realisation of this is drawing closer and I for one can't wait to see full bleachers on game night....
Just last week I hosted Aspire's Head of Strength and Conditioning, Barry Shillabeer, at our campus. He was quite astounded that a school was in possession of the facilities which we have:
Wolves are starting to waken and others are taking notice...time to rouse the pack.