Jv volleyball girls playing in Amsterdam 9th of November (Mia K./Grade 9)
By Anea E., Grade 9
In the midst of volleyball tryouts, where balls dance unpredictably across the gym, a groundbreaking shift is reshaping the landscape of MIS’s sports culture.
A policy from the Senior School Student Parent Handbook 2022-2023, declaring, “All students are eligible at the start of the school year.” This seismic change welcomes everyone to the team, regardless of skill level. While applause for inclusivity fills the air, it also unleashes a cascade of complex questions, turning this sports arena into a stage for a heated debate.
“MIS is an inclusive school community with the articulated and shared values of care, respect, integrity and trust, and as such we seek to enable as many of our students as possible to be part of our Student Life Programme.” said Ms Sarah Ford, Director of Student Life at MIS.
She adds that this season a lot more students have been able to join the sports they like, but thinking from a coach’s perspective, she does agree that there are difficulties with the large number of people who want to do the sports and the limited number that can play.
“We will continue to develop and refine our approach … [but] must remain in line with the values of the school which are of course Care, Respect, Integrity and Trust.” Ms. Ford said.
From the perspective of players who have navigated the try-out process and moved up through the team ranks, the impact of player commitment on team competitiveness is a central concern.
Anna S., Grade 10, a varsity volleyball player, underscores the importance of maximum effort, noting that lacklustre commitment can lead to missed opportunities and undermine the overall performance of the team.
“Players not giving their best affects the team’s performance by creating gaps in our collective effort, leading to missed opportunities and weaker performance,” Anna said.
Anna also harbours some reservations about MIS’s “everyone makes the team” policy. While she appreciates the inclusive nature of the policy, she believes it can lead to a few challenges. The guarantee that everyone gets on the team may diminish the incentive for some players to give their best during try-outs, she said.
“The policy of everyone making the team, although inclusive, might lead some players to not put in their best effort during try-outs,” Anna S. said. “The fear of not making the team has traditionally pushed athletes to work hard and compete.”
Anna also expresses concern about the potential consequences of having a larger group of players on the team. She points out that, while it’s exciting, it could create logistical challenges and disrupt the team’s unity.
“Being in a large group of players is exciting but also challenging,” Anna S. said. “It pushes us to improve, but it can be logistically challenging to manage and maintain team unity.”
In terms of less experienced players, Anna S. still recognized their significance but wonders about the balance. She argued that ensuring everyone gets on the team may sometimes lead to less-experienced players bringing down the overall performance.
“While less experienced players are crucial, having too many of them might affect the overall quality of the team’s performance,” Anna S. said.
Coach Hewett, who coaches the girls’ junior varsity volleyball team, pointed out the logistical challenges of managing a large group of players. She also highlighted the need to for equal playing time and individualized attention.
“It’s hard to play six on six, while also allowing time for every student to get time to practice in a game situation, game scenario,” Coach Hewett said.
She also mentioned that inexperienced players on the team can introduce new dynamics. Coach Hewett emphasized the importance of balancing teams to maintain a competitive edge while ensuring that less experienced players have the opportunity to develop their skills.
“I still do really try to give an opportunity to as many people as I can to go into and play with the team at some sort of tournament,” Coach Hewett said. “If you have a really big team…that makes it a lot more challenging because you want everyone to have an experience to go to a game and play because they have been working really hard and they have been coming to practice and showing you that they love the game and they enjoy playing it. But sometimes you just can’t choose everyone. “