ACS Beirut follows a classic American sport season model, similar to those followed by most international schools in this region, including over 20 schools that are members of ISAC and MESAC.
Our fall season includes teams in soccer, volleyball and swimming. In volleyball we have teams from middle school through the varsity level. Our Varsity volleyball teams will be traveling to Jordan this fall for METS from October 26-30. At the same time we will host a JV invitational in support of this level of the program. The 9th annual ACS Varsity invitational tournament will take place from November 16-19. This event will be co-sponsored with International College.
Middle school volleyball runs from early late September to early December and is in its ninth year. This is the target group for developing future talent. Practice sessions are twice to three times weekly.
In soccer, the 10th edition of ACS Soccer Club from grades 2-5 for girls and boys will once again offer a fall program with weekly after school practice sessions and games on Saturday mornings from 9:00-11:00. We will have middle school boys and girls soccer teams that practice 2/3 times pera week. All of our JV and Varsity soccer teams for girls and boys will meet three to five times weekly from September through December. In METS our JV team will be traveling to Amman this year for our regional group championship. Our Varsity teams will also participate in the 9th annual co-hosted tournament held at ACS and IC. This event from December 7-11 is under the umbrella of the METS international schools group. The U 18 Varsity championship will be totally international in scale and will be hosted by the ACS community.
Swimming for 6th-12th grade students starts as soon as we can access a quality pool. LAU pool opens in early October. Our team will train three times weekly on Tuesday, Thursday and Friday for 2 hours per session. Competitions this year will include several local competitions including the ACS hosted METS age group swim championship from November 17-19. We will once again enter our swimmers in the LAU Schools Championship in mid December.
The winter/spring season from January onward will include Track and Field, JV and Varsity basketball, and JV/Varsity badminton for boys and girls.
Like every team in our athletics program, each basketball and badminton team will have a set practice schedule and will be given scheduled gym time for numerous games in order to prepare for local and/or international competitions. Our badminton team, which has perhaps the most consistently successful program among scholastic teams in the entire Middle East, will once again focus on the METS championship March 28-31 that ACS Beirut will host. In the past 6 years we have numerous championship trophies for both JV and Varsity!! They will play numerous matches local against other schools, university clubs and in the Lebanese national championship.
Our basketball teams will compete in ISAC and METS and the annual IC Alton Reynolds Invitational tournament in late April will once again be the climax of our season. We are optimistic about tournament success in the next years with what we see as a group of both boys and girls with excellent potential at JV and Varsity levels. Middle school basketball begins in early winter. We will have 4/5 coaches lined up to work with our large group of potential future stars. Both our MS girls and boys teams will have a full practice and game schedule until early June.
Track and Field will practice on AUB field to help develop our athletes to their maximum potential. Students 6-12 take part in this team. ACS and IC will host the METS international age group championship meet in early May. Practices take place 3 times weekly for 2 hours per session.
** Please note: There is a standing expectation among the ACS coaching staff that players attend all practices. Students are expected to complete their school work, meet personal obligations and also meet team obligations without missing practice time. Even players who are injured are expected to attend practices. Practices may take place 3-5 times per week including matches. Attendance is checked at each session, players are kept on notice and those who miss 3 or more practices are removed from the team.
Should you have any questions, please refer to the Activities and Athletic Handbook that your child has received at ACS orientation and that is posted on ACS website.
We are hoping for another year full of rewarding sport experiences.
Mr. Timothy Doran
Director of Athletics and Activities
Tel: 01-374370 ext. 136
