Our philosophy is grounded in participation, the spirit of the game, and striving for team and personal excellence
ISPP has a very popular sports program that competes in a local league called ISSAPP (International School’s Sports Association of Phnom Penh) and an international conference called MRISA (Mekong River International Schools Association).
Our philosophy is grounded in participation, the spirit of the game, and striving for team and personal excellence. While winning may result from this process, remaining humble and learning from any team defeats is equally important. Social and emotional skill development are just as important as physical skill development.
Secondary Team Sports
We offer three core team sports: basketball, football and volleyball. For each sport, there are Junior Boys and Girls teams (Grades 6-8) and Senior Boys and Girls teams (Grades 9-12).
Season 1: Senior Volleyball & Junior Basketball (Mid August – Early November)
Season 2: Senior Basketball and Junior Football (Mid-November – Mid-February)
Season 3: Senior Football (Mid-February – Late April) and Junior Volleyball (Mid-February – Mid-May)
Generally, there are two teams (A & B) for each sport. For example, in season 1, we would have A and B Junior Boys Basketball teams. Both teams would compete in our local league (ISSAPP), and the top 10 players from the A team would be offered the chance to travel to the MRISA tournament. If our sign-up numbers exceed our coaching or court capacity, there will be tryouts.
Six tournaments and an Arts Exchange are shared among the six MRISA schools:
- International School of Phnom Penh (ISPP) in Phnom Penh
- Vientiane International School (VIS) in Vientiane
- United Nations International School (UNIS) in Hanoi
- Saigon South International School (SSIS) in Ho Chi Minh City
- KIS International School (KIS) in Bangkok
- Hanoi International School (HIS) in Hanoi
Cross Country, Badminton and Track & Field are also available. These activities require a 6-week training block within late season 1 and season 2. There will be one local ISSAPP meet for each activity.
Sign-Up Process
For all Secondary sports, students must sign up via our ManageBac system. They should go to the “Groups” section and search for the team titles. There will be well-publicised deadlines for these seasonal sign-ups, which will be communicated through the Student Bulletin and emails via the Parent Group attached to ManageBac.
Training Commitment
For all team sports, there are two training sessions per week. Most sessions take place after school from 3:00pm – 4:30pm. In season 1, there will be one morning session for B teams from 6:10am – 7:10am. This is due to the limited court capacity for our two indoor court sports. Training is compulsory and students who miss two sessions without informing their coach will lose their place in the team. The training schedule will be available in the school’s Weekly Announcements.
Parent Permission
A one-time parent permission form is required for participation in our team sports at the ISSAPP level. If your child is selected for an MRISA team, a separate permission form will be required. These forms are online and will be sent to you via the parent email attached to ManageBac. It is crucial to have a current email address to receive vital information.
Swim Team
We also have a strong Swim Program, led by our Aquatics Director, Zsuzsa Barta. The swim seasons align with the team sports timeframe and usually include two local ISSAPP swim meets on Saturday mornings and one international invitational event per season.
General Information
We offer swimming all year round, from August to May. The Swim Team is open to students in grades 1-12. Elementary (Grades 1-5) and Secondary (Grades 6-12) squads have different schedules. Within the squads, swimmers of the same swimming level swim together, regardless of age group/class.
New students to ISPP or returning students who haven’t been on the swim team yet and wish to join must be assessed before the season starts. Sign-up for the assessment is necessary, and students and parents will receive information about it from the coaches at the beginning of the school year. To be eligible for the swim team, swimmers must:
- Be able to swim 25/50/100m front crawl, backstroke, and breaststroke with correct technique (distance depends on the age group) and perform a basic race dive
- Be able to swim 600-1600m in one hour
- Commit to local swim meets in Phnom Penh (6 Saturday mornings in a year)
- Demonstrate excellent behaviour and a “can do” approach
Sign-Up Process
Step 1: All swimmers must join the ManageBac group: MRISA Swim Team 2023-24
Step 2: After joining the ManageBac group, all swimmers must complete the “Swim Practice” Google Form. This form will be emailed to the swimmers’ parents.
Training Commitment
Families must sign up for swimming days in advance. “Pop-ins” to any session are not permitted.
Elementary students: minimum 1 session per week.
Options: Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday 2:45pm – 3:45pm
Secondary students: minimum 2 sessions per week, with no maximum, but it must be balanced with academic performance.
Options for all Secondary: Monday, Wednesday, and Friday 3:00pm – 4:30pm.
By invitation only: Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday 6:00am – 7:00am.
International Swim Meets:
Selected swimmers will have the opportunity to travel abroad with the team. Details about these trips are released at the beginning of the school year and later in the seasons. Participation is not compulsory.
Elementary Team Sports
Grade 4 and 5 students can participate in football during Season 1 and in basketball during Season 3. Training takes place once a week for an hour (3:00pm – 4:00pm), and there is a culminating ISSAPP tournament at the end of the season. Separate boys and girls teams are formed, and tryouts may be conducted if the number of participants exceeds our coaching and space capacity.
Please note that this is separate from the After School Programme (ASP). It is a competitive team, and therefore, coaches expect your child to participate in all training sessions, develop the necessary skills, and compete in the culminating tournament. Students who cannot meet these expectations may be asked to leave the team. The sign-up process is through an online form emailed to all parents via the ManageBac Parent Group.
Thank you for your attention. If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact me at gregorystanton@ispp.edu.kh.
Go Falcons!
Greg Stanton | Activities Director / IB MYP Physical & Health Education
