Difficult - but fun, important - decisions: Sabers Awards

The beginning of June finds the Sabers sports program winding down as we prepare for the annual Sabers athletic awards celebration.

SOISでは毎年6月、2部に分けてセイバーズのハイスクールのスポーツ選手を表彰する祝賀会を行います。
1部目では、シアターにおいて全てのチームの成功をスライドショーやスピーチで紹介し、それぞれのチームで、シーズン中最も努力し、その結果成長した選手に「若竹賞」、スポーツの技能、スポーツマンシップ、リーダーシップ全てに優れ、チームの向上、活躍に貢献した選手に「最優秀選手賞」を授与します。

2部目では、カフェテリアにおいて、バンケットを開催し、「最優秀スポーツ選手賞」と「学園長表彰選手賞」の受賞者が発表されます。

In the lead up to this event, the Sabers coaches and administrators choose the male and female winners of 2 important school-wide awards, the Dr. Fukuda Scholar-Athlete Award and the Sabers Outstanding Athlete of the Year Award. Choosing these winners is a difficult – but fun and important – decision.

• It is difficult to choose 1 winner from the list of strong candidates (in fact, we sometimes present awards to 2 winners). 
  
• It is fun to discuss all the great things that our Sabers student-athletes have accomplished over the year – sports, academics, student council, music, theater, camps, volunteer work, community service, and more. 
  
• These decisions are important because the winners are considered representative of SOIS and its mission statement.
  

 Most of the recent awards winners have been from SIS. Why are there so few winners from OIS? That’s a fair question, and there are a few reasons.

• Numbers game I: SIS is bigger than OIS and simply has more student-athletes.
  
• Numbers game II: Most winners are 11th and 12th graders. In grades 11 and 12, OIS students focus on their IBDP studies, which leads to some high school Sabers teams having very few OIS athletes. (SIS grade 12 students are focused on their studies and on university entrance, too.)
  

 As SIS moves to implement the IB diploma programme, I wonder if that will lead to fewer SIS students going out Sabers sports. I hope not.