Bahrain School Offers Unique Athletic Opportunities

MANAMA, BAHRAIN

10.08.2009

Story by Petty Officer 2nd Class Keith Simmons 

U.S. Naval Forces Central Command / U.S. 5th Fleet           

MANAMA, Bahrain - With the return of Department of Defense family members to Bahrain, students of the Bahrain School will have the opportunity to join sports teams that were previously unavailable.

There are more than 60 U.S. students currently enrolled at the Bahrain School, two-thirds of which have joined the soccer, cross country, basketball or badminton teams. The Bahrain School also offers students instruction in many athletic programs similar to American schools, such as basketball, cross country, soccer, tennis, volleyball, badminton, table tennis and bowling. The school hopes to add swimming, golf and rock climbing in the near future.

The Bahrain School, part of the U.S. Department of Defense Education Activity, welcomed the return of DoD family members for the 2009-10 school year and are looking forward to the benefits of a larger student body.

"With the return of the American students, we're going to be able to offer more opportunities in the sports programs," said Bahrain School Athletic Director Brian Zimmer. "With more students, we will have more teachers available and will be able to offer more programs."

As part of the DoDEA consortium worldwide, the Bahrain School is able to participate in other DoDEA events around the globe.

"This year, our tennis and cross country teams will go to Germany and compete with the Department of Defense Dependants schools there," said Zimmer. "We are also looking to see if there are other venues like tournaments hosted by other DoDDs schools in European countries."

The majority of the schools' games, however, are played here in the Bahrain Private Schools Sports League, which organizes tournaments for many sports throughout the school year as well as sport seasons during the cooler months.

"The students develop an acceptance for other cultures when they're working and competing on the same team together," said Bahrain School Principal Gail Anderson. "They learn about and appreciate each others' culture and background as well as a language exchange that is quite amazing."

While the majority of the Bahrain School's students are Bahraini or expatriates, the re-integration of DoD family members into the Bahrain School is resulting in noticeable changes.

"I think it's been a really positive experience seeing the students react to having a multicultural team," said Zimmer. "The kids get the best of both worlds; what they bring from the United States and what they get from the cultural background of their classmates. It makes a nice mix."

• Date Taken: 10.08.2009
• Date Posted: 10.08.2009 10:22
• Story ID: 39829
• Location: MANAMA, BH