Overview

The mission of the athletic department at Taipei American School is to develop future leaders by cultivating an environment that promotes education, healthy competition, and personal growth through athletics. The department supports the mission and standards of Taipei American School by providing equitable opportunities for student-athletes to participate in quality international athletic competition while placing an intrinsic value on integrity, ethical conduct, academic excellence, athletic achievement and competitive spirit.

Athletics participation is offered at the varsity, junior varsity, freshman, Grade 7 & 8, and Grade 6 levels for boys and girls. Our teams practice after school Monday through Friday. Varsity teams practice every weekday, JV teams four days a week, freshman teams three days a week, and Middle School teams two to three days a week. An activity bus runs for students who participate in sports after school. Most competitions are held during the week, but there are occasional weekend commitments.

For an overview of the TAS Athletics Sports Program, please view the TAS Athletics Sports Program Offerings Matrix.

At the end of each season, our varsity teams compete in the IASAS tournament. TAS has had considerable success in IASAS competitions over the years and earned five gold medals in 2017-2018.

The athletic department posts all information on sports offerings and hosting dates within the Athletics Acknowledgement form on PowerSchool. To access this form, please log in to your parent portal account and click the Athletics Permission icon in the left-hand navigation menu.

IMPORTANT: Parents, please ensure to read the Athletics Acknowledgment form with your student and provide your digital signature at the bottom of the page. This signature gives permission for your child to participate in US athletics.

2022-2023 MS/US Athletics Program Overview Videos

TAS Philosophy of Athletics
Positive Coaching Alliance

TAS Philosophy of Athletics

The fundamental principle for competitive athletics at TAS is serving the education of the student. Athletics promotes and supplements the regular curricular program at school. Our concern is the personal development of each athlete, and even though winning is important, the coach’s primary interest is the athletes personal growth and emotional stability. With this in mind, each coach should make every attempt to instill in our athletes the following attitudes:

a) the competitive urge to excel

b) the commitment to be the best that they can be

c) the acceptance of officials’ decisions without argument

d) an understanding of their sport

e) the love and respect for their sport

f) a high sense of honor, duty and ethical character that is necessary for team play

g) the knowledge that participation is its own reward, and the special privileges for participants are not to be expected or condoned

h) a cooperative spirit

i) a sense of representing their community

Positive Coaching Alliance

As a part of TAS' continued focus on Character Education, the school is partnered with the Positive Coaching Alliance (PCA), a well-researched, reputable US-based organization dedicated to developing “Better Athletes, Better People” by working to provide all youth and high school athletes a positive, character-building youth sports experience. All coaches complete an annual PCA certification. Please visit https://www.positivecoach.org/ for more information on PCA.

All coaches have completed the Double-Goal Coach certification through Positive Coaching Alliance. A Double Goal Coach’s goal is to create Triple Impact Competitor. These competitors focus on:

Making yourself better
Making your teammates better
Making the game better

Other than an obvious endeavor for success in terms of score line, we will use the programs tools to ensure that athletes are better individuals, better teammates and honor the game.

Parents should become part of the team culture by also embracing these ideals and can also use the tools to join in this process. You may be interested in the parent section of the PCA website where you can learn more about how to be a Double-Goal Parent!

Fill their Emotional Tank

We have a magic ratio of 5:1. That is 5 positive comments before you can make a criticism of suggestion for improvement. It is important that an athlete’s emotional tank is full. Criticism empties an emotional tank and is not helpful in the progress of any athlete. Advice is normally best coming from the team coach.

The Tree of Mastery - The E.L.M Tree

Effort over Outcome.

Setting an effort goal rewards the athlete regardless of an outcome that they do not have control over. An example is a batter setting the goal to run hard through first base on a grounder, rather than the goal being to beat the throw to first base. Outcome goals can discourage effort. Eventually Effort Goals will begin, over-time, to achieve the desired outcome.

Effort should be rewarded over Outcome.

Learning
It is essential that we continue to learn in every practice and in every game. A positive result may come without learning but this is not progress. Learning as an individual and as a team combines to make a stronger team and team culture

Mistakes
All athletes make mistakes – even the pros. Accepting that it is okay to make a mistake and learning to deal with a mistake are important tools in growing as a Double Goal Athlete. Coaches will give students the tools to cope with disappointment and learn from their mistakes.