Beyond the Classroom
Introduction
Our students have been actively involved with Sport and Physical Education since 1900, with our Founder having introduced Football, Hockey and Cricket to Cyprus via the English School.
Many generations of students played these traditional sports during their time at the English School and over time, more activities were added. One of these first activities was Athletics, with the Shield Sports between the English School and the American Academy of Larnace being held for the first time in 1914.
As time passed, more and more sports were introduced and we currently have a flourishing programme of Extra Curricular Sports activities on offer for our students. We offer various School Teams/Sports Clubs for all ages. Activities include Basketball, Football, Volleyball, Hockey, Athletics, Tennis, Table Tennis, Gym-Fitness, Dance/Choreography Club, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, Running and Parade. Furthermore, we provide opportunities for our students to represent the School in other sports, such as Biathlon, Badminton, Gymnastics, Skiing and Swimming.
Discover your Sporting Activity
Basketball
Basketball has been one of our core sports at the English School for many years and we have had consistently exceptional results in the past five years, with success at the Pancyprian Finals and several podium positions.
Our staff is supported by the Head of Basketball Development, who has been in position for the past 4 years. Regular morning training sessions are held throughout the year, where are School Team players can train together and perfect their skills and teamwork.
We offer lots of development and competitive opportunities through our Junior Boys and Junior Girls Basketball Teams which train on a weekly basis. Our Senior Boys and Senior Girls School Teams continue to develop our elite players through Years 4-7.
In recent years, we set up a mixed Junior NBA Basketball Team for Year 1 students, ensuring that our youngest players are able to train and play competitively in Regional and National Championships.
Our basketball practices take place in our fully renovated and equipped Sports Centre, with additional facilities provided in a newly developed outdoor area, which features two basketball courts.
Football
Football is one of our most popular sports at the English School. We currently have a Junior Boys and a Senior Boys, as well as an U-15 Girls Football Team.
In recent years, there is a lot more Futsal being played between schools and our Boys Teams participate in the Ministry of Education and in the Nicosia Private Schools Tournaments.
Our U-15 Girls Football Team is unique in that it participates in the Cyprus Football Association National Championship, competing against Football Club Teams. We are the only school that offers this exciting opportunity to our students and we are very proud of the improvement and success of our girls in this competition. Our girls have developed from playing 7-a-side football two years ago, to 9-a-side matches last year and to 11-a-side competitions this year.
For the past two years, our girls have participated in the Ayia Napa International Football Tournament with very good results. We won the Fair Play Award in our category both years, which is testament to their sportsmanship and respect shown towards our opponents.
Our football practices take place on a full-size state-of-the-art synthetic pitch as well as in a cluster of four futsal pitches.
Volleyball
We have four Volleyball Teams that train regularly and represent the School in the Ministry of Education Competitions. Our Junior Boys Team made it to the Pancyprian Finals in May 2024, showing remarkable growth in the previous months. Our Junior Girls Team is having a very good season and the girls are enjoying themselves during practices and matches.
Our Senior Boys and Senior Girls Teams played against other schools in the autumn. They also participated in the traditional Founder’s Day Sports against ESOBGA, the association of our graduates, which is very active in Volleyball.
Once again, our teams practice in our state-of-the-art Sports Centre, with two additional external volleyball courts also being used. Developmental opportunities are offered by the ESOBGA Volleyball Team, who welcome our young volleyball players to train with them, demonstrating that sport at the English School can be sport for life!
Hockey
We are on a mission to re-invigorate Field Hockey at the English School, with the addition of a new coach who is very passionate about the games. Weekly training sessions are being held at the Dinos Ioannou Hockey Pitch which is shared with the Cyprus Hockey Federation. New young talents are being discovered all the time, with the aim being to form a strong team to face the legendary ESOBGA Hockey Team in the annual Founder’s Day and Salakian Trophy matches.
Hockey offers a direct link to the Cyprus National Hockey Team to those who are passionate about the game and who are willing to train regularly, especially if they join the very welcoming ESOBGA Team training sessions!
Athletics
Our Junior Boys, Junior Girls, Senior Boys and Senior Girls Athletics Teams participate in the Nicosia and Pancyprian Schools Competitions on a regular basis, with lots of success. Our athletes reach podium positions every year and maintain one of the School’s Sporting Traditions.
Preparation for Athletics begins in the autumn with strength and conditioning training and participation in the Cross-Country Competitions that are available. In Term 2, our athletes begin to specialise in their specific events and the Inter-House Athletics Competition that takes place in January and February every year serves as the qualifying event for the Nicosia Schools Athletics Competition. This is the stepping stone to the Pancyprian Championships, with the winners of the Senior Athletics events representing the English School and Cyprus in the Panhellenic Athletics Competition. If athletes meet the qualifying records, then they get selected to compete in the World Student Games. In recent years, we had athletes who achieved this amazing honour!
We train at our 400m track at School and we also have sessions at the National Athletics Stadium at GSP.
Tennis
We offer a Junior and a Senior Tennis Club at our new clay tennis courts Regular training aims at helping our students develop their skills and enjoy the sport. We participate in the annual Private Schools Tennis Tournament, where our top male and female tennis players have the chance to represent the English School.
We have traditionally had very good results in this tournament, however, our tennis players always ensure that they enjoy themselves on the tennis courts!
Table Tennis
Our Table-Tennis Club has taken off in recent years and students of all ages train on a weekly basis. They develop their skills and have fun playing table-tennis against other students from all years in the School.
Tournaments are organised annually amongst our students and the top ones get to represent the English School in the Pancyprian Schools Competition.
We have a total of six tables in the Sports Centre and they are fully utilised when the Table-Tennis Club is in session!
Gym-Fitness
Our Gym is open both before and after school and is available to all of our students. There is a qualified and helpful Gym Instructor supervising and advising our students, many of whom train on a regular basis.
We have a very good range of weight training machines, as well as a free weight area with ample equipment. Our students can warm up either outdoors or on one of the aerobic machines that we have.
The Gym is open during school holidays as well, offering the chance to our students to maintain their training regimes, even then.
Dance/Choerography Club
A dedicated group of students join the Dance/Choreography Club every year. They work on choosing and perfecting their dance routines, which they perform on Sports Day. In addition, they always seek opportunities to participate in dance and other events outside the School.
When the opportunity arises, they take part in competitions and shows. They also join other dance groups to provide entertainment in Opening Ceremonies of student sports events in Nicosia.
Their practices take place in the Sports Centre and sometimes in dance studios in Nicosia.
Brazilian Jiu Jitsu
BBJ is one of the most recent additions to the range of sports activities that we offer to our students. Training takes place in a dedicated space with specialised floor mats and is open to all students. It is a popular activity for a lot of students, who often get hooked on it and pursue it outside of school too.
At the moment, there are no school competitions available, but our students still enjoy the regular weekly exposure to the sport and make significant progress over time.
Running
The Running Club is becoming one of the more popular activities and offers weekly training sessions on the track and in the wooded area around the School. Students enjoy training, developing their fitness and forming friendships.
Running Club members participate in events outside of school allover Cyprus and they are often joined by other students, staff and parents.
Parade
The English School participates in the 28th October and the 25th March School Parades, which take place in the centre of Nicosia. Normally, this activity is open to Year 7 and Year 6 students, however, younger students may take part if there are available places on the Parade Team.
Training normally takes place initially in the Sports Centre and later on the athletics track, during breaks, on weekends and on school holidays.
Students learn to march in good style, with coordination and in sync with others, working within a team of 52 participants. Year 7 students have the chance to be selected for the Leadership Team of the Parade, by fulfilling specific criteria.
The aim of the Parade Team is to represent the English School in the best possible way in front of the thousands of people who gather along the mile-long route, putting the team performance above individual preferences, which is in line with our school motto of “non sibi sed scholae”.
Our students have been actively involved with Sport and Physical Education since 1900, with our Founder having introduced Football, Hockey and Cricket to Cyprus via the English School.
Many generations of students played these traditional sports during their time at the English School and over time, more activities were added. One of these first activities was Athletics, with the Shield Sports between the English School and the American Academy of Larnace being held for the first time in 1914.
As time passed, more and more sports were introduced and we currently have a flourishing programme of Extra Curricular Sports activities on offer for our students. We offer various School Teams/Sports Clubs for all ages. Activities include Basketball, Football, Volleyball, Hockey, Athletics, Tennis, Table Tennis, Gym-Fitness, Dance/Choreography Club, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, Running and Parade. Furthermore, we provide opportunities for our students to represent the School in other sports, such as Biathlon, Badminton, Gymnastics, Skiing and Swimming.
Discover your Sporting Activity
Basketball
Basketball has been one of our core sports at the English School for many years and we have had consistently exceptional results in the past five years, with success at the Pancyprian Finals and several podium positions.
Our staff is supported by the Head of Basketball Development, who has been in position for the past 4 years. Regular morning training sessions are held throughout the year, where are School Team players can train together and perfect their skills and teamwork.
We offer lots of development and competitive opportunities through our Junior Boys and Junior Girls Basketball Teams which train on a weekly basis. Our Senior Boys and Senior Girls School Teams continue to develop our elite players through Years 4-7.
In recent years, we set up a mixed Junior NBA Basketball Team for Year 1 students, ensuring that our youngest players are able to train and play competitively in Regional and National Championships.
Our basketball practices take place in our fully renovated and equipped Sports Centre, with additional facilities provided in a newly developed outdoor area, which features two basketball courts.
Football
Football is one of our most popular sports at the English School. We currently have a Junior Boys and a Senior Boys, as well as an U-15 Girls Football Team.
In recent years, there is a lot more Futsal being played between schools and our Boys Teams participate in the Ministry of Education and in the Nicosia Private Schools Tournaments.
Our U-15 Girls Football Team is unique in that it participates in the Cyprus Football Association National Championship, competing against Football Club Teams. We are the only school that offers this exciting opportunity to our students and we are very proud of the improvement and success of our girls in this competition. Our girls have developed from playing 7-a-side football two years ago, to 9-a-side matches last year and to 11-a-side competitions this year.
For the past two years, our girls have participated in the Ayia Napa International Football Tournament with very good results. We won the Fair Play Award in our category both years, which is testament to their sportsmanship and respect shown towards our opponents.
Our football practices take place on a full-size state-of-the-art synthetic pitch as well as in a cluster of four futsal pitches.
Volleyball
We have four Volleyball Teams that train regularly and represent the School in the Ministry of Education Competitions. Our Junior Boys Team made it to the Pancyprian Finals in May 2024, showing remarkable growth in the previous months. Our Junior Girls Team is having a very good season and the girls are enjoying themselves during practices and matches.
Our Senior Boys and Senior Girls Teams played against other schools in the autumn. They also participated in the traditional Founder’s Day Sports against ESOBGA, the association of our graduates, which is very active in Volleyball.
Once again, our teams practice in our state-of-the-art Sports Centre, with two additional external volleyball courts also being used. Developmental opportunities are offered by the ESOBGA Volleyball Team, who welcome our young volleyball players to train with them, demonstrating that sport at the English School can be sport for life!
Hockey
We are on a mission to re-invigorate Field Hockey at the English School, with the addition of a new coach who is very passionate about the games. Weekly training sessions are being held at the Dinos Ioannou Hockey Pitch which is shared with the Cyprus Hockey Federation. New young talents are being discovered all the time, with the aim being to form a strong team to face the legendary ESOBGA Hockey Team in the annual Founder’s Day and Salakian Trophy matches.
Hockey offers a direct link to the Cyprus National Hockey Team to those who are passionate about the game and who are willing to train regularly, especially if they join the very welcoming ESOBGA Team training sessions!
Athletics
Our Junior Boys, Junior Girls, Senior Boys and Senior Girls Athletics Teams participate in the Nicosia and Pancyprian Schools Competitions on a regular basis, with lots of success. Our athletes reach podium positions every year and maintain one of the School’s Sporting Traditions.
Preparation for Athletics begins in the autumn with strength and conditioning training and participation in the Cross-Country Competitions that are available. In Term 2, our athletes begin to specialise in their specific events and the Inter-House Athletics Competition that takes place in January and February every year serves as the qualifying event for the Nicosia Schools Athletics Competition. This is the stepping stone to the Pancyprian Championships, with the winners of the Senior Athletics events representing the English School and Cyprus in the Panhellenic Athletics Competition. If athletes meet the qualifying records, then they get selected to compete in the World Student Games. In recent years, we had athletes who achieved this amazing honour!
We train at our 400m track at School and we also have sessions at the National Athletics Stadium at GSP.
Tennis
We offer a Junior and a Senior Tennis Club at our new clay tennis courts Regular training aims at helping our students develop their skills and enjoy the sport. We participate in the annual Private Schools Tennis Tournament, where our top male and female tennis players have the chance to represent the English School.
We have traditionally had very good results in this tournament, however, our tennis players always ensure that they enjoy themselves on the tennis courts!
Table Tennis
Our Table-Tennis Club has taken off in recent years and students of all ages train on a weekly basis. They develop their skills and have fun playing table-tennis against other students from all years in the School.
Tournaments are organised annually amongst our students and the top ones get to represent the English School in the Pancyprian Schools Competition.
We have a total of six tables in the Sports Centre and they are fully utilised when the Table-Tennis Club is in session!
Gym-Fitness
Our Gym is open both before and after school and is available to all of our students. There is a qualified and helpful Gym Instructor supervising and advising our students, many of whom train on a regular basis.
We have a very good range of weight training machines, as well as a free weight area with ample equipment. Our students can warm up either outdoors or on one of the aerobic machines that we have.
The Gym is open during school holidays as well, offering the chance to our students to maintain their training regimes, even then.
Dance/Choerography Club
A dedicated group of students join the Dance/Choreography Club every year. They work on choosing and perfecting their dance routines, which they perform on Sports Day. In addition, they always seek opportunities to participate in dance and other events outside the School.
When the opportunity arises, they take part in competitions and shows. They also join other dance groups to provide entertainment in Opening Ceremonies of student sports events in Nicosia.
Their practices take place in the Sports Centre and sometimes in dance studios in Nicosia.
Brazilian Jiu Jitsu
BBJ is one of the most recent additions to the range of sports activities that we offer to our students. Training takes place in a dedicated space with specialised floor mats and is open to all students. It is a popular activity for a lot of students, who often get hooked on it and pursue it outside of school too.
At the moment, there are no school competitions available, but our students still enjoy the regular weekly exposure to the sport and make significant progress over time.
Running
The Running Club is becoming one of the more popular activities and offers weekly training sessions on the track and in the wooded area around the School. Students enjoy training, developing their fitness and forming friendships.
Running Club members participate in events outside of school allover Cyprus and they are often joined by other students, staff and parents.
Parade
The English School participates in the 28th October and the 25th March School Parades, which take place in the centre of Nicosia. Normally, this activity is open to Year 7 and Year 6 students, however, younger students may take part if there are available places on the Parade Team.
Training normally takes place initially in the Sports Centre and later on the athletics track, during breaks, on weekends and on school holidays.
Students learn to march in good style, with coordination and in sync with others, working within a team of 52 participants. Year 7 students have the chance to be selected for the Leadership Team of the Parade, by fulfilling specific criteria.
The aim of the Parade Team is to represent the English School in the best possible way in front of the thousands of people who gather along the mile-long route, putting the team performance above individual preferences, which is in line with our school motto of “non sibi sed scholae”.
