Kim and Ryan McKelvie are a teaching and coaching couple from Canada. Both were athletes from a young age. Kim started school overseas in Japan, and grew up playing anything offered. When her family returned to Canada, Kim joined club volleyball and competed in soccer and swimming. Ryan also practiced any sport through elementary school before developing his hockey and baseball skills. Today Ryan plays hockey, runs, and coaches cross country and track and field. Kim enjoys swimming, lifting weights, and coaches varsity girls volleyball and soccer.

 I remember being part of the team. Part of a little family. I want to continue that here at KIS. — Kim McKelvie

Kim and Ryan believe coaching is about more than helping athletes master their sport. Kim loves to teach new skills, pushing her athletes through repetitions and showing that she sees their potential. “They realize what they are able to do, and that builds confidence,” she says. As part of a team, student athletes depend on others. Humility is essential to team success. To play a good game, each athlete must consider their own and others’ strengths. 

Ryan shares that running sports promote personal improvement. Rather than focusing on who finishes first, the teams celebrate personal and seasonal bests. “This encourages students to keep working,” Ryan says, “They see immediate success.” Student athletes learn to set goals and persevere, and many discover a passion that becomes a lifelong love of sport. 

Kim and Ryan think about how to refine the KIS team culture. “We want to shift thinking,” Ryan says, “Instead of asking what can you get from a sport or team, we ask what we can give.”

Both agree coaching is personal. Kim and Ryan set practice schedules and game plans, but they also check in with students’ academic work and organize team building activities. They want student athletes to know their value and feel respected as an important part of our school community.

Brittany Smith went out for basketball when she was in ninth grade. “I didn’t know anything about basketball but I made the team!” She credits her coaches for their encouragement: “I got the most improved player award that season.” International school sports can be a great way for students to try something new, as she did. For Brittany, a third culture kid who lived in South America, Europe, and the Middle East, high school sports were part of being in community with her peers. 

Now Brittany teaches social studies and coaches volleyball and basketball at the KIS middle school. “We have so many different types of kids participate in athletics,” she says. Middle school teams are open for anyone who wants to join, but capped for safety. The short five week seasons allow students to explore a variety of physical activities. 

As a classroom teacher, Brittany nudges her students to show up for the first practice, just to see what they think. And then, at the first practice, Brittany asks anyone who’s played volleyball before to raise their hand. “It helps to see you aren’t the only one new to a sport,” she says, “We’re doing this for fun!” Over the course of a season the girls develop friendships between grade levels.

So many different kids participate in athletics. I enjoy seeing them outside of an academic setting. I can form a different relationship with them.

Brittany hopes to grow girls’ participation in the KIS sports program. “There is so much research about how beneficial it is for young girls to participate in athletics,” she says, “The skills you learn at a sport stay as you grow up.” Brittany attributes her own leadership qualities to her years playing sports. She also sees KIS core values at play during practices and games and knows those traits will show up in the classroom, at the lunch table, and in the wider community too. 

Brittany still remembers how her eleventh grade basketball coach taught the team about accountability and leadership. Each game the coach rotated which player was captain, and everyone had a chance to lead. “The day I was captain,” Brittany says, “I felt confident and empowered. I played my best game.” 

Meredith Bell and Brogan Pratt’s approach to coaching middle school swimmers recognizes the connection between athletic development and social emotional growth. “Natural athletes can struggle in swimming,” Meredith says, “But some athletes who struggle at other sports find their place in the pool.” This makes the sport a unique intersection of camaraderie, competition and personal growth. 

"Middle school swimmers are like fish in a river,” Meredith says, “I love their enthusiasm!” As KIS aquatics director, Meredith works with students during their physical education pool rotation, but coaching gives her a chance to get to know her athletes better. At the middle school level, Meredith sees athletes boost confidence when they master a dive or flip turn. Brogan is an elementary school technology teacher - coaching allows him to work with a different age group. “It’s important that we get up, get moving,” Brogan says. Knowing how to swim is a practical skill. But swimming is also a great lifelong sport, challenging enough to stay active, and low-impact enough to maintain physical health. 

Swimming is a lifetime skill! Some athletes who struggle at other sports find their place in the pool. It's about finding a bit of confidence. – Meredith Bell 

Both Meredith and Brogan promote personal fitness, recognizing that lifelong habits begin early. Meredith grew up in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, an “okay but not great” athlete, but happy to participate. Brogan started swimming competitively as a seven year old and also tried archery and rowing. Now Brogan aspires to be a strong general athlete whose NSCA personal training experience can help others develop a healthy lifestyle. And Meredith competes in triathlons and has a goal to run a marathon on every continent (she’s done four!) and a half marathon in each state. The swim team knows their coaches are committed to an active life and Meredith and Brogan hope this encourages athletes to think about a sport beyond its season.

Stephanie Abel and Chelsea Horsburgh have coached cheer together for four years. Cheer is a new sport to Korea, and the KIS program establishes foundational skills to build strong athletes. Executing a routine is great. “But the beauty of cheer is teamwork,” Stephanie says, “You cannot succeed on your own. You need to be vulnerable enough to depend on someone else.” Both coaches agree the appeal of cheer is more than the fun tosses or flips. 

Chelsea was first drawn to cheer as an elementary student watching cheerleaders at games and assemblies, impressed by the spirit and stunting. She joined her team as a high schooler. “It was a great spot to grow as a leader and athlete,” Chelsea says, “Cheer showed me the value of being active.” One of the reasons KIS offers a variety of sports for students to try is to encourage commitment to exercise which is important to physical and mental health. Now Chelsea appreciates seeing cheer athletes find balance in their day. 

Cheer is new to Korea. At KIS, we needed a foundational program. Then the progression. You have to have the basics first and then you can grow into solid athletes. – Stephanie Abel

The cheer program also encourages athletes to support one another, not just while performing a routine. Both coaches are proud of the school spirit their team displays, and of the friendships strengthened through the sport. The class of 2020 cheer athletes participated in cheer all four years. As a middle school teacher, Chelsea likes that coaching gives her an opportunity to know high school students in a different way. “I love watching the girls develop their autonomy,” she says. “The girls also see how we support each other,” Stephanie says of her partnership with Chelsea. One season was Stephanie’s “pregnant season” and the next was her “new mom season.” The coaches’ own cooperation models healthy relationships for their athletes.

Stephanie still remembers practicing toe touches and back handsprings on the grass of her front yard with her cheer mentor, a high school friend who prepared Stephanie for her first middle school tryout. Stephanie remained connected with her mentor through high school cheer and club competition. Now both she and Chelsea hope their cheer athletes develop a similar dynamic. Cheer is a sport that lets the individual shine. But that single athlete can only fly up in the air if she knows her teammates are ready to catch her.