In Xi’an, XLIS is a founding member of the Xi’an International Athletics Conference (XIAC), currently made up of four international schools in Xi’an. Each of these four schools has a plan two host two tournaments that cover a variety of sports for students in the city. The tournaments take place on different Saturdays throughout the year.
Blue Dragons Athletics Program
The Blue Dragons Athletics Program is an initiative that aims to grow the number of competitive sports teams at XLIS. The goal is to field teams in many different sports and provide students of all ages the chance to become a Blue Dragon. The XLIS Blue Dragons compete in leagues and tournaments locally against schools in Xi’an, as well as regionally against schools across China.
Athletic Conferences
Regionally, XLIS is a member of the Association of China and Mongolia International Schools (ACAMIS) and participates in the ACAMIS Sports League invitational tournaments. These invitational tournaments are hosted by member schools across China, with competition usually taking place on Friday and Saturday. As a result, students need travel and stay in hotels to participate.
Student Participation
Teams in the Blue Dragons Athletics Program are competitive in nature and therefore the number of students able to participate is limited. All students are invited to try out for any team within their age bracket, but only a certain number of students will be selected for each team. The coaches will use certain criteria when selecting players for the team. Students in PYP will be notified of tryout times during PE class, while upper school students will be notified during homeroom. In some instances, all students will be able to participate in training but may be restricted from a tournament due to registration limits per school.
Training Time and Fees
Most teams, with a few exceptions such as cross country, will have training on Mondays and Fridays from 3:30-4:30 PM. Two busses will be provided to take students to designated locations after training, one that runs through Gaoxin and another that travels to Qujiang.
In addition, any students selected for a team will not need to pay fees to participate. All uniforms, coaching, and travel to games in Xi’an will be arranged and paid for by XLIS. The only time extra fees will be required is if a student has opted to participate in a travel tournament as part of ACAMIS, where the hotel and inter-city travel cost will need to be borne by the participant.
Why Sports Are Important
Playing sports can promote a healthy lifestyle and teach kids transferrable skills that they use far into adult life. Being on a team teaches kids valuable social skills. They learn how to share, value diverse skillsets, make friends, trust others, have fun, improve self-esteem, and support and encourage one another. Playing sports can also help with fitness levels and maintain a health balanced diet.
Mission
XLIS provides a non-profit education focused on enabling confident, open-minded global citizens through life-long learning and a sense of community.
Vision
To lead education through innovation and a student-centered, community-driven approach.
Teams by Age Division
U8 (P2-P3, born after 31 August 2014)
Students will be invited by their PSPE teacher to participate in “development days” with students from other international schools on certain Saturdays. These Saturday sessions will focus on skill development with some friendly, non-competitive games.
U11 Teams (P4-P6, born after 31 August 2011)
Students will have their first opportunity to join organized sport and participate in organized competitions.
All team sports will have a boys’ team and girls’ team offered. Teams will have league matches scheduled regularly on Saturdays throughout the season and a final, all-day tournament at the end.
Most individual sports will also offer separate boys’ and girls’ divisions during competitive play but may not have specialized after-school training.
U14 Teams (M1-M3, born after 31 August 2008)
Students will continue to play the sports that were introduced at the U11 level.
All team sports will have a boys’ team and girls’ team offered. Teams will play organized, competitive friendly matches against both international and local schools in Xi’an.
Most individual sports will also offer separate boys’ and girls’ divisions during competitive play but may not have specialized after-school training.
U19 Teams (M4-DP2, born after 31 August 2004)
Students will have the opportunity to participate in all major sports played by international schools in Xi’an and regionally around China.
All team sports will have a boys’ team and girls’ team offered, except for volleyball. Teams will play organized, competitive friendly matches against both international and local schools in Xi’an before finishing each season off with a major tournament.
All individual sports will also offer separate boys’ and girls’ divisions during competitive play but may not have specialized after-school training.
XLIS Tournaments
The Chang’an Cup – January 13-14, 2023
The Chang’an Cup is an annual basketball tournament for international senior high school students hosted by Xi’an Liangjiatan International School (XLIS). XLIS created the Chang’an Cup in 2020 to promote exchange within the community of international schools in Xi’an. The inaugural tournament in 2021 saw eight teams compete in the boys’ division and three in the girls’ division. The champions were the XIS Warriors and SSFBC Unicorns.
Unfortunately, the tournament was cancelled in 2022 due to the resurgence of covid-19 in Xi’an. However, the Chang’an Cup is scheduled to return on January 13 and 14, 2023, bigger than ever. XLIS anticipates welcoming at least twelve teams from six schools across both boys’ and girls’ divisions for two days of non-stop action.
The Jr. Chang’an Cup – May 6, 2023
The Jr. Chang’an Cup is the primary school version of XLIS’ premier basketball tournament. Teams of U11 students from international schools throughout Xi’an play weekly league matches on Saturdays during March and April. After ranking the teams based on these league results, all the participants gather at XLIS for a final tournament to determine the champions.
The tournament has grown substantially since its inaugural season in 2020. It started with only three schools participating in a co-ed division, to six schools participating with both a boys’ and girls’ division. It is our hope that the Jr. Chang’an Cup continues to grow and offer U11 students in Xi’an sporting memories that will last a lifetime.
The Liangjiatan Jam – October 29, 2022
XLIS will host the first Liangjiatan Jam basketball tournament for middle school students in October 2022. The creation of the Liangjiatan Jam will bridge the gap between the Jr. and Sr. Chang’an Cups by offering a competitive tournament for U14 students. The goal for the inaugural edition is to have four schools participate with each entering a team in both the boys’ and girls’ divisions. In the long term, the tournament is intended to maintain continuity for student athletes who can now have the opportunity to play organized basketball non-stop from U11 right up to U19.
