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Sport

JESS is renowned as being one of the strongest sporting schools in the UAE, dating back to when the school was founded in 1975 to the provision and success of the department today. The ethos is focused on inclusion and participation and as you enter our new sports centre you are met by the following quote which goes to some length to sum up much of our philosophy.

“Sport is friendship,
Sport is health,
Sport is education,
Sport is life,
Sport brings the world together.”

Juan Antonio Samaranch – 1996 Olympic Games Opening Ceremony

JESS has an outstanding record of success in sport across Dubai, the UAE and further afield. At home the teams compete competitively all year round as part of Dubai Affiliated School Sport Association (DASSA) league organisation and in a variety of other competition including the World School Games (Athletics, Swimming & Football), Dubai 7s Festival (Rugby & Netball), BSAK Festival (Football, Netball & Rugby) along with a whole host of locally organised events.

Sporting trips and camps also play an important part in the student’s development and as a result, the school has developed an international reputation for its sport. Each year whether it is the Primary International Netball and Rugby trip to Asia, a training camp in Al Ain or a trip to Rosslyn Park National School 7’s tournament (at which JESS created History being the first International school to reach a final) the aim is always to give opportunity for students to travel, play against the best and experience other sporting cultures.

At JESS, Sport and Physical Education play a fundamental part in every student’s education in which the main focus is wellness and wellbeing. Sport embraces and explores the values of the school, in particular those of respect, commitment and excellence. Above all, JESS Sport is for everyone. It is an integral part of a broad education that seeks to produce well-rounded individuals who are equipped to take their place and ‘Make a Difference’ in the world with confidence and conviction.

Physical Education is also an important part of the programme at JESS and is encouraged for all year groups, from FS1 to Year 13. It increases physical competence, health and fitness, self-responsibility and enjoyment of physical activity so that it becomes an essential part of student’s lives. The curriculum is designed to develop core skills in body management and hand-eye co-ordination, coupled with the understanding of health and fitness and game understanding.

The main sports at JESS are Basketball, Football, Netball, Rugby and Swimming. Other popular sports taught as part of the curriculum or included in our diverse ECA Programme include Athletics, Cricket, Cross Country, Golf and Water Polo.

Athletics

Athletics is one of JESS’s major activities in term two. Children compete in sports day (both track and field) from FS1 upwards, and as you move further up the school children become more competitive in this discipline, with squads competing locally with other schools. We have over 200 keen students participating at the DASSA and World School Games Championships. Our athletes have excelled across the UAE and at home in both track and field events, gaining national recognition and with some athletes going on to represent their country. Most of those involved also use the training as a valuable part of their fitness and conditioning for other sports but the buzz of individual competition and a strong team ethos helps to make this an enjoyable sport for many.

Basketball

Basketball has become one of the fastest growing sports at JESS. At senior level there are now 12 teams and at junior level 20, which means well over 200 students are now competing within regular fixtures. This helps to ensure that those who enjoy this sport are given an equal opportunity to represent the school within competitive matches and tournaments. The basketball programme aims to provide an opportunity for individuals to be part of a team and develop a passion for an exciting, fast-paced and physically demanding sport where teamwork is more important than individual ability. In addition, our world class indoor facilities (5 courts) and qualified coaches ensure that every pupil has the means to maximise their skills and fulfil their potential.

Cross Country

Cross country running is a very popular activity at JESS with training and competition taking place throughout the first two terms. The school has an excellent record in DASSA events and has one of the best running clubs in Dubai. Squads begin at Year 3, with primary students training on home ground or at the beach, and secondary students are often seen training around Alma Lake from September to April.

Football

Football is the main sport played in the first term with over 40 teams across all age groups. This is the most of any school in Dubai. Our Football Programme provides opportunities for children of all ability levels to play in teams from A to C who all compete in the DASSA Secondary league and cup competitions. By providing opportunities for all ability levels, students enjoy a diverse programme where they not only develop their technical skills but learn values such as integrity, responsibility and respect which they need for the challenges they face not just on the pitch but in all areas of school life. There are also strong links with external academies, providing pathways for students to continue their development outside of school. There is an extensive group of well-trained staff, including UEFA A & B Licence holders. The aim of the staff is to provide an enjoyable and challenging environment that enables students to enjoy their sport and access competitive provision, while pushing those who have ambitions to progress their football careers. As a result, many of our footballers continue to play after JESS. Several have signed for English academy teams, competing within the UAE Professional leagues and achieving scholarships at American Universities.

Rugby

JESS has a proud rugby tradition with the ‘white and blue’ jersey becoming synonymous with rugby in the UAE. The school sides have enjoyed much success in recent years both in the UAE and abroad, however, the real measure of success lies in the number of girls and boys who regularity represent the 20 teams in the three formats of the game (15s, 10s and 7s).

The ethos of JESS rugby is that every boy or girls no matter their standard, has the opportunity to play for the school. The aim is to cultivate an enjoyable environment where all can maximize their personal development. Each team has an excellent provision from an outstanding group of truly knowledgeable staff with international experience, allowing participation at the appropriate level and they take pride in playing and representing JESS.

Trips and tours are also an important part of the programme. The destinations have ranged from Al Ain, Abu Dhabi, Lisbon and to the National Schools Rosslyn Park 7s tournament in the UK where notably our U14s created history in 2019 by reaching the final of this prestigious competition.

A number of former JESS players have gone on to represent the UAE at under 17, under 19 and the senior men’s side. Former students have also returned to their home countries and have gone on to represent their nation at England under 18 and Scotland under 18 level.

Netball

Netball is one of the major sports at JESS. Students begin netball in the third term of Year 2 and by the time they reach secondary, we have over 200 girls taking the opportunity to represent the school across 18 teams. A typical week consists of 20 fixtures played from U12 through to the Blues. The extensive fixture list gives girls of all ages many opportunities to compete, from A to D team. The squads compete in the DASSA leagues, DASSA tournaments and often travel to tournaments across the UAE and UK. There is also the popular pre-season tour to Abu Dhabi which acts as a bonding trip ahead of the season. Preparation begins in Term 1 with all players participating in training and the strength and conditioning programme. Through the year there is opportunity to represent JESS and in June there is the annual trip to the World School Games in Loughborough for the under 13, 15 and 17 squads. The international festival at Dubai College also gives the A & B teams the opportunity to play teams from the UK, including Epsom and Brighton College. As ever there is the popular Dubai 7s weekend giving the senior girls the chance to play teams from all over the world.

The facilities are world class with five indoor air-conditioned netball courts and the coaching staff include former Super league and International players.

In 2019, the under 13 team attended the World School Games in Loughborough University finishing runners-up in the cup competition. Current and former JESS students often represent the under 17 and Senior Women’s UAE squad. In 2022, two JESS students helped the UAE to win silver at the European under 17 Championships in Newcastle.

Swimming

Swimming is one of the most successful sports at JESS and has a thriving swimming programme where students can pursue their passion and fulfil their potential. The provision caters for students ranging from learn to swim, swim fit, club swimmers through to elite performance. The successful programme gives swimmers a variety of experiences whether through swimming itself, water polo, galas, aquathlons or relays. All students have the chance to enjoy the aquatics provision whilst developing integrity, discipline, and sportsmanship.

Swimmers can attend daily morning, lunchtime or after school training sessions throughout the year. JESS organises numerous inter school swim galas for A, B and C teams alongside the Water Polo teams. JESS is also extremely well resourced and has a 25m, 9 lane swimming pool at Arabian Ranches campus and a 25m, 6 lane swimming pool at the Jumeirah campus.

Strength & Conditioning

The aim of the strength and conditioning programme at JESS is to develop all aspects of students’ strength and conditioning requirements, including, strength, power, and speed development, whilst making sure it is age and stage specific. The training sessions also provide an opportunity for students to switch off from academic and sporting pressures and channel their energy in a different direction.

Waterpolo

Water polo is an emerging sport at JESS. Its popularity has grown in recent years is played as part of the aquatics programme all the way through the secondary school in term 3. Water polo is open to all pupils in secondary school as a competitive sport for both boys and girls. Teams compete from under 13 to blues, with weekly training and matches against all the leading school’s in Dubai. Many of the students enjoy water polo training as it blends swimming fitness with strategic game skills, promoting a strong team-orientated ethos.