Sports Teams and the IB Programme

[HugeFanOfBadReligion]

Recently, I switched my courses to IB classes for the next school year. Before I continue, I'll explain the school system for people who have/had a different school system than mine by explaining the three different types of classes (four including classes for kids with special needs) we have for academic subjects:

Applied classes: These classes are for the less smart kids (mainly jocks and some lazy kids attend these classes). The curriculum has very low standards.

Academic classes: Academic classes are for students who achieve good marks and are planning on attending university. These students are prepared to have a fair amount of homework and to complete it. The curriculum has high standards. I am currently taking these classes until the next school year.

IB (International Baccalaurette) classes: These classes are for students who are very dedicated to their schoolwork, and wish to attend a very good university. These students have a lot of homework and need to complete almost all of it to achieve good marks. They must take grade 11 math in grade 10, along with other actions that are intellectually advanced. IB students must complete 150 community hours, while all other students only need to complete 48 hours. If you graduate with a full IB Diploma, which I plan on doing, you can get accepted into basically any university you want. The curriculum has extremely high standards. I am taking these classes in the next school year.

Now back on topic: After I switched my courses for next year, I heard someone mention something about the requirement of playing on at least one sports team to graduate IB. This is obviously a big concern for me. I researched both my school's website and the IB website, and both websites lacked a fair amount of information. This is not confirmed, so I can't say that it is a requirement for sure, but this is a huge concern for me. I don't know what to do. Perhaps I should write a letter without my name on it to the school to ask if it is necessary, and if there is any way to avoid it. If it is a requirement, I'm sure not going down without a fight. But if I give in and join a sports team, do you guys have a suggestion on what would be the best sport to play as a non-athlete? I just want some suggestions on anything that can help me out with this. They seriously can't expect a bunch of advanced students to waste an hour a day of their time after school to play some stupid activity. Most students are nerds like me, and they should have known that many of the IB students would be non-athletic.

[Earl]

HugeFanOfBadReligion, as a middle-aged man, I know nothing about the IB program. But my wife, who is a retired high-school teacher, has just informed me that our neice is a participant in the program and has definitely not been required to participate in a sports team. (Incidentally, she happens to share your aversion to sports.) So, if your school is requiring participation in a sports team, they are probably making something up to "enhance" the IB program. If you're afraid to contact your school district, you should contact the people who are in charge of the IB program and get a ruling from them. There might not be anything for you to worry about, but you definitely need to check to be sure. Please let us know what you find out.

Earl

[HugeFanOfBadReligion]

HugeFanOfBadReligion, as a middle-aged man, I know nothing about the IB program. But my wife, who is a retired high-school teacher, has just informed me that our neice is a participant in the program and has definitely not been required to participate in a sports team. (Incidentally, she happens to share your aversion to sports.) So, if your school is requiring participation in a sports team, they are probably making something up to "enhance" the IB program. If you're afraid to contact your school district, you should contact the people who are in charge of the IB program and get a ruling from them. There might not be anything for you to worry about, but you definitely need to check to be sure. Please let us know what you find out.

Earl

Thanks. Today, I heard someone mention that you have to join a team, club, or any kind of extra curricular activity that is organized by the school. So I think that this won't be a problem for me, I guess it just means that sports teams could count as a group that I could join in the school, but obviously that's not what I'm going to do. I've already been in 3 different groups in my school (all of them music related), and I plan on doing more in the future, so no worries, unless what I heard today is wrong.

[Earl]

I must say that I am relieved by what you have just said in your latest post in this topic. As a matter of fact, I'm quite relieved. The requirement to be part of an extra-curricular group does make sense (as long as participation in a sports team is not imposed upon nonathletic students, for crying out loud). The intent is to be sure that the students will be well-rounded.

By the way, what musical instrument(s) have you played? Both sides of our family have a history of producing trombonists.

[Nick]

So you're taking Honors until next year when you'll be taking advanced preparation classes, pretty much?

[HugeFanOfBadReligion]

By the way, what musical instrument(s) have you played? Both sides of our family have a history of producing trombonists.

I have played bass for more than three years, and this year I played in the school jazz band, concert band, and I played bass as an accompaniment for the school's vocal group. I also played tenor saxaphone in middle school because string instruments weren't among the instruments we had to play in middle school.

[Earl]

That's really cool. You certainly did a lot more than I did when I was a band student in high school.

[Nick]

[sarcasm]So, have you considered joining the school marching band? You get to play at football games!!![/sarcasm]

[HugeFanOfBadReligion]

[sarcasm]So, have you considered joining the school marching band? You get to play at football games!!![/sarcasm]

With a bass? Good luck.