Meet Ben Smith

Today, the spotlight is on Ben Smith, our Head of Sports. Many of you know him for his inspiring "Mr. Smith's Weekly Words of Wisdom" in our weekly sports news. Today, we’ll get to know the man behind the wisdom and guidance. Let's dive into Ben's journey and insights.

Could you please introduce yourself and tell us about your role at ISL?

So, this is my 10^th year at ISL as a PE teacher and 7^th year as Head of Sports. Prior to this, I was the Athletics Director at the International School of Dhaka, Bangladesh. As Head of Sports, my role is to organise our competitive NECIS sports program as well as facilitate our participation in other local LASEL events within Luxembourg.

As both the Head of Sports and a parent at ISL, how do you balance these dual roles?

Good question – dropping our children off in the morning in the lower school is one of the highlights of the day. Picking up end the of the day is more challenging as this is when I need time to spend with coaches and teams and ensure that they are all on track for upcoming games or competitions. I’m VERY lucky that Mrs. Smith often keeps me up to date with events coming up or things that our children need to be signed up for.

What did you do prior to working at ISL, and what brought you to our school?

As mentioned above, Mrs Smith (PE Teacher and G12 Adv Lead) were working at the International School Dhaka, Bangladesh. We were there three years and although we enjoyed travelling and living in SE Asia, the draw of being closer to home eventually guided us back. We applied online for one job, then a second job, also in PE came up the next day and within a week we had confirmed that Luxembourg would be our new home.

What does your typical day look like, especially when balancing administrative duties and direct interaction with students and sports teams?

Luckily, I have help from Antoinette in the sports office who helps keep me on my toes with things I need to catch up on. Sometimes, she lets me take my coat off before bombarding me with things to do. My classes are the priority as that is what I was originally hired for so then the rest of the time is answering emails, calling, or meeting parents, or just keeping on top of planning for upcoming events that ISL is involved in.

What do you love most about your work at ISL?

Obviously, the student athletes are what makes the program work and without them, nothing would happen. However, I am fortunate to collaborate with some amazing people and none more so than the PE team. We are colleagues, but also friends and all on the same page with a relaxed environment but one where student learning is at the forefront of all we teach. We support each other and can always rely on each other should we need help with something school or non-school related.

Can you share a bit about the NECIS Sports program and how ISL participates in it?

Northwest European Council of International Schools (NECIS). Founded in 1980 by three schools whose goal was to organize inter-school tournaments in basketball, football and volleyball, NECIS has grown into an organization that boasts eleven member schools from seven different countries located in northwest Europe. Our aim is to promote competitive tournaments in nine different sports at four different age levels – football, volleyball, basketball, swimming, tennis, golf, softball, track and field and cross country. ISL participates in all these sports with age groups from U10 all the way up to Varsity level.

How many sports are we involved in as a school through NECIS, and what impact do these sports have on our students?

As well as the sports mentioned above, we also compete in LASEL Ski, Swim, Table Tennis, and Triathlon competitions. These opportunities really do provide memorable experiences that we want our athletes to look back on and remember. We want them to remember the feeling or success but also that of not quite making it and be able to learn from it and take it with them in all their life opportunities.

What do you think is unique about ISL?

From a sports perspective, I love that we have a ‘no-cut’ policy in the NECIS program so any child who signs up will be given the opportunity to train and play as part of the team right up until selection for that season’s tournament. This really helps promote the inclusive nature and reward those who deserve to be involved.

What are some of the most important skills a student should acquire today, both on and off the field?

Leadership – I have tried hard to develop this amongst our students. I liken this to the term ‘cultural architect’ where identifying these leaders and then hopefully seeing them change and promote the sporting ethos amongst the student body. The ‘Great person Theory’ tells us that leaders are born and not made so I am always trying to bring this out of our students to watch them grow.

Communication – this is like above in that you do not need to be the best player to be the leader or to communicate but being to pass on a message or instruction in a manner that will positive, and helpful is something that holds terrific value. We all have ups and down on and off the field/court but having someone there to remind us that it’s OK to fall or fail and that there’s a bigger picture to contend with, is special.

How do you define the success of a student in both academics and athletics?

To me, it’s all relative and is based on that student. Success can be winning, a NECIS championship, or simply putting on the Eagles jersey and playing one game. We are lucky to see both ends of the spectrum from an athletic perspective. In terms of academics, I don’t really see too much unless someone is falling behind and maybe an intervention needed to help ensure they meet requirements to compete for ISL.

You are well-known for your “Mr. Smith's Weekly Words of Wisdom” in the weekly sports news. Could you share a piece of advice or wisdom that you think is particularly important for our community?

I have two - Theodore Roosevelt's quote, "Do what you can, with what you have, where you are. This mindset can lead to greater productivity, resilience, and satisfaction, as it encourages you to take action and make the most of every situation. I also like this as it can be applied to life outside of sports, at the end of the day, we cannot ask for anymore. The second is ‘Fault vs Responsibility’ where we need to learn that some things happen in life that we cannot control and not our fault, but we must in term try to take responsibility for this and for our actions in how we respond. This is what we can control whether a decision goes against us, or a player gets injured then we as team, must take responsibility for how we respond. Do we withdraw and put blame on something else, or fight back, do our best and see what happens.

Describe ISL in 5 words.

Supportive, encouraging, positive, memorable, safe.

Go Eagles!!!!!