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RIFFA Views International School (RVIS) will be playing host to a private schools’ popular soccer tournament for the first time as it prepares to officially unveil its state-of-the-art new sporting facilities.
The school already boasts a range of world-class athletic features and recently completed a Fifa-regulation full-size football pitch, with a seven-a-side training pitch attached.
RVIS has invested millions of dinars in its structure and equipment since it opened six years ago and now attracts 300 students with pupil numbers continuing to grow each year.
Physical Education teacher Dave Horner, 31, Middle/High School athletic director and the Bahrain Private Schools Sports League (BPSSL) committee league and results co-ordinator, said: “The facility at RVIS is, I believe, the best of its kind in Bahrain.
“RVIS is one of the few schools on the island which can boast facilities for all the major sports inside its campus walls. The students at RVIS have the unique opportunity to use these facilities every day during recess, PE class and after-school activities.”
When the school was being planned before its opening in September 2008, the soccer pitches were part of the original concept. Planning for the pitches has gone through different transformations over time but was recently completed during the summer of 2013.
“The official handover to the school was complete in the autumn of 2012 and we plan to have an opening ceremony later this school year to celebrate this wonderful addition to our facilities,” coach Horner added.
“The finest quality surface was investigated and used. The product used is called Elite 55, which is a FIFA-rated product and it uses finest quality ‘Green Vision’ monofilament yarn to make this product. The raw material, as well as the finished product, undergoes a series of tests, confirming stability against the high UV ratings of this region. We’re confident in the quality and that it will withstand our summer temperatures.”
The foundations for floodlights have also been constructed with all of the necessary piping in place. The lighting will be added at a later date.
RVIS is a member school of the BPSSL. It consists of a number of schools from around the island and members play three seasons of sports against each other in three different age categories.
Schools play in a league campaign which lasts approximately 10 weeks and culminates in a tournament for each age group; Junior (Under 13), Intermediate (Under 15) and Senior.
* Season 1 - September to December (Volleyball)
* Season 2 - December to February (Boys Basketball & Girls Soccer)
* Season 3 - February to May (Girls Basketball & Boys Soccer)
Schools involved alongside RVIS are St Christopher’s School, British School of Bahrain, Bahrain Bayan School, Ibn Khuldoon National School, Modern Knowledge School, Shaikha Hessa Girls School, Bahrain School, French School of Bahrain and Al Raja School.
RVIS is also a member of the Primary Sports League, established to provide competitive tournaments for students aged 11 and younger.
There are eight schools participating in this league, including two from Saudi Arabia. Students are offered the opportunity to participate in a variety of traditional and non-traditional sports tournaments such as soccer, netball, dodgeball and benchball.
Current member schools in this category are St Christopher’s School, Bahrain Bayan School, British School of Bahrain, Dhahran British Grammar School, Ibn Khuldoon National School, British International School Al Khobar and Modern Knowledge School.
Although RVIS is a relative newcomer to the leagues it has already hosted indoor sporting events prior to preparing to host the Girls Intermediate Soccer Tournament on Sunday, February 16.
Its six outdoor tennis courts are currently managed by JC’s Tennis Academy. It also has an auxiliary gym that serves multiple different needs and includes six badminton/short tennis courts. The 25m weather-controlled swimming pool, with an adjacent training pool for young children, allows every student in the school to participate in swimming instruction.
The school’s main gymnasium has double basketball courts lined with acoustic tiles that allow instruction and coaching to carry on when activities are taking place. There is also a gymnastics studio and a fitness room.
Furthermore, its location, within the Riffa Views Signature Estates, provides the school with unique access to the development’s Colin Montgomerie-designed PGA level championship golf course.
The facilities are used daily by the two athletic directors/ physical education teachers who are responsible for the sports programmes throughout the school, British coach Horner and his American colleague Devron Shepherd - Elementary Athletic Director.
Coach Horner said: “The 2013/14 school year is our second year of membership. Because RVIS has outstanding sporting facilities we were asked to host a number of tournaments during the 2012/13 BPSSL seasons and more during the 13/14 seasons.
“RVIS hosted the junior basketball tournaments and intermediate volleyball tournaments last year, all four went fantastically well and members of the league mentioned what a pleasure it was to come to our school and play in our facilities, in well organised and competitive tournament play. Additionally, RVIS hosted the Primary Sports League basketball tournament.”
RVIS is a non-profit, college preparatory school, from Nursery to Grade 10. Additional grades are being added yearly - grades 11 and 12, in the next two years. There are more than 30 nationalities represented in its student body, ranging from ages of three to 15, and 50 teachers and 10 para-professionals (teacher assistants).
