Panthers of ISKL #337: IASAS Season 3 2025-2026 Panthers
The IASAS Season 3 event for the 2025-2026 academic year was yet another opportunity for ISKL students to grow and come together in their respective sporting disciplines. They were each committed to showcasing their true Panther spirit, representing the school in Badminton, Golf, Baseball & Softball, Track & Field.
Here we meet five IASAS Season 3 athletes and learn more about their experience, how they were inspired, and what motivated them to participate in IASAS and represent ISKL.
Here are their stories:
GIRLS BADMINTON
Describe your feelings leading up to IASAS
I felt excited but also slightly nervous, especially for my first IASAS experience. There was a sense of anticipation, but I was also focused on proving myself and contributing to the team.
Tell us what you gained through your experience at IASAS and how it impacted your team
Through IASAS, I understood myself better as a player. I realized that I perform best when I focus on the game instead of the score, which helped me stay more consistent and bring a calmer presence to the team.
Describe your most memorable moment as a Badminton team member during the IASAS Tournament
My most memorable moment was performing a comeback in a tough three-set match against Jakarta Intercultural School (JIS) on home court. After falling behind, I stayed focused and managed to turn the match around, which made the victory far more rewarding.
What advice would you give other students who wish to participate in the IASAS in future years?
I would advise students to fully enjoy every part of IASAS, both on and off the court. Take the opportunity to meet new people and build connections while competing.
Words by Valerie Y. (‘26)
BOYS BADMINTON
Describe your most memorable moments during the IASAS Badminton Tournament
One of my most memorable moments during the IASAS Badminton tournament was the morning of the first day, when we faced Taipei American School (TAS). Although my teammates and I were competing on different courts and some matches had already begun, we all found ourselves standing on the same side, rackets raised, preparing to serve. At that moment, it felt as though we were going into battle together. That shared sense of unity and purpose is something I will always carry with me.
As a member of the Badminton team, what were you most proud of?
As captain of the team, I am most proud of the camaraderie among our players. No matter who we face, we support one another without hesitation. We celebrate every point together and respond to every mistake with encouragement rather than frustration. This positive mindset and mutual trust define who we are as a team.
Words by Yuhao Z. (‘26)
GIRLS GOLF
Describe your feelings leading up to IASAS.
This IASAS, I was definitely feeling more emotional than usual. As a senior, it really hit me that moments like this don’t come around often, and not everyone gets to experience something like IASAS. I felt really grateful thinking about all the people I had met in previous years, and I was honestly just excited to see them again and spend one last tournament together. At the same time, it felt kind of surreal knowing this would be my last one. I think leading up to it, I was a mix of everything: excited, nervous, and a little sad. I wanted to do well, but more than anything, I just wanted to enjoy every moment and not take anything for granted, because I knew it would be over before I even realized it.
Describe your most memorable moments as a Golf team member during the IASAS Tournament
My most memorable moments from IASAS were honestly the connections I made, especially with my flight mates. I think that’s what makes golf so unique. Even though it’s an individual sport, you’re grouped with girls from different schools, so you’re kind of competing on your own but also sharing the experience with new people at the same time. At first, it feels a little intimidating, but over the rounds, you start talking more, joking around, and just getting to know each other. That’s how I ended up making some really meaningful friendships, which made the whole tournament feel so much more special.
At the same time, some of my favorite memories were with my own team in the little moments in between. We would sit in the hotel lobby making bracelets together, just talking and laughing about everything. I would like to thank my team for making me feel more relaxed and reminding me that IASAS wasn’t just about competition, but also about the people I got to experience it with.
Words by Amanda V. D. (‘26)
BOYS GOLF
BASEBALL
Describe your feelings leading up to IASAS
My feelings leading up to IASAS were a mix of nervous excitement. That anxious feeling to just get out there and play a sport that my teammates and I enjoy, along with that feeling of a collective fight and common goal amongst the team to go out there and do our best representing ISKL in the most fun and competitive way we can.
Describe your most memorable moments as a Baseball team member during the IASAS Tournament
Our most memorable moments during the IASAS tournament were the ones sharing the field one last time, putting together all we had worked for throughout the season. This team truly became a family, and that was evident on the field. Specifically, our game against International School Manila (ISM) was quite memorable, battling back for the come-from-behind victory. Eliott hitting a 2-run go-ahead home run in the last inning to propel us to the victory was quite surreal. That sense of euphoria was unreal, and it was such a great moment to share all.
Words by Aidan P. (‘26)
SOFTBALL
Describe your feelings leading up to IASAS
I was excited yet very nervous. There were so many expectations and hopes leading up to this IASAS, especially since it was many of my teammates’ last one.
As a member of the Softball team, what were you most proud of?
I am most proud of how our team came back from the disappointment of not making the championship game to win the bronze game against Singapore American School (SAS). The mental aspect is incredibly important. We were down 0-5 in the first two innings of the game against SAS. Many times, this creates a huge mental hurdle that’s extremely difficult to overcome. Nevertheless, our team managed to do just that and win the game 13 to 5. Everyone’s individual efforts and their belief that this is not how we’re going to end IASAS led to our victory and is something I am incredibly proud of.
What advice would you give other students who wish to participate in the IASAS in future years?
The only two things you need are effort and dedication. If you make a Junior Varsity team, don’t quit. Continue to build your skills until you reach varsity and IASAS.
Words by Michaela U. (‘26)
TRACK & FIELD
Tell us what you gained through your experience at IASAS and how it impacted your team
I learned that not every ‘good’ race is determined by the place or time you receive. My goal for this IASAS was to run and have fun, and to run my races without letting the external pressures impact how I showed up for my team or myself during this weekend. Track & Field is a high-pressure sport, so I learned to find ways to calm myself and my teammates before our races, and to look at the bigger scheme of things and not stress myself out by things I couldn’t control. I learned to find things to be proud of after my races, despite my time or positioning, and that helped me get into a better headspace for my next race/event.
As a member of the Track and Field team, what were you most proud of?
I was most proud of not only my team, but especially my 4x400m girls. We came into this tournament knowing we wanted to medal in this relay, and that we did. We went against some tough competition, but during the race, we were driven to give the next girl the best chance she could get at winning, and that motivation helped us to run an incredible race. Every single girl in this race pushed as hard as they could, and they helped give me the best chance that I could at medaling, and I ran to not only make these girls proud, but my team proud.
Words by Daphne L. (‘27)
Tell us what you gained through your experience at IASAS and how it impacted your team
It's hard to describe just how great an experience IASAS is with words alone – it's something you have to feel to truly understand. The competition at IASAS is some of the steepest we experience all season, and being an athlete always comes with the uncertainty of not knowing how everything will work out.
In track and field, we've witnessed an incredibly competitive period in the past few years, with IASAS records being shattered left and right. Fortunately, seeing the bar raised makes everyone jump higher. IASAS is inspiring for that reason; it pushes us to our limits, where we find out what we're really capable of. Along the way, we find that the limits we thought we were capable of reaching were further than we realized. And perhaps most importantly, we learn that our limits can continue to be pushed.
Sometimes, all it takes is watching a teammate or competitor dominate the field at IASAS to realize that with a little bit more work, effort, and sacrifice... that could be you next year.
As a senior, what will you miss the most about IASAS?
As a senior, the IASAS track and field this year was my last ever IASAS event before graduating. Writing this just one day after having come back from IASAS, I already know that the community will be what I miss the most; I am so, so proud I get to say that, because not everybody does.
There's something special when you have an entire team turning up before the opening ceremony to support six people running a 3km race when most other teams are still at home.
There's something special when at the darkest moment of a race, as every ounce of your body says you cannot do this, you hear the roar from your teammates and find the energy to continue to fight. There's something special when your teammates continue to believe in you after a bad race, throw, or jump – especially when you don't even believe in yourself.
Our teammate Armaan, in his thank you message, had a particularly poignant sentence that really resonated with me: "In a sport that is painful and grueling, where I wake up at 6.00 am wondering why I’m even coming to school to practice, I always found my answer in this amazing community." This was Armaan and my last IASAS as seniors; all good things must come to an end, and we couldn't think of a better team to end it with. To our teammates and coaches, thanks for coming along the journey.
Words by Zhi Hong C. (‘26)
Do you know of any student, teacher, parent, or staff member who always has an anecdote to tell, loves to share some insights into their passions and interests, or simply is a Panther through and through? Nominate them to be featured in our Panthers of ISKL stories by sending in your submissions here.