DODDS European Championships

DODDS European Championships are sport competitions taking place in Europe and are hosted by the DODDS (Department of Defense Dependents Schools) system.^[1] The term Europeans is a nickname for the entire competition. Europeans take place 3 times a year, once in the fall, once in winter and once during the spring.

History

DODDS opened its first school on October 14, 1946. It is designed for military children who live overseas on military bases. There are 81 schools in the DODDS system in 9 different countries overseas. The majority of the schools are in Europe. Europeans bring together hundreds of students from these schools all over Europe. Typically, they meet at a main base in Germany such as: Ramstein, Wiesbaden, Baumholder, or Kaiserslautern.^[2]

The women’s volleyball teams in Italy are new to Europeans. Before it became part of Europeans it had its own league formerly known as the ISL championships (Italy School Leagues). As of 2005 it was decided that the women’s volleyball teams would also compete against the teams in Germany also. Men’s volleyball is still in its own ISL league due to the lack of men volleyball teams in Germany. Italy is one of the only countries that DODDS schooling has men volleyball.

Sports

Europeans occur three times out of the school year.^[3]

Fall Season

• Men’s and Women’s Volleyball
• Football
• Cross Country
• Tennis
• Cheerleading

Winter Season

• Men’s and Women’s Basketball
• Cheerleading
• Wrestling

Spring Season ^[3]

• Men’s and Women’s Track and Field
• Men’s and Women’s Soccer
• Women’s Softball
• Men’s Baseball

Swimming is the only sport that is practiced and competed all year round. It has not yet been officially deemed as part of the DODDS European Competition.

Outstanding Records

Aviano American High School men and women’s basketball won first place in the 2009 Europeans. For the 2008–2009 school year, both of the teams went undefeated.

Bitburg High School has almost always had a good cheer team. This co-ed cheer team has won the DODDS cheerleading competition from 2000 to 2007, 7 years in a row. These winnings have made not only Bitburg’s school record, but also the DODDS record. Wanting to continue this legacy, they went to the 2008 championships and were beaten by Ansbach American High School. This was Ansbach’s first year as a Division two school. In 2009, the Bitburg cheerleaders came back with a knock out routine and redeemed themselves as the 2009 European champions.

Tiffany Heard ^[4] from Ansbach, Germany has made her name well known across Europe for cheerleading and Track and Field. In her first year in DODDS schools, Tiffany came to Track Europeans with the fastest 100 meter hurdle time. At the Europeans she broke the DODDS record, which has stood for more than 20 years.

In wrestling, Chris Campos from Naples, Italy, accumulated over 100 wins, won three European titles, and suffered only one loss from freshmen to senior year. Josh Anderson from Patch High School, from 2000 to 2004 claimed 4 European titles and over 100 high school wins. Elliot Boltz of Heidelberg, Saevar Waever of Wuerzburg, and Tony Gagnon of Wiesbaden from High Schools in Germany are the only known wrestlers to have successfully competed and won at the National High School Coaches Association Senior National Tournament after their senior year European Championship runs.

References

1. ^ http://www.eu.dodea.edu/
2. ^ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_schools_in_United_States_territories
3. ^ ^{a b} http://www.eu.dodea.edu/news/0809/090511a_sports.php
4. ^ http://www.stripes.com/article.asp?section=123&article=62903