Thanks to the Vietnam government's effective COVID-19 control policies, Concordia Hanoi is in one of the few countries that could safely hold athletics activities for the past few months. Though cut short with our shift to home learning, our athletes had a great second season of sports, which includes middle school soccer and high school basketball. Read what our coaches have to say about their season:

MS Girls Soccer - Coach Zimbrick

Soccer is a game that requires a ball, a field, some equipment, and most importantly a dedicated group of 24 Concordia middle school girls. What an exciting season we had this year. Although our games were limited, the spirit and enthusiasm of the players were not.

While we certainly want to recognize each individual player for their commitment to the team, we would like to give special recognition to our 8th graders. Our 8th-grade team captains, JaeEun and Jen were ready to lead warmups and guide those younger to learn the game of soccer. Thank you for your leadership and enthusiasm. Our 8th Grade players Kara, Dai Thu, Quynh Anh, and Rinnah have been with the team since grade 6, and it has been amazing watching them grow as players and teammates. We appreciate their time and commitment over the past several years in helping the program grow. Other 8th grade players who joined over the past 2 years, Bao Linh, Ha, Mai Anh, Riognhna, and Thu, have helped us grow. Thank you all for your hard work. All of us want to thank our student coaches Nhi and Meleyna for their enthusiasm and for sharing their time and experience with us.

We look forward to the continued success and participation as our 6th and 7th-grade team members continue with the team as we build into the future. We look forward to seeing girls’ soccer at Concordia continue to shine.

MS Boys Soccer - Coach Maas

Even though our season was cut short, we were able to play two decent matches, winning one (11-0 vs HIS) and losing one (2-4 vs UNIS). The UNIS game particularly was memorable, since we played a very good second half, being down 0-4 after the first. UNIS was not able to get out of their own half because of the strong Concordia players pressing and with a bit of luck we would have won. Sadly, we can not move forward with this good style of playing because of Covid but it is certainly something to be happy about.

HS Girls Basketball - Coach Winterstein

With a mere nine practices and five games on the season, the high school girls’ basketball team maintained impressive statistics. The varsity team's record was 4-1. The JV team lost their first (and only game) by a slim margin, but showed immense potential as a young team composed of 8th and 9th graders. The varsity team secured the Invitational Girls Championship cup with a day of stunning defense and offense. Throughout the season, each athlete honed her own skillset, but also identified ways to use her talents to amplify the gifts of other teammates. Watching these Thunder athletes encourage each other through adversity on the court as well as celebrate victories together was inspirational. Expect more great hoops from these young women in the 2021-2022 basketball season!

HS Boys Basketball - Coach Mills & Buss

Concordia was able to schedule a few friendlies and host the Concordia Invitational Tournament on Saturday, Jan. 23. Every player on the court gave great effort and provided quality minutes on their way to winning the first two games against Olympia Griffins and the HIS Tigers.

For the final matchup, the Thunder met up with the ASA Timberwolves, also winners of their first two games. An early battle ensued, with both teams playing their strongest to try to take an early lead, but the Timberwolves were ahead by 8 points during the 3rd quarter. Though the Concordia players were physically and mentally exhausted, they dug deep to find the necessary energy needed to mount a fierce comeback and score a total of 12 points in the last 8 minutes. When the final buzzer went off, the score flashed: CISH 54 and ASA 48 with the deafening roar of the crowd ringing in our heads.

It was a fitting end for our seniors as they have come so close to winning a championship over the past few years. The memories and performances of our senior class (Nam, Miles, Mike, Andy, Binh, Davin, and Trung) will live on with the underclassmen, fans, and their coaches for years to come. You will always have a place on our court.

The Boys’ Junior Varsity team faced off against one of their fiercest competitors in the UNIS JV team. On the very first possession, Henry got the team off to a fast start by scoring a contested layup. This one play was all the team needed to get fired up and stay fired up. 

For many of the players, it was their first experience in a high school basketball game, but it certainly didn’t show in their performances. Riley, Minh, and Anh Minh provided valuable minutes on both the offensive and defensive ends of the court. Phuc led the Thunder’s scoring charge with 12 points in the game, and An Ton posted a double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds. Nata built on his success from the Varsity tournament, scoring 4 points and adding 11 rebounds to his stats.

Though the JV team didn’t get the season they wanted due to COVID-19, they used the opportunities they did get to show how great they are and will continue to be. This may have been the only game of the season, but the future of the boys’ basketball team certainly looks bright.