April 5, 2018 - San Francisco

We are proud to announce that today, the Lycée Français de San Francisco (LFSF) has been accepted as a member of the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) San Francisco Section (SF Unified Athletics High School District).   

“This is the beginning of a new era for our school, one that brings a strong focus on athletics at the High School level. It is the natural continuation of our Middle School Athletics Program that will now feed into our High School programs.” explains Emmanuel TEXIER, Head of School.

LFSF delivers a rigorous and highly recognized bilingual program based on the French and American curricula. In recent years, the school invested in Science and Technology and in Performing Arts, with the creation of Innovation Labs and the renovation of its Theater. The objective is now to further develop and enhance the school’s athletics programs to deliver a fully comprehensive education where every student will have an opportunity to strive and grow.

As a member of the CIF, LFSF will be able to develop relationships with the US schools in its district and embrace elements of the American sports culture.  The membership will give LFSF teams the opportunity to participate in meets and competitions locally, at the state level and even at a national level.

The CIF membership is part of a comprehensive plan to develop various aspects of physical education and athletics, including a climbing wall project for its Ortega campus, a sports curriculum project with a wide range of activities for its primary campuses, the opening of a dedicated athletic track for our High School students and ultimately the launch of the “AEFE Sport Monde” organization, led by the LFSF in North America, in which leagues will be able to compete within the international AEFE network.

We cordially invite you to the AES Athletic Celebration on Thursday, May 31st 6 pm in the LFSF Theater for an in-depth presentation of our new CIF membership, its eligibility criteria and the athletic opportunities that will be made available.

Let's celebrate our admission to CIF and Vive le sport!

• Emmanuel Texier - Head of School
• Andrew Sobol - AES Director

What is CIF

California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) is a member of the National Federation of High Schools (NFHS governing body of Athletics; Music and Arts (Speech, debate, theatre) Programs in the United States of America). These programs are conducted after or before school hours and play an integral role in the lives of hundreds of thousands of students across the country.  

More information regarding the NFHS can be found at www.nfhs.org

The CIF is comprised of 10 sections covering the entire State of California.  Our school is now an official member of the CIF- San Francisco Section and can compete with other schools in our district and other  sections. 

For more information on the CIF and the CIF-SF section, please visit http://www.cifstate.org/landing/index

and http://www.cifsf.org/

Why is it important for our school

Being a member of the CIF will bring many intangible benefits.  We are now a part of the California and San Francisco member schools community.  Membership gains us visibility in our district and is in line with our school's mission.

At the core of the CIF mission statement is the promotion of equity, quality, character and academic development.  Through the development of programs, increased education, and by fostering awareness, the CIF seeks to establish an inclusive culture that promotes participation opportunities for student-athletes.

Why our students will benefit

Educationally based athletics plays a vital role in the growth and development of students. It allows our students to compete, socialize and interact with other athletes from a wide variety of different schools at the local, regional, state or national levels. It is an opportunity to open new doors and explore different cultures while instilling and growing our own school spirit amongst students and faculty.  

High School sports participation has been shown to reduce dropout rates, discipline referrals, while improving grade point averages, graduation rates, and daily attendance. Studies have also shown better test scores, lower rates of alcohol and tobacco use, and a positive view of school and the educational process (CIF 2009).  

Why we need your support now

By becoming a member, our school has committed to participating in a number of athletic programs within the SF section.  If our school doesn’t succeed in putting together the necessary  teams to compete, it will lose its membership and may never be accepted into the CIF again, which would be unfortunate for future generations of LFSF students.

We understand the current time demands on both students and families today.  Many of our students are participating in sporting or activity clubs outside of school. Our hope is that thanks to our CIF membership, our students will participate in our programs and compete in a high-level environment.   Participating, encouraging and supporting our programs (and ensuring your child's commitment) will ensure our students a lifetime of experiences and play a valuable role towards their continued education.  A strong educational based athletic program is often the fabric that ties together students, their family, and their school community.