This feature was first published in Journeys Summer 2021.

Incredible athlete, inspiring coach, and the Ultimate Eagle

For those at Singapore American School who feel they stand “on the shoulders of Giants,” in Isaac Newton’s famous words, no giant is more respected than S. K. Kasinathan, or Coach Kasi, as he was known by the students. The first full-time, qualified physical education teacher and athletic director hired at SAS, Kasinathan in large part created the sports program as it still exists today. This Ultimate Eagle, who passed away last spring, touched the lives of countless students in his two decades at the school.
 

 

Talented Sportsman and Keen Competitor

Kasinathan grew up in Batticaloa, Sri Lanka, and earned a bachelor’s and then a master’s degree at Springfield College in Massachusetts. Throughout his schooling he played multiple sports, and in college he was part of the 1957 undefeated Springfield soccer team, which claimed the National Collegiate Championship. A 1958 Harvard Crimson article about an upcoming game mentions Springfield’s “chief offensive threat… a Ceylonese inside left, Captain Sam Kasinathan… [who has] the best footwork and passing of any player we’ve seen this season.” According to Singapore’s Eagles by Jim Baker, Kasinathan “had the rare distinction of having represented three different countries— Sri Lanka in rugby, the United States as a member of the national collegiate all star soccer team, and Singapore in cricket.

Expanding the SAS Sports Program

Kasinathan joined SAS in 1963, arriving just one year after the opening of the King’s Road campus. Between the new facilities and the advent of “Coach,” the school was soon taking huge strides toward the comprehensive athletic program students enjoy today. Along with established varsity sports such as basketball, softball, and volleyball, the high school added field hockey for girls, a serious track and field team, swimming, soccer, and rugby, as well as junior varsity teams.

During the 1960s, SAS competed in the Singapore Schools Sports Council leagues in the Bukit Timah district. For the boys, fast-pitch softball games against Boys Town, a vocational school for at-risk youth, were season highlights. “When the Eagles played at Boys Town, every single student attended,” states Baker, because usually, “whoever won that game, won the district and national championships.” The SAS girls’ teams in this period had more success overall, winning many more district titles than the boys; they were especially dominant in swimming, volleyball, softball, and track and field.

Kasinathan also prompted SAS to join international competitions more regularly. Games against the International School of Bangkok (ISB) became central to school spirit in the early 1960s. Every April, a boys’ team traveled to the opposing school to play multiple sports for a cumulative championship. Early journeys took two days each way by train—in second class—and events sometimes included table tennis and bowling! By the late sixties, the SAS–ISB games included a girls’ competition, and both squads competed in soccer, basketball, volleyball, softball, and track and field. Jakarta’s Joint Embassy School (now Jakarta Intercultural School or JIS) and the International School of Kuala Lumpur (ISKL) became regular opponents in the 1970s.
 

 

An IASAS Founder

In 1981, the athletics directors of these four international schools met at the SAS King’s Road campus with the goal of devising a more structured and consistent format for international competition. Kasinathan was front and center at this gathering, representing SAS as the group planned a new league. The Interscholastic Association of Southeast Asian Schools (IASAS) commenced in October 1982, and soon the International School Manila and Taipei American School joined, making up the six-school conference we know today. From the beginning, the format included three sports seasons, with the schools hosting highly anticipated culminating tournaments on a rotating basis. Soon a cultural convention was added, and mathematics, chess, robotics, Model United Nations, and other events have been included at various times. IASAS has flourished for nearly four decades, providing innumerable opportunities for students to compete against each other, form friendships across schools, and create lasting memories of high school achievements.
 

 

Priceless Lessons in Sports and Life Beyond

Kasinathan’s leadership in establishing the structures for a first-class sports program at SAS, his teaching inspired SAS students to push themselves toward excellence. Today, his Facebook page is filled with tributes from athletes and non-athletes alike who remember his emphasis on character development. In the words of Leslie Babinec Trout (class of 1981), his life lessons included, “believe in yourself, never give up, you can always do more than you think, play and win fair, be a leader, never let your team down, be courageous, and admit when you made a mistake and make it right. Coach’s greatest lessons were priceless because Kasinathan practiced what he preached, with former students describing him as fair, calm, cool, firm, and funny. He made students feel empowered, and he let them know he wanted them to succeed. One former student noted that he encouraged boys and girls equally, while another stated that he clearly cared deeply for his students. He is also remembered for his rapport with colleagues, his sense of humor, and sharing fiery curry lunches with anyone who dared join him. As Rhonda Ann Clarke (class of 1980) put it, “He was the best coach ever to all of us! What a beautiful life he had with so many that are grateful to have experienced his humor and amazing coaching skills!” While he may have been shorter than many of his students—as several of them fondly remembered—Kasinathan is truly one of the Giants who helped SAS become what it is today. We salute him as an Ultimate Eagle!

 

 

---

Journeys, our print publication, shares current, in-depth stories written by and for members of our school community. It is mailed to current families, faculty, staff, and alumni in December and June. If you are interested in contributing an article to Journeys, email communications@sas.edu.sg. Read more articles here.