Team History

The International Swim Team has a long and proud history dating back to 1967. The competitive swim program at St. Mary's became a regular school sport in the 1967-1968 school year. Before that time, there was a small, unofficial swim team which practiced at a Japanese pool. However, in 1967a brand new 25 meter swimming pool opened its door at the downtown campus of St. Mary's. The 1968 winter season saw the International "Torpedoes" under coach Yukinari Negoro fully participate in the American Swim Council in Japan for the first time. Now there was only one thing missing- girls! In 1969, girls from ISSH and Seisen joined the team to grace the pool with their presence.

During the 1971-1972 school year, St. Mary's moved from its downtown campus to its present location in Kaminoge. In 1974, under new coach Kiyoshi Okada, the International team won the winter championship for the first time. The American Swim Council in Japan's Championships had been dominated by ASIJ from 1964-1973. In 1976 International dropped the "Torpedoes" name and called themselves the "Flying Fish." The next several years saw tight competition for the ASIJ championships between International, ASIJ, Zama, and the Zukeran Sharks of Okinawa. Yoshiharu Endo started as a coach with International in 1974 and produced many talented youngsters.

In 1980, International changed its name again from the "Flying Fish," to its present name the "Buccaneers." Chris Xavier took over the coaching responsibilities in 1980. The Buccaneers continued to grow and narrowly win the league championships over ASIJ in the early 80's. Towards the end of the decade, the Bucs began to win the ASIJ championships by a wider margin.

Upon the completion of the winter season, many International swimmers would join the U.S. Embassy, or the TAC Swim Team for the ASCJ summer season. Jenny Ireland, an International assistant coach, 1985-1990, helped improve the Buccaneers program by keeping more swimmers in the water throughout the year. In the mid 1980's, International started to send a few swimmers to the annual Hong Kong Mantas Invitational Swim Meet in May.

In 1990, David Moodie became the head coach for International. The Buccaneers began to send a larger team to the Mantas meet. In the summer of 1991,the U.S. Embassy pool was no longer available to swim in; therefore, the Buccaneers began to swim out of St. Mary's pool year-round. The next few years saw International attending more Japanese swim meets as well as the ASCJ sponsored competitions. With a larger team and more training sessions different levels of competition became a necessity.

In 1993, the Buccaneers began to attend the Aulea International Invitational Swim Meet, in Kailua, Hawaii. Many swimmers and families enjoy this meet over the Christmas holiday. After the 1995 meet the Buccaneers started to look at various opportunities to compete both at home and abroad. The team has also attended meets in Hawaii, Taipei, Saipan, and Guam. From 1994, the Buccaneers started to have swimmers qualify for Japan's prestigious Age Group National Championships.

The International Buccaneers are well known throughout Asia in the International School community. The Buccaneers go by SMST (St. Mary’s Swim Team) when competing in Japan Swimming Federation sanctioned meets. Recently, SMST has been qualifying numerous swimmers for Japan’s Age Group National Championships. Many Buc swimmers go on to compete collegiately in the U.S. and other countries. March 2009 saw the 1^st time the Buccaneers took 2^nd place nationally in the 4 x 100 meter Freestyle Relay (322.23). The summer of 2009 was also the 1^st time the Bucs sent swimmers to Japan’s Summer Inter-High Championships.

St. Mary’s moved into their new school building on the Kaminoge campus in March 2009. St. Mary’s new 25 meter indoor swimming pool is scheduled to be completed by the fall of 2010. Coach Moodie and assistant coaches Yoko Seki and Yui Akagami look forward to developing more swimmers in a new state-of-the-art facility. The Buccaneers are proud of their accomplishments, and will continue to strive to enhance their rich history.