I have
always been a lover of sports, especially team sports. In secondary school, I
attended a floorball elective module organised by my school and that I think
was the first spark that ignited my passion for the sport. Floorball was not
available then as a CCA however, and I had to wait until JC to join the CCA (I
was in an Integrated Programme). After a short dilemma between floorball and
football (which I also love), I chose floorball and never looked back since.
It was the
first time then that I involved myself heart and soul in a competitive team
sport. It’s not that I had never played before – I played football for my
primary school – but it was then that I truly learnt the meaning of playing in
a team, for the team. I have my coach to thank for that. It boils down to every
single little thing you do when you are on the court. In each of those little
things, you have to remember that it is NEVER about yourself. She taught us to
be selfless in our play, to do things and cover for each other. That I would
say is the fundamental requirement of a good team, and not just in the field of
sports.
Soon after,
I found myself in the Singapore Schools floorball team, formed from the best
players in secondary schools and JCs across Singapore. To some extent I was
surprised and happy to make it into the team and gain more valuable experience
by playing with better players.
However,
somewhere along my growth in the sport, I grew a big head. I turned out to be
one of the key players in my school team and after some time this somehow gave
me the idea that I could raise my voice at my own teammates whenever I got
frustrated or things weren’t working out. And no, I wasn’t even the captain or
in any leadership position to boss people around like that. The worst thing is
I didn’t even know it. I didn’t realise that I was changing into someone I
don’t want to be. Finally one day, as I was blaming my defensive partner for an
error that was in truth somewhat my fault, my coach stepped in and screamed at
me. I still remember what she said: “Stop screaming at others, you’re the one
doing it wrong!” That was when it hit me that I was letting my abilities in the
sport get to my head and letting myself think that having these abilities
somehow put me above my own teammates. I talked to my close friend about it
(who also happened to be my captain) and with a look of guilt mingled with a hint
of disappointment he told me that he noticed it too. That was when I realised I
really didn’t want to be that kind of person and especially not to my own
friends.
In my
second and final year of JC my team came in second-runners up having somehow lost
our semi-final 7-2 to YJC, which on another day, would instead be on the
receiving end of that loss. Some have suggested it was because of an
over-strenuous training the day right before the match, but I guess we’ll never
know. This was despite beating MJC in the group stage and then VJC in the
third-fourth placing match, both of which without a doubt are the two strongest
teams in the tournament, and that was my takeaway for the year. It was shown
to me that sometimes when you put your team before yourself, when you trust one
another and your coach, when you put not only your mind and skills but also
your heart in the game, you can defy the odds.
After all
I’ve said I think it’s obvious that I am a strong believer that engaging in
team sports is nothing short of an excellent way to build one’s character,
especially for teenagers and youths transiting into adulthood. I value my own
experience in doing so and I’m currently still playing floorball in NUS right
now, both for the school and for Eusoff Hall. Having been spotted as the Eusoff
team’s captain-to-be next year, I hope to grow as much as possible in terms of
my skill and most importantly my character before taking on that challenge.
