As I had Buckle House Practice (c is for noun, s is for verb) on Tuesdays, I could not join the Tuesday group of Sec Ones for training in RGS. Instead I started off at Yio Chu Kang. The squash centre had 10 courts of which we usually had 5. Court 5 to Court 9, with Court 6 being the 'central' court where the seniors (Jasmine, Wah Siew, Huishan, Joanne etc ...) would be ferociously hammering the ball away.
So starting once a week, I would make my way down to YCK after school. Had to take 105 and then change to the train at Toa Payoh. Training started around 3 pm with a compulsory 500 skips. Anyone who forgot her rope would have to pay a fine or do a more vigorous warm-up.
The first few exercises included swinging the racket from ear to ear while desperately listening out for a swish sound, and hitting the ball continuously 1 m away from the wall. I guess I spent more time chasing the ball around the court then. Yup, I was no talent. Either missed the ball completely or hit it out of control. However as I managed to hit the ball more often, I felt very encouraged to play more. It was fun. One week I did 4, the next I did 6 and I looked forward to the next week whereby I could do 10!
There was always room for improvement. After I did 10 continuous straight shots, I would move further away from the wall and start the count from 1 again ... When I hit 10 once more, I would take another step back again. The incremental improvement kept me coming back. Practice sessions increased from once per week to twice and before I knew, I was down at YCK three times per week even as a Sec One. It was addictive in a very fulfilling way.
Soon I was hitting from the short line, then from behind the box and finally, I was attempting to take the ball off the backwall. Each day, as I watched my seniors in Court 6, I felt an increasing sense of excitement. I was motivated to train and get myself to the level where I would be able to hit the ball like them. Crack!
Monday, August 14, 2006
Wednesday, August 09, 2006
The Harbours from Before: Stumbling upon Squash
It was by some chance that I joined squash as an ECA in Sec One. However as Ansari says, nothing happens by chance or by luck. Hmmmm ... ... ...
I remember how dejected I was when I was not accepted into the RGS basketball training squad. They had their trials within the first month of the new school year. There was no training sessions at all. During the trials, one had to do dribbling, passing and basic lay-ups. I got through the first round and during the second round, I recalled not being able to get the ball into the basket quite a number of times. Bad misses ... though I did not think that was a good reflection of my potential for the sport. But as it turned out, I was not amongst the 20 or so Sec Ones the basketball seniors selected. The alternative they provided for those still keen on basketball was to join the Basketball Club in their weekly training.
Maybe I would have taken that alternative if Jialu had not asked me a few days later to join squash. Well, I had no idea back then what the heck squash was, really. I had not seen a squash racket, a squash ball or a squash court. In fact I had not even heard about the sport (perhaps because it was supposed to be dying). Being at a loss of what I should choose as an ECA, I thought I should just give it a try. Squash did not have selections of any sort. At the same time, Ruth asked me to join Chess Club. I went along too, without knowing how to play International Chess. Chess too, did not have selections at such an early stage.
At the end of 4 years, I left RGS as the best Squash player and one of the top Chess players in my batch. I won a number of individual squash titles, 2 National Schools Squash Championships (at times, I still think about the one I lost in Sec Two with a tinge of sadness) and 2 National Schools Chess Championships. I was captain of the Squash team and vice-chairman of the Chess Club. In fact I was voted chairman but decided to give it up as I was much more into Squash and was concerned about the amount of attention I was able to give Chess. For these achievements, I was awarded the Rafflesian Award for excellence in ECAs.
Thinking back, I wondered how life would have been if I had got into the basketball training squad. I wondered how things would have turned if Jialu had not asked me along. And what would have happened if I had not agreed to tag along?!?!
Is there such a thing as luck? Or had I brought myself upon the path I created for myself?
Whatever the case, I am glad that squash had no selections and took in rejects from other sports. Hahaha.
And I am empathetic towards those who cannot join a sport or ECA of their choice because many schools nowadays select only those they view have good potential to join certain ECAs. Those who are not looked upon as athletic are just assigned ECAs they may be totally disinterested in. I have heard about such a common practise from various sources. This deprives many students from doing something they enjoy, something that they could eventually excel in because they want to.
Imagine if I was put into Chinese Calligraphy ...
I remember how dejected I was when I was not accepted into the RGS basketball training squad. They had their trials within the first month of the new school year. There was no training sessions at all. During the trials, one had to do dribbling, passing and basic lay-ups. I got through the first round and during the second round, I recalled not being able to get the ball into the basket quite a number of times. Bad misses ... though I did not think that was a good reflection of my potential for the sport. But as it turned out, I was not amongst the 20 or so Sec Ones the basketball seniors selected. The alternative they provided for those still keen on basketball was to join the Basketball Club in their weekly training.
Maybe I would have taken that alternative if Jialu had not asked me a few days later to join squash. Well, I had no idea back then what the heck squash was, really. I had not seen a squash racket, a squash ball or a squash court. In fact I had not even heard about the sport (perhaps because it was supposed to be dying). Being at a loss of what I should choose as an ECA, I thought I should just give it a try. Squash did not have selections of any sort. At the same time, Ruth asked me to join Chess Club. I went along too, without knowing how to play International Chess. Chess too, did not have selections at such an early stage.
At the end of 4 years, I left RGS as the best Squash player and one of the top Chess players in my batch. I won a number of individual squash titles, 2 National Schools Squash Championships (at times, I still think about the one I lost in Sec Two with a tinge of sadness) and 2 National Schools Chess Championships. I was captain of the Squash team and vice-chairman of the Chess Club. In fact I was voted chairman but decided to give it up as I was much more into Squash and was concerned about the amount of attention I was able to give Chess. For these achievements, I was awarded the Rafflesian Award for excellence in ECAs.
Thinking back, I wondered how life would have been if I had got into the basketball training squad. I wondered how things would have turned if Jialu had not asked me along. And what would have happened if I had not agreed to tag along?!?!
Is there such a thing as luck? Or had I brought myself upon the path I created for myself?
Whatever the case, I am glad that squash had no selections and took in rejects from other sports. Hahaha.
And I am empathetic towards those who cannot join a sport or ECA of their choice because many schools nowadays select only those they view have good potential to join certain ECAs. Those who are not looked upon as athletic are just assigned ECAs they may be totally disinterested in. I have heard about such a common practise from various sources. This deprives many students from doing something they enjoy, something that they could eventually excel in because they want to.
Imagine if I was put into Chinese Calligraphy ...
National Day Post
Training was at 9 am this morning at Northvale. Ansari, Wah Siew, Huishan, Yiqing, Tun and Beng Soon were there. It was great fun ... Even Ansari went into court, for a few minutes ;) ... Really enjoyed being able to do the boast-drive routines. Three Cheers to this great session! Three Cheers for more such sessions to come!
Just 2 days before this, on the way back home from heavyhands, Yiqing was talking about her batch and their experience in National Schools Championships. She wondered if her team could come together again one day to win something ... It was not difficult to sense her regrets in not having won a single National Schools title. In fact I totally understand how she feels ... To want to achieve something really badly, to have put in so much effort ... just to have the taste of victory deluding you again and again ...
However does one stop there and live with the regrets? With the thought that maybe if I had just persevered that bit more, I would have made it?
I am almost 25. Some people may say that it is a bit old to achieve anything great in sports.
I am kind of unfit now and will need much work to get back to shape. Some people may say I should not bother at all.
I have a full time job that at times really saps me of all my energy. Some people may say that I should just focus on building my career. Sports has no future in it.
But do I want to live with that lingering thought that if I had tried one more time, I would have made it?
I have made that conscious choice to continue with the journey. Simply because I can.
In the spirit of SingaporeMile ...
As an Ithakan ...
Just 2 days before this, on the way back home from heavyhands, Yiqing was talking about her batch and their experience in National Schools Championships. She wondered if her team could come together again one day to win something ... It was not difficult to sense her regrets in not having won a single National Schools title. In fact I totally understand how she feels ... To want to achieve something really badly, to have put in so much effort ... just to have the taste of victory deluding you again and again ...
However does one stop there and live with the regrets? With the thought that maybe if I had just persevered that bit more, I would have made it?
I am almost 25. Some people may say that it is a bit old to achieve anything great in sports.
I am kind of unfit now and will need much work to get back to shape. Some people may say I should not bother at all.
I have a full time job that at times really saps me of all my energy. Some people may say that I should just focus on building my career. Sports has no future in it.
But do I want to live with that lingering thought that if I had tried one more time, I would have made it?
I have made that conscious choice to continue with the journey. Simply because I can.
In the spirit of SingaporeMile ...
As an Ithakan ...
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