Sunday, March 23, 2008
I have been silent in my blog for I have waited for something worthy of note to blog. 1 term has gone pass and as I looked back, I wondered about a few matters.
I fell sick on Friday night (last fri of the term) after I helped to train the new volleyball girls as no coaches were available. Then my body 'collapsed' in sickness. I felt cold and tired. I even had a temperature of 39 degrees when I went to see a doctor on the following saturday morning. No matter how many blankets I had or for the fact that I did not even switch on the fan (with my door to my room closed as well), I shivered in cold. As I looked back, why was it so?
It dawned upon me that I had struggled not to fall sick to keep the 'fort' running. What do I mean, in your language? It meant I tried all means not to fall sick for the sake of my form class and my volleyballers. I did not wish to try to play catch up in mathematics or other matters should I fall sick. Then for my volleyballers, it was competition season. There were many matters to look into and the rest of my CCA teachers were relatively new so I must guide them in the processes. Students who read these, competition means super many administrative matters, which you all have taken for granted.
For Volleyball CCA alone: Teachers must collect particulars, ensure that your EZ-links or passports are zapped, prepare payments for the matches, book bus, prepare jerseys, look at the fixtures and prepare the fixtures for the school (4 division), plan which teacher to go for which matches and ensure that normal lessons are not adversely affected, plan the early leave forms, send out various emails..... These are just for the CCA portion alone and I have not included that the teachers must plan relief duties for the respective subjects that they have to teach.
Am I trying to claim credit? No! I just hope students realise for themselves what the teachers have to do for you all. Please do not take things for granted. I find that it has been a trend of the present generation of students. They are not as appreciative of their teachers nor for anything. This is due to the complaining culture in Singapore. Everything must complain. They do not look at the good that people do but everything bad, they just pick it out and exaggerate it out of proportion, without 1st examining themselves.
Not that I am not guilty of that too but it's making a conscious effort to remember this principle. To this point, I remember one person in particular who falls badly into this catergory. He needs to learn to complain less of others and learn to reflect on himself. Not that I am trying to 'aim' him but I really hope he will learn to be a better person. He has a lot of potential to lead because he is a charismatic person but he needs to learn to do it the 'right' way. I hope he can change to be a better man. I trust he can!
Then I realised many CCAs have been thinking that the volleyballers are trying to make themselves the elite CCA in FMSS. Please do not get us wrong. It is not the case... If my students make you all feel this way, I am sorry for the image they potray. Volleyballers, please note that you all are not elites. We are all a family, a Fairfield family. We share our success. We have success, true but it is because of the support given by the other CCAs as well. Teachers behind students' backs have to work out the limited resources.
Netball and volleyball together, we have to share the parade square and the hall. Not that I do not wish to release the hall. I keep 'fighting' to keep the hall as much as I can so that we have a venue to train and not to impose the netball trainings on monday, wed and thursday. If I cannot train in the hall, I would have to move to the parade square and affect the netballers. In not being able to go out to train, I apologise to the badminton students too. I have tried to train outside but this is the case why we cannot. I have asked to book volleyball courts from the Singapore Sports Council (SSC). Their stand is that NO SCHOOLS ARE ALLOWED TO BOOK their facilities for volleyball training unless it is for competition and the request is placed in by the Principals of the school.
What this means is I cannot book Clementi Sports Hall or any other stadiums for that matter to train. During the whole entire year, the only other courts that are remotely possible are CCAB, SPANs and maybe Singapore Polytechnic. As you all know by now is that CCAB is always used for Basketball and Volleyball Competitions throughout the year. The courts are usually fully booked. Singapore Polytechnics or other varsities have been approached but they have their own trainings and their times do not suit ours. It has been tried for 3 years already with me 'hitting' the wall for all these 3 years.
Logistically, if I train at an external venue, I need to transport about 25-30 BALLS out to the venue, compared to shuttlecocks. Volleyball drills need to have that many balls to keep the drills running effectively. Can you imagine training with 10 shuttlecocks? When the coach trains, he needs to do drill and practice segments for many of the various sports. Imagine picking up the shuttles or balls every 1minute of drill. It is just not realistic.
I just want everyone to pause and think. We all play a part to contributing to the school's success. I have fiercely guarded my trainings because my season is from January to April for the B Division (Zonal and National) and C Division (Zonal). In July, we resume matches for the C Division (National). Thus, in June, we need to pick up the slack for the rest in May (due to the break for WHEEL week and other stuff). In season, most sports people will tell you, training for fitness is not the way to go. It is to practise formation, strategies to employ and tactical movements. Go ask any of your sports coaches. If they tell you otherwise, I think they are not really sound in their training methods.
If there is anyone to blame from the respective CCAs, it would be me, who guards the hall for my volleyballers to train. In October to December, we have another set of matches that we participate to gel the new teams (C players coming up to form the new B Division with the remaining players who have yet to graduate and hopefully any primary school players who will join in our C Division) together to prepare for the new season. Thus, we train again after the exams for matches. The time of intense physical training for the B Division is in June at the end of their season. For the C Division, their intense physical training will be in Jan. But as you can see, during these periods, my other divisions are training for matches. Basically, it is like the whole year round of competitions. I have 4 divisions to look into and we train 3 times a week for all divisions. I even have to place trainings on saturdays, which other CCA need not usually. This is so as to ensure that we are able to stay competitive.
Why do I force things so hard? Why? It is the passion for the sport! I also wish to give my students the chance to achieve success in their CCA. I have personally not been able to win anything during my time as a volleyballer because I did not have any coaches nor the proper facilities. We trained real hard on our own. We trained 5 days a week using the outdoor courts. When we did not serve over, we 'pumped' ourselves and punished ourselves. We did drills upon drills on our own. Even when it rained, I remembered we trained just so that we can win. I am not trying to put down other CCAs. Do not get me wrong. I wish to push my volleyballers to win and competition is getting very fierce nowadays.
I fight for their rights. I fight for things to give to my volleyballers. Volleyballers, please appreciate these things and do not take it for granted that they come naturally. Even for the overseas trip, there is a lot of work behind for the teachers to plan. They must source, plan, ask parents and 'waste' their holidays to go on such an additional trip. It is not that the volleyballers are elites but they are priviledged because I want to give them the exposure which I never had as a student or as a player. Now, do not get me wrong by saying the other teachers are not willing to do. Sometimes, they do not have the needed group size, the contacts needed to arrange.
I fight so hard at times that they have so many things and I think they feel that they are elites in the school. With that, I apologise on their behalf. I have to take the majority of the blame that sometimes they have become pampered. I am learning how to scold them and make them realise that they own the other CCAs an apology and not be so arrogant about themselves. Yes, true, we do get results.
This is due to the many sacrifices of the other CCAs and teachers. In getting the results, I know I must try to maintain them so that's why I am fighting so hard to maintain these results. Competition is getting more fierce out there and I must keep pushing out new 'inventions' to stay competitive. At the school level, much thought has been planned to ensure all things work out. The main key is also I am willing to propose and spend the extra time and effort to do it. I am a sports person. Sports is in my blood.
Thus, I fight for my own CCA, the CCA I am in charge of. Many times, students, teachers get 'locked' into arguements about how to bring their own CCAs forward. Your teachers are trying their best to make you all succeed. I have placed in a lot of effort in my CCA because I love it as my sport (I played since Sec 3 to University and took part in CSC games for a few years). True, I love soccer too but I am CCA teacher in charge of volleyball so I fight for my CCA's rights and not for soccer. It's the passion for my CCA.
All of a sudden, it seems that I am trying to make myself sound great... Please do not get mistaken. It is to say that I am the one that others should blame for the way that the hall is not being used by other CCAs. I fight hard to maintain it for my volleyballers use. I plan the many additional activities for them to take part to raise their standards. In the process, it might have made some feel big-headed. It is my fault as a CCA teacher to take them into discipline. I am not perfect. Never will I be but as I learn, I seek the understanding of those around.
Volleyballers, remember this... Appreciate the teachers you have. I do not mean me. Appreciate the school. Be examplary to all in the school. Do not think you are great and be 'yaya papaya'... You can achieve what you have because I fight for you all, other CCAs sacrifice and your very dedicated coaches (who are lowly paid compared to many other coaches out there). Do not always try to pinch your coaches of money and think they are rich. They work extremely long hours and they are not paid hourly. They are paid monthly. They work their socks off yet they will get the same amount, regardless of their hours.
Why are they working so much then? For the love of the sport and for the affection to the school. They have spent a good 4years or so coaching FMSS. They love the school even though all of them are from SQS. They want you all to succeed. They push you all hard. I give them the permission to. The process to success is hard and many times, you all may feel like the coaches are fierce. I made them do it to make you all perservere on. Appreciate them... They love you all and they want the best for you.
You must always know this. We all have your best interests at heart though we may not always know how to show them. There are times we have to discipline when you step out of line. This is in accordance to the Bible as well.　The Lord disciplines those He loves. We love you all and that is why we discipline you all. Do we get paid more if you all get Top 4? No! We do not. Then why then do we push so hard? For the glory? If you know us, it's not about the awards though we set targets. Without targets, people become lost and settle for mediocrity. Standards are to be maintained and expected.
Life is about discipline and standards. Many people just give up and feel that since it is so difficult, they rather give up. Excellence is achieved by keeping high standards and having discipline. Noone goes through life not getting scolded. If you ask me, I have been scolded countless of times for the way I do things or say things but I learn. I press on but I still do not give up fighting for the rights of my people.
Hang in there and fight for success. It is for your own growth... You may not see it now but press on. Appreciate what you have and do not always compare with others... You are where you are because of others, not in a blaming sense but in that we all help one another succeed to the best of our abilities...
What Kind of Girl Will You Fall For? | |
 | You will fall for the cutie. You like girls with a personality. She's got to have a nice smile and a sense of humor. Although she doesn't have to be a model, she has to be that girl-next-door. |
| Find Your Character @ BrainFall.com | |
Thanks to all the blogs i referred to (countless) for html code help :) (esp. cyn' and sixseven)
Adobe Photoshop Elements for supernatural abilities
