| 23.2.06 |
|
it took me forever to write this 700-worder... but at least i emailed it to the team... got it out of my system... coz the truth is... they rock... and at least something great came out of all the sweat/tears/moo-lah... ------------------------- Hi Guys, Believe that this email is long overdue, because of the mountain of things i wanted to tell you guys after the ITWC. Firstly, i would like to apologise for my inability to control my emotions and thus acting terribly un-Chairperson-like. (For those who dont understand that new word, it means that i am sorry for not behaving like how I am supposed to, especially at an event in the presence of the other schools.) Before i am misunderstood further, I wasnt upset about not winning, (myself in my category or the team trophy), but more of how the hard work, watertime and training put in by everyone, was undermined by a few bad decisions. Coach and i had a long conversation last night about how the whole event turned out and we talked about the squad. He told me how impressed he was with our squad; the equipment-maxing attendence of our surfers, the extra long debriefing because we always had so many questions, the pace at which all of us improved and how we bonded together as a team. Although we only paid him such a miserable fee, he enjoyed teaching us as much as we did learning from him. Personally, I feel it too. Although i get very stressed up with the equipment allocation at every training, it's the kind of thing that gives you a great satisfaction thereafter, seeing people training, improving and enjoying themselves. PA told me that they were betting on NUS to win, having seen first-hand our level of commitment and dedication. Coach pointed out something that i failed to realise, something subtle, but really quite the measure of our success. If you realised, we are the only school without any points from the ex-TJCians or ex-TKGians. We started this team with little expectations, thinking that all our "star players" are either graduating or overseas, but little did i expect that our stars were within. Trophies or otherwise, we are all winners; for enduring the ultra long MRT/bus/bicycle rides, forking out every cent of the rental/coaching on your own, holding on when your palms blister into sashimi-like wounds, pumping your guts out at trainings and embarking on this journey of self-discovery and bonding with us. Not that i am bling-bling sensitive, but special mention must indeed be awarded to Tesma and John for having improved truckloads since NTU Open. For those not in the know, the two of them, plus a few others, have been having secret trainings over at PF in the short time between NTU Open and ITWC. Tesma for her kick-ass performance, beating the two SMU ladies to get 2nd in the Novice Ladies category. John for his 1-3-1 stunner on Day 1 and proceeding on to win 3rd in the 6m Mixed catergory, putting up a brave fight against people who have been surfing since goodness-knows-when (beating me *mutter mutter*). Added to that, Coach Tan is also someone i believe we are truly indebted to, because where else can you get such professional coaching at such a small fee? Coach not only has to bake under the unrelenting sun with us, he has to paddle furiously against the currents lay our buoys or just to stay stationary, just so we can keep the cost of training low. I need to thank every single one of you, for everything you have put into windsurfing for the last 3 months. While short, it feels as if we have known each other for ages and some of you are surfing like you were born a windsurfer. I sincerely hope the camaderie we built up will not go downhill from here, as we start to catch up with our work, but instead prosper into something greater as we move on. Memories of the camps, trainings, meals will really stay in my heart (and in pictures on our website) for a long long time to come. I hope you have enjoyed every single moment of it as i had. Thanks once again. Cheers! Stef PS: I apologise for the team shirt as well, it looked 10 times better on my computer screen. ----Stef stopped rambling at 02:03 --Link to Post |
| template and images ©
elementopia 2003 |