the boys whipped VS 9-0 in the National Finals. it was such an entertaining match, Syafiq was magic while Ali was brilliant. all my boys out there *beams like mother hen*. ok so you see my soccer vocabulary's not that great, but you can read about their feat in yesterday's Straits Times here http://www.sportsschool.edu.sg/legal/sss/wcm/SSS/Resources/ne22006/SSwhipV90infinals_300806.pdf
sure, people say "You guys SSS what!" ok fine. so sometimes we are seen as Public Enemy No. 1 in the schools sports scene, we win, they hate us, if we (ever) lose...well, we've never so far. but i see a different purpose with these kids. you see, the way i see, sports saves some of them. some of them seem like the kind who'd probably get into trouble if they are in mainstream school -- play truant, lose out in the study race -- the whole package which usually ends with dropping out and all. but being here, being in boarding and being watched hawk-eyed by coaches, managers, teachers keep them in line.
and it gives some of them this sense of purpose; that they are good, much better than others at something. ok so i gotta rattle and shake Syafiq and Farhan when they doze off like a gazillion times in class (kalau aku kuat aku dah lambung keluar tingkap), and it's a challenge teaching them things my previous students would normally lap up. but that's how they develop me as a teacher.
i remember the time the whole team dropped to their knees and cried when the final whistle blew in their Man U Nike Cup final match against India. it was the Asian leg of the tournament and the champions get to represent Asia at Old Trafford. an ultimate dream for all boys i guess, so it broke their hearts.
oh well, really hope they go on to bigger things.
on another note, we had Ultimate 80's The Musical just now. such a riot! *hoots* i didn't know that that Boy George song was "karma karma karma karma chameleon" ? i thought it was "come ah come ah come ah come ah camelia"!
now i know.
but Karma Chameleon? what branch of new age philosophy is that?
hahaha You didnt Know???
ReplyDeleteKarma Camelion///
from the yaya-sutra sprinkled with a touch of whimsy on Ancient Yindian philosophy...
Vs beaten 9-0..haiz, but fer them to be in the finals is good enuff. Your school is in a different league, so in fact they sldnt be competing in the same competition as 'normal' schools, as highlighted by Santokh Singh of the New Paper (and he happens to be the old and much-feared Discipline Mster of VS). hehe, don't mind me, I'm just being a sore loser.
ReplyDeleteTrue enough, on paper SS should be the best school. But in football terms, anyone can be beaten. With this experience, VS should be better prepared next year and Santokh shouldn't be complaining too much unless he wished to be replaced with a better coach. Don't mind me, I'm just an ex/former/old/burnout/used-to-be pro footballer..haha
ReplyDeletedon't worry han, the boys said they respected VS got the vs boys actuallly put up a good fight and played some football compared to the school they met in the semi-finals who gave up before the game started and played a 10-men defensive game.
ReplyDelete