its drawing to a close. after everything we've been through. y'know until now everyone complains about this and that. but what i really can't stand is when people talk about jiao lian in a negative manner, after everything we've been through, all the trouble and nonsense we put him through, i feel that hes really a great coach. in fact hes so much more than just a coach. the day after we lost to barker, he gave a pep talk of sorts, but until now i really don't know whether we know what it is to win and to play.
after the match against acsi, i kept thinking, in fact, its the problem ive probably thought about most in my entire life. and after that game, i thought maybe i knew what our problem was. as ri guys, we just have too much going for us, people always talk about having nothing to lose. but what they truly mean, is having EVERYTHING to lose. when you really commit yourself to something, it becomes everything to you and you dont want to lose it. that is what pushes other people. but do ri guys ever have to push themselves? if they lose, so what? they come from the premier school in singapore, they might be prefects, ccals, house captains, so what if they lose? does their portfolio lose any of its lustre?
in a short span of a few weeks, jiao lian has mentioned so much and i wonder, i really wonder, if even a single other person heard what i did. i heard a coach who was sad for his team, a coach who wanted so much but got so little, a coach who forgave and offered advice. he tried so hard, to tell us what it was to win and more importantly, what it took to win. it is at times like this that jiao lian is really more than just any ordinary coach. was those fun moments laughing while trying to donut me so worth it? was that extra half an hour in the library watching movies worth it? was that half an hour visit to the toilet to pon swimming or play cards worth it? how much is the gold worth? nothing. the gold has no intrinsic value. we give it that value. maybe for barker, it is worth their world, maybe for us, it is only worth the trainings that we attend, the seriousness with which we train and the team spirit we have.
so to acs barker, all the best, you guys trained for it, played for it, and knew what it takes to win. the gold is yours to take. wish you all the best in the finals.
to jiao lian although he'll never see this (i think >.<) thanks for everything in these years. truly thanks. for everything.
to the team, for all those fun times, thanks, it might not beat the happiness of that gold around our necks. but it was better than nothing. thanks nonetheless.
to the seniors, thanks for everything youre probably the only ones who might read this since woo sheng knows im emoing, but really you guys are great. even if i wasnt really in your league, thanks for that occasional 'nice save' or even just a comment or some advice.
to the juniors, thanks as well, for those times you were a bunch of morons, but fun ones. jiao lian is going to take you all next year, i hope you will appreciate it and repay it back. go all out for the best. it need not be the gold. but fight. fight for raffles, for the team, for jiao lian and for yourselves.
and so this ends my bitter emo post.
to bitter endings and new beginnings.
for rj, and hopefully so much more.
