End of POL-ITE and TRAINING RESUMES!!

Hey Champions!

One week has passed since we brought back the champion trophy. I hope you guys have had enough rest. It did take me that long to recover from the physical and mental exhaustion. Now that the competition is over, please do place your focus back onto your studies. :)

Some personal thought that I would like to share with you guys. I can't really express myself properly when I face you all so I guess I shall say it through this platform.

First of all I would like to congratulate each and everyone of you for bringing home the champion trophy. Without everyone's hard work and biggest effort, the trophy may not have been ours. We can be proud to have brought home the champion trophy, but at the same time, do be humble about it. This trophy didn't come easy for us this year. To be truthful, I was very affected by what had happened on the first morning. Yes, we may be at fault for not clarifying but I didn't see the need to disqualify our archer when we followed whatever the judge said. But this incident showed me something else, something that worth much more than the trophy. This thing is the fighting spirit that we have. When I talked to you guys during lunchtime that day, I felt the fire burning within each and everyone of you. It may be due to the anger from what had happened, but the fire was there. With the fire burning in each and every one of you, I saw the team coming together.

Archery is an interesting sport. We shoot for ourselves, but while shooting for ourselves, we are playing for the team. It is hard to bring in things like team spirit or team morale as compared to other sports CCAs like dragonboat or netball, as sometimes we find ourselves stuck in a situation whereby we are competing with each other. But nonetheless, I saw it. No one wanted to back down from the competition, everyone of us wanted to fight on, not for ourselves but for the club. I can never forget that scene, where all of you raised your hands up, telling me that you will fight on no matter what the results would be.

I remembered I said that if we decide to fight on, we have to go all the way and bring home the trophy. WE DID IT! Thank you for not giving up until the last arrow was shot out. :D

Even though not everyone brought home a medal this time, it's ok. I was browsing through the net and I chanced upon this:

"The real victory isn’t the act of smashing through the tape and crossing the finish line; it’s not seeing your name first on the list or standing on the highest step on the podium. None of that can make your legs shake with fear and excitement.

Victory, the real victory, is what is deep down inside each one of us. It’s what we can’t believe will ever happen despite all the training and will on our part, and yet it is what finally happens. Despite all the thinking and brandishing of calculators, after so many hours of preparation, after so many days of training, of telling ourselves that we can win, or simply finish the race, it is as if something in our unconscious is constantly telling us that it is impossible, that it would be too wonderful, too brilliant, too incredible for it to become reality. That what we want to achieve is only a dream. And when you cross the line, when you look behind and see that it is for real, that you are flesh and blood, and that what seemed possible only in dreams has become real, you realize that that is the real victory.

Winning isn’t about finishing in first place. It isn’t about beating the others. It is about overcoming yourself. Overcoming your body, your limitations, and your fears. Winning means surpassing yourself and turning your dreams into reality.

- Kilian Jornet (from the book 'Run or Die')"

The medal is not everything. What is more important is that you gave your best. Back to what I have told you guys, all I ask for you to do is to do your best and leave no regrets. If you think that you had not done your best, let that feeling go. I believe it is not because you did not feel like giving your all, it is just something else that might have affected you. If you think that you have done your best, but did not manage to win a medal for yourself, it only means there is someone our there who is better than you. Train harder and bring them down next time. I am not saying that you cannot be sad over it. But I am saying that you will have to face it and move on. If you fall down, you stand up. We Ngee Ann archers always bounce up stronger than before everytime we take a fall, that's us. I have absolute faith and trust in all of you that you have the capability to be one of the best archers in the Poly and ITE level. Some of you might even be at the level of the universities or beyond. All that's left is for you to have that trust in yourself. Without that self-confidence, you are not going anywhere even if you have the skills.

I wanted to tell each and everyone of you something but I believe some things are better if it is felt with the heart. :) As a whole, I would like to say I am very thankful to be given the chance to be the captain for this club for the past year. It is definitely not easy, but it was worth it. I am really very proud of you guys for what you have done not just over the two days of POL-ITE, but also what you have done throughout the whole year. I was very afraid that the trophy would be lost to other schools while the club was under my lead, but you guys have proven otherwise. You guys have really shown everybody else how the word 'Champion' is spelled. Thank you archers, from the bottom of my heart, thank you. Without you people, there is no captain. Without you people, there is no Ngee Ann Archery Club. It is YOU who made all these possible.



Now that the one week break is coming to an end, please take note that training will resume next Tuesday (29/10/13). It will start at 4pm at the study area. The field is currently undergoing some renovation works so we cannot shoot for a short period of time. Competition may be over but that doesn't mean we can start to slack off ok!! Please continue to come for training. Train form train strength and most importantly see your brothers and sisters who are in this unique family of archers. ^^ Don't forget we still have competitions coming up (though the dates are not confirmed yet) so continue to train hard!

See you champions on Tuesday!


Oosh!
Yufeng

7TH CONSECUTIVE CHAMPION! Be proud, archers!!