Winners of A.C.T.S Essay Competition 25th theme:Sports

1st: Renee Sim Wen Xuan, 13, TKGS

Junior Varsity?!

Tennis is my life. The swish of the racket, the solid thwack of the ball against the nylon strings, all assure me that I am the one in control. I control how hard I hit, where the ball goes; basically, I control the game. Too bad it isn’t like that in life, away from the court…

On Friday after school, all the junior varsity (JV) and varsity tennis players in Xyrian High are called to the court to be notified of who got into the varsity team and who didn’t.

Kendall, my best friend, gives me a Mars Bar as I pack my bag after class, getting ready to go down to the courts. “All the best, Lee!” he says to me, grinning. Ken knows how much getting on varsity means to me, and he’s being really sweet about it. I smile back gratefully, carefully tucking the chocolate into my bag. “Thanks, Ken.”

I heft my bookbag over my shoulder, my insides feeling like jelly. Sensing my nervousness, Kendall grabs my arm and drags me down the hall towards the courts.

When we arrive, Coach Grenz is already waiting with my teammates, clipboard in hand. “Dallamin,” she snaps. “You’re late.” I gulp as all eyes turn to me. “Sorry, Coach,” I mumble, staring at the ground. Kendall pats my shoulder in solidarity and disappears into the school.

Coach glares at me then says, “Sit down.” She waits until I’ve done so before going on, “I will be announcing names. The people whom I have called, please stand up and join me here.” Desperately, I pray to get on varsity.

Coach Grenz begins reading names aloud. “Alines, Joan… Allman, Kerra…” As it is in alphabetical order, it doesn’t take long for her to reach the D’s. “Daehan, Kelly… Delmhart, Farah…” Wait. What? She skipped over my name! That’s good, right? At least I won’t be with Grumpy Grenz… right?  When Coach Grenz finishes, she looks up at us. “Those whom I called, congratulations. Follow me.” She looks at a woman standing several feet away, wearing a pink tennis skirt, matching cap and white sweater, whom I hadn’t noticed previously. “Laura, you know what to do.”

The woman nods her chestnut-brown head and the girls whose names have been called follow Grenz. After all of them have left, she looks at us, a smile brightening her face. “Hello, girls! From now on, I will be your new coach. My name is Laura.” A girl whom I recognize from my bio class, Iva, raises a shaking hand and asks, “Is this the JV team?” Coach Laura hesitates and she presses her lips tightly together, but that is all the answer we need. Most of the juniors burst into tears, crying about how they’re gonna get their rich parents to sue the school and the like.

Meanwhile, I am simply dumbstruck. Me? On JV?! There must be a mistake!  I get to my feet shakily and approach Grenz, who is giving the varsity girls a lecture. For a single fleeting moment, I pity them. I wait for her to finish then say timidly, “Coach Grenz?”

Her flint-gray eyes lock on me and they soften slightly. “Yes, Dallamin?” she barks. “Coach Grenz, there must be some mistake with the names, because there’s no way I can be on JV,” I say, knowing that counteracting Grenz means certain death, but not caring.

“But you are,” Grenz replies, showing me her clipboard. “See? Dallamin, Sylie… Junior Varsity.” Sure enough, there it is in black and white, as she said it. My legs turn to jelly and I fall to my knees, the words running through my head again and again. Dallamin, Sylie… Junior Varsity… Dallamin, Sylie… Junior Varsity…  It just isn’t possible. What am I going to tell my mom? My dad? My elder sister, who took the time to train me…

“…lie? Sylie? SYLIE!” Coach Grenz snaps me out of my self-pitying thoughts. She looks at me, her mahogany-brown eyes searching mine. “I’ll give you an ultimatum. I know how much this means to you, with that scholarship and all, so I’ll give you a week to prove that you deserve a spot on varsity. Alright?” I sit there staring at her for a few long beats, before her words finally sink in and I nod eagerly. “Yes! Thank you, Coach Grenz!” I hug her knees and spring up, full of life. I bounce back to the JV team, determined to show the scholarship chick’s worth.

In the next week, I train harder than ever before, practicing swings, footwork, and techniques with my sister. On Thursday evening, after some intense workout, she pats my shoulder. “You’ll do great, Lee. I know it.” I turn my racket over in my hands, the spark of determination in me glowing with pride at her praise. I know it, too.

On Friday the week after, during tennis, Grenz puts me up against an average tennis player, a senior. She smirks at me, twirling her racket as her friend says something to her. Sophomore, scholarship chick andjunior varsity float over to me, and they laugh loudly. I grit my teeth, more determined than ever to kick this girl’s butt.

And I do. A triumphant laugh escapes my lips as I look into her stunned face. The racket drops from her hand and she storms off, fuming. I turn and look at Coach Grenz hopefully. Though her face is impassive, there is a smile in her eyes. Next I’m put against a stronger player, a sophomore like me. We shake hands, and the game begins. After the first half, we have a deuce, a tie. That means one of us had to score ahead by two points to win. And it would be me.

Soon, I pull ahead, and eventually win the game. The girl smiles and shakes my hand, a clear sheen of sweat on her forehead. “Good job,” she says. “Welcome to varsity.” And welcomed I feel indeed.

2nd: Sandra Leong, 14, SCGS

Sportsmanship

I have finally understood what real sportsmanship is. Only if I had knew earlier. Only if I were not so single-minded in wanting to win at all costs. Through devastating amounts of sheer regrets, I finally understand the bible verse of Mark 8:36, “For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?”

I was oblivious to any other things other than the upcoming National B division 1600m Track and Field competition. I have been training for three whole years just for this particular competition, as it was the determining factor to whether I could represent my nation. Track and Field meant a lot to me. And so did representing my country. There was of course a problem. Jake. Jake has been my toughest rival since I started competing. If it were not I getting the top place, it would be him. I would not let Jake steal away my chance from the nationals.

Semi-finals were mundane. Of course it was left with Jake and I who were going up to the finals. I gritted my teeth and gave a wry smile as I recalled the amount of sacrifices that I had to make for the past few years to get to the pinnacle of this sport. Every morning, I would wake up at five and be at the track for an hour of training. My dad would wait for me stoically and never fail to give me a nod of encouragement. A quick shower and I would be off to school. Afternoons were spent in the gym to build up my strength and power. Evenings, I would be back at the track for speed trainings. Dinners were more often than not at nine pm and thereafter homework and revisions till midnight.

Nothing was going to stop me in achieving my dreams. No body. No, not even Jake. My face flushed and my eyes narrowed into slits. A sly smile crept up my mouth as a devious plan started formulating in my mind. I knew Jake’s pre-race routine. He never failed to wash his face before he put on his attire. Gleefully, I rummaged through my drawers and took out a small tube of metal filings from my science practical for magnetism. While he is out of sight, a pinch of it inside Jake’s shoes will do the trick. At first, he will definitely not notice it. However, during the race, for high performance athletes like us, we exert great pressure on our soles and the discomfort would give Jake the edge. I was looking forward to the finals, as I would undoubtedly be crowned the champion!

The next day, my plan went along like clockwork. We were next to each other at the lanes. I stole a glance at Jake and saw a steely determination in his eyes. The sinews of my muscles were taut as I crouched into the starting position. We were off. My mind was in a whirl of thoughts of me representing my country and basking in public fame. The first 1000m of the race passed and Jake was ahead and gaining ground. I realised my foolishness that I did not focus on the race and I was not running with 100% concentration. My wicked plan had failed and I deserved it. Everything that I wanted was destroyed in a moment of folly.

At the 1200m mark, Jake slowed down and seemed to be in trouble. I overtook him and sprinted to the finish. Yes… I am the champion! I turned around and saw Jake half running, half hobbling towards the finish line. It seemed so surreal to me as if everything was moving in slow motion. Jake sat down on the track and took out his shoes. His soles looked mangled and blood was oozing out. I saw his anguished look and tears were streaming from his eyes. He was immediately stretchered off to the ambulance.

I have won. It was a hollow victory. I learned later that some arteries were severed in his soles and no doubt he has recovered, performance racing is no longer possible. Due to my vile act, a dedicated and talented young athlete’s dream was shattered. For high performance athletes like us, even if it just a severed artery on one foot would make a comeback difficult if not impossible. I never meant to hurt him. “Why… why for such a selfish reason did I do that?” I pondered, choking on my own saliva.

Months had passed. I gave up on Track and Field. I am still haunted by the hopelessness in his eyes on that fateful day. I have never stopped blaming myself for his predicament. My grades have slipped and I holed myself at home as I am too ashamed to face the world. I am not the strapping young man at his peak but a coward. For that moment when I should be basking in public adoration, I experience only shame. I felt terrible, traumatized and terrified.

The Track and Field fraternity thought that I am no longer involved in competition as I have witnessed Jake’s grisly accident. If only they knew that it is guilt and conscience that is gnawing at my heart. Jake even sent me a card of encouragement and part of it read, “Bro, do continue to participate. I know that a part of me will be with you when you are running.” How would I ever atone for my heinous and dastardly crime?

Truly I have gained the gold medal but have lost my soul.

3rd: B K Mufruhah, 15, TKGS

Advantages and disadvantages of Sports

Sports. This five-letter word could do wonders. It moulds a human in being noble. In fact, those who do some form of sport is deemed to be lucky and blessed. Sports and games are means of mental and physical growth. We learn how to maintain mental balance in the midst of successes and failures. They make us learn how to tackle the atmosphere of pressure, distrust and as well as stress. They shape our body and mind in being active and more flexible which then later aids in our future endeavors. They remove tiredness and lethargy which later moulds us into positive-thinking minded people.

There are several other considerations which entail sports to an important place in life. It is usually by taking part in sports that we cultivate what is called the spirit of sportsmanship. This spirit of sportsmanship is an excellent quality in a man and consists of fair play, sense of discipline, capacity for team work and cooperation and confidence in oneself that enabled one to accept a defeat cheerfully. It teaches one of the most important values in life which is honesty. A sportsman playing on the field is not expected to magically win each and every match but to cooperate with his team and, if his team suffers a defeat he must not lose self-confidence but must shake hands with his adversaries cheerfully. When a sportsman has acquired these qualities in this process, he will naturally exhibit them in the wider sphere of life.

This sports person will then know how to persevere but not cheat. He will then know that life is not about winning but handling it open-mindedly with a positive attitude. He will never feel heartbroken on account of the disappointments, he will continue to work hard and never give up. There is a saying that says “no pain, no gain”. This would be demonstrated by the sportsman who go through the tedious trainings, pressure to balance work and family life and fights hard to make his country , team and family proud by winning tournaments.

Throughout history, people can’t give up their interest at their body. Many crave to be fit and attractive and they take unnatural ways which leads to disasters. However, the first advantage of sports for people is that they help people be healthy, and be fit. Due to this fact that Sports keep our body healthy. As a possible example, imagine that there is a car which has not worked for years. If you try to run the motor engine, it will not work anymore since it has been rusted and its engine may be broken down. As a result, people are similar to engines and motors. If we don’t do sports, we will be forced to rust, in other words, decomposition of our body; afterwards, we may have some problems with our body when we even need to small walk.

Also, sports balance our body’s blood pressure and circulation. According to many researches which have been done by scientists, they can prove that 70% of the old-aged people are suffering with many long-term diseases due to their nonchalance of not doing sports during their teenage period.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services reports children who play sports are less likely to use drugs and smoke. Female athletes might also be less likely to become pregnant in high school. For children, playing sports can help develop friendships centered on healthy, safe and enjoyable activities. Adults who play sports also have the opportunity to develop friendships centered around an active lifestyle. Engaging in sports gives the opportunity to meet new people and expose to the real life where one would be able to see and interact with people of different blife backgrounds. In this way, humans are trained to be more confident in carrying themselves in situations like interviews and major events. Besides that, it also gives people their satisfaction as they interact with people from all of the world and mingle with them. Sports can particularly benefit low-income individuals, who might not have the money or resources to socialize outside of playing sports, according to Child Fund International.

Sports not only involve you physically but also mentally and one such sport is chess. Chess, for instance, is game which emulates war. In this game are incorporated basic war principles. For example chess strategy contains many kinds of attacks, defenses, counter-attacks, even ambushes. Therefore, many famous leaders in ancient times had been played chess. For instance, we know that Napoleon Bonaparte had been chess lover and everyone knows he tackled war so craftfully.

All in all, we can conclude that there are several advantages and benefits of sports. First, sports are required by people to be fit, smart, and good looking. Second, sports are entertaining due to many facts. Third, sports are the huge market for countries’ economies. In my opinion, despite sports’ advantages, many people can’t believe that sports are useful and beneficial. I hope that in the future these people will tend to be more optimistically to sports since they are the neccessity of our lives