LEE YAN YING Class 5A2( 2012)
GIVING HER ALL TO LIVE HER PASSION
A netballer’ s tough yet determined journey to do her school proud.
Just like everyone else who was training to get into the competitive team, I wanted so much to represent Clementi Town Secondary School( CTSS) in the West Zone‘ B’ Division Netball tournaments. I was 14 then.
Competing with more than 20 girls for only 12 positions in the team was an extremely daunting challenge, especially with many of them having more experience than me in the sport. I was however, very determined and I would always be punctual for all training sessions, never failing to give my 101 % effort. I even skipped going on holiday trips with my family just so I could train and hopefully earn myself that place on court. I thought my effort would earn me the coveted spot in the team but I was not selected in the end. That left me devastated.
My netball teacher once told me that as long as I had done my best, no one could say I had not done enough. Bearing what my teacher had said in mind, I would put in even more effort during training. I would always ask myself,“ Have I reached my limit? Have I done my best?” It was not easy to keep myself going, especially having felt that deep disappointment before, and many times I nearly gave up. The end goal seemed blurry, although I was very clear what I wanted. Finally, at the end of that year, I was chosen to be part of the main 12.
This joy, to me, was short-lived, because while I was finally admitted into the competitive team, I was not a clear choice for the main seven. The sight of my team mates receiving their bibs, the golden ticket that allows us on court, while not being given one, was so painful. This was far worse than not being in the team altogether – only being allowed to sit at the side lines to watch and cheer for the team. While I loved my team, it was personally a huge struggle to have to stay seated when all I wanted to do was to get on the court and play. Frankly, I felt that my coach did not recognise my hard work and it was not fair that I was not given a chance to play on court. In all my indignation then, I had failed to see that the problem lay with me. I was stubborn and did not follow the standard play my coach had asked us to. My supposed determination then had resulted in over-confidence – I felt like whatever I did was better.
Then I learned to be humble. 2012 was my last year playing for CTSS Netball Team. I was tired, physically and emotionally. I felt like there was no point in training so hard since I did not even get a chance to play anyway. This was when I realised that my team, who had always been there for me, stepped in and kept me going. My teachers had also encouraged me relentlessly. Without them, I would have given up long ago.
That year, I took a risk and changed my position from a defender to a shooter. Many thought I was too ambitious and laughed at me. As a shooter I knew I had to put in every single shot to prove myself. Having absolutely no experience of playing the position, I trained hard and would execute at least 1000 shots every week. An average player requires discipline to achieve average results. However a good player requires a lot of extra hard work and a strong desire to chase the dream. I would often ask the coach for feedback about my mistakes and work on them immediately so I would not repeat them on court. When I let go of my stubbornness and started blending into my teammates’ play, I finally saw the light.
Yanying is now studying Biomedical Science in Ngee Ann Polytechnic. She was selected to be the feature in the local newspapers as one of the finalists of the New Paper Sports Star award in 2012.
Our Time: Once A Clementeen, Always A Clementeen 029