On 28^th July 2007, we were invited to participate in the friendly Captain’s Ball competition organised by Jurong Secondary School. Two single-sex teams were formed to represent our unit in the competition. That morning, we met up at Lakeside MRT Station with HO Yan Bo before proceeding to Jurong Secondary School via public transport. There, we were welcomed warmly by the cadets on duty and were brought to a table to register. After which, we were ushered to the canteen to await the arrival of the other participating teams. When all the teams had arrived, we were briefed about the matches that will take place and were given a short period of time to warm up before the competition commenced.

The fixtures that we had were not as lucky as the one we had during the Frisbee competition. We were all not very skilled in the game Captain’s ball and did not have any team practice beforehand. Therefore, this competition was a real challenge to us and we did not hold any hope of having the honour to emerge as champions. Winning a competition is not everything. Though we should not enter a competition with winning as our main motive, the satisfaction of winning a match is an additional bonus for us.

The competition was very great as the participating units were renowned for their good ball skills and everyone was determined to be the champion and bring honour to their units. However, good sportsmanship still existed between the units and the units themselves. Units, including ours, can be seen cheering for their chosen participants in the match and encouraging them throughout the matches. From this, we can say that the aim of the activity had been met.

Both the 2 teams that represented our school won the competition. However, they won differently. The boys’ team won literally and was the overall champion among the other teams. On the other hand, the girls’ team won figuratively. Unfortunately, the girls’ team lost their first match due to the lack of team coordination. Our confidence and team morale started to dwindle after a few missed goals which were the result of bad passes and communication breakdown. Furthermore, we were at a disadvantage as our opponents were taller than us and were able to make high passes. However, with the continued support of our fellow squad mates present and supporters from the other units, our team morale was boosted and we started playing well again. That match ended with us lagging just one goal behind our opponents. Nevertheless, we continue to show good sportsmanship and shook our opponents’ hands as a form of appreciation.

As the first match was a success for the boys’ team due to our ‘free-flowing’ passing and nice teamwork, our confidence increased by leaps and bounds. We began to have the ‘inspiration’ to play even better. There was nothing except the two words ‘joga bonito’ which means beautiful play to describe the kind of game we played.

Finally, the boys’ team managed to enter the finals. The final was a very competitive one. Although we drew first blood, the other team equalized within a very short time. The game carried on and in the end, we had won the finals. Winning the finals is always a very special thing there was no other words that could describe our feelings. We had won the cup!

After a short break at the canteen, we proceed on to the hall to have the prize presentation ceremony.

From this competition, we had learnt that through teamwork, we can achieve our target easily. As what team stands for, together everyone achieves more. Also, we had learnt that as a player, we must have sportsmanship and no matter the results, as long as we had done our best, there will be no regrets.

Done By: SGT Chai Wee Kiat and SGT Michelle Chee