Following pre-season, I tried out for the basketball seasonal team, and I was hoping I’d be selected into the ‘A’ team as I thought I stood a good chance, however, towards the end of the tryout, my coach told me that perhaps it’d be better for me to get another year of training in the ‘B’ team, where I’d be a leader and get a lot more playing time rather than play in the A team and not contribute as much. He believed I’d be able to make it next year, and just needed a bit more practice this year. Of course I was disappointed and disheartened as I’d put in a lot of effort leading up to this and really wanted the opportunity to develop my skills in the ‘a’ team, however, this is where I demonstrated LO4 and showed resilience as I understood what my coach was telling me, and decided to put in all my effort in the ‘B’ team, making significant contribution. I regularly attended all training sessions, all matches, and I was chosen to be captain of the U19 B team. This motivated me to work harder and encourage my teammates to push themselves so that we could develop as a team and play our best. Not being in the A team did present a challenge and pushed me to deal with it maturely and adapt to a change in mindset so that I didn’t let my team down. I believe it’s very important to be fully present in any experience you engage in despite any feelings or opinions you may have. I put aside my feelings and engaged fully in the experience to get the most out of it. I learnt a lot about myself as a player and as a teammate, and I hope to carry this forward with me in the future.
