Seems like the hang-over that is INTRAMS will linger longer than expected. Here is another sharing from another teacher who has learned so much from the event. Read on as TEACHER EDEN, Team Captain of Yellow Stars, tells you her story.
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I’ve always loved Intramurals and Sportsfests, ever since I was a little girl. It’s the time I get to play anything I want, eat all the ice cream and hotdogs I could have, bask in the sun like there’s no tomorrow, and generally do anything but still get rewarded and awarded for doing what I love the most, playing. Now, how cool is that?
Intramurals in SSIS was a bit of a different story—this year, especially. I was given a responsibility to lead and handle a whole team at a time when I was struggling in juggling all the other responsibilities I had. But then, it was not in my nature to say no when I haven’t even tried doing it. And so I was captain of the Yellow Stars.
It all started Tuesday, when some of the indoor games needed to be done. I was assigned to watch the chess matches in the Library. Our team’s player for chess lost his first game. As I tried to look at possibilities, for a double elimination kind of competition, it would be pretty hard to land a championship match once a player lost a game. I was a little pessimistic about the situation though I try hard not to show it. But to my amazement, our player managed to beat his next two opponents and was able to squeeze himself in the championship match against a “flaming” twice-to-beat advantage. At that time, with no expectations but with all the hopes and prayers I could give, I told him, “Just do your best.” And so he did, a flame went out and the advantage was twice beaten. It was a triumphant moment for him and the team at a time when Intrams hasn’t officially started.
More news of victory came to me from the badminton events. After that, one kid from level 4 came up to me, with pleading eyes, and said, “Teacher, I want to play in the doubles for badminton.” Seeing probably the most adorable four-foot tall creature in the world pleading to me, I managed to say, “JP, we’ll let Eisen play, okay? It’s his last Intrams and he wanted to play. But you still have two more years.” Almost crying, he insisted, “But I want to play. I’m even better than Kuya.” His older brother, who happened to play that day for badminton, just won the championship match for the singles event. Thinking about it, I came to a decision, “Okay JP, go call Eisen. We’ll have eliminations. If you beat him, you’ll play for doubles.” From the corners of his mouth came a shy but hopeful smile and said, “Okay.” After lunch and USSR time, I found JP and Eisen in the hall playing what I learned to be their eliminations game. Eisen ran to me before serving and said, “Teacher, he’s so good.” With amusement, confusion and pride, I watched how the kid proved to me that he was worth the slot he was asking for. I stayed to watch his games, all of which were victorious ones. At the end, at the last game, I knew what’s going to happen, and indeed, JP with his partner, won the championship.
And so the games began, Wednesday and Thursday were big days for our team. We won a lot from the Mr. and Ms. Intramurals, to the cheering competition to some of the Track and Field events to Upper School indoor games. Our team, I believed, was THE team to beat. But we can never say it’s over, until it’s really over. We may have a lot of ups but the downs are what made a great difference. In the middle of a chess match in the middle of the day, I was told that I was paged. As I walked to the lobby, people came up to me and said there has been an accident in the soccer field. I immediately ran to the field and saw one of my yellow stars lying down. A twisted knee and soaked eyes were what I found. I was panicking inside, asking myself, “What can I do? What should I do?” I wanted to ask her if she was all right, but the answer was pretty obvious that all I did was to keep my mouth shut. I was stunned at how Tr. Gen talked to her about surfing and how it would be fun to do it again. With tears in her eyes, I mumbled, “You’re going to be okay.” What she replied left me surprised and shocked, “Miss, I’m scared I may have let the team down.” There she was lying down, with a twisted knee and an unsure condition, worrying about how the team will be because of what happened to her. That was the time the tables turned. After the ambulance came to get her, I started looking for all the stars I could find. I reminded them, “Go ahead and lose, but never hurt yourself.”
Friday came. To wrap it all up, this day was our final chance to get the championship for most games. First up were the volleyball lower school girls. As I look at an unbelievable line up of big girls as our opponent, and looking at my Little-Ms-Philippines candidates of a team, my old self was shaking her head already. But before the game started, one of my girls ran to me, hugged me and said, “Teacher, you’re a good captain.” I was smiling but in reality I was crying inside. Who am I to tell them they can only do this and that? Who am I to limit their capabilities and box them inside an idea of what they can and cannot do? Who am I to assume their strength and will to win?
At the soccer championship game for boys, we had the twice-to-beat advantage. I was feeling confident, with words from my captains Ivan and Justice assuring me we’ll win the game. But after losing the first game to towers of Green Laurels, I was feeling nervous. I was convincing myself, its okay to lose, after seeing some of our players bend and break to physical stress. I kept reminding them, “Please, take care of yourselves.” As the time of the second game expired, it came down to a shootout. Five players for each team get to kick and try to score for the team. Five for each kicked and it was still a tie. Thankful for the sunglasses, I didn’t want my team to see me crying. I was praying while breaking down, “Lord, the boys had too much today. Please give it to them.” I was reciting the same prayer over and over again until the five players became six, six became seven and seven became eight. JP scored one but was countered by another point. The ninth player was called, and our team couldn’t find anyone but our goalie, JD. With all hopes, wet eyes and cheeks, and a prayer still ringing in my head, I watched how JD scored our last and winning point for Yellow Stars. I sobbed like a little girl, standing in a screaming crowd, whispering a new prayer of gratitude. I wouldn’t want to make a scene and be branded a drama queen of a captain, so I stayed in the soccer field where it all happened while they all went to the volleyball court for their next match.
Last game of the day was the volleyball championship. Blue versus Yellow. Blue has been a crowd favorite, I didn’t understand why. But I had no time to think about that anymore. What mattered more was for our team to know that we have their backs no matter what happens. Win or lose, they were champions. I cheered and coached our team despite the loud roars of the other team. We won the first game with ease, smashing their twice-to-beat advantage. But the second game was a loss, giving the championship to the Flames.
The day was coming to its end with the awarding ceremonies. I could sense the sadness behind my team’s smiles. They were down after that volleyball match. But every time a player is called and awarded, our team cheered with our winning chant. That’s when I knew, we were champions no matter what. We ranked in second. But no ranking or point system could tell us we lost something or in anything. We gained so much more through this experience. It was an eye opener for me to the differences of people and their true colors. Most of them are indeed, bigger than their bodies and our ideas of what they are and who they can be. We may have lost by points but we definitely won in spirit. It may seem that I was the teacher in the whole journey, but my kids taught me so much from the four days we’ve been together. I learned that we can only overestimate someone but we can never underestimate him. I learned about simple joys and hopes from thinking that our chant has a winning magic to believing that anything is possible even against a twice-to-beat advantage. I learned that winning isn’t about getting ahead by all means possible, that winning isn’t about getting a certificate out of a tournament, and winning isn’t about bragging rights and you being on top of everybody else. Instead, winning is about being able to stretch your hand out to an opponent after a good game, whichever side you’re on, and not sticking your tongue out to a loser side. Winning is about, as cliché as it may be, doing your best, playing clean and keeping your integrity and not about thinking of some other team’s loss just to get ahead. Winning is about keeping your head high, walking tall and shining bright to everyone else even in your darkest moments. And that’s what a Yellow STAR is all about. We are WINNERS no matter what. 🙂
-Tr. Eden Ramirez PROUD Captain – Yellow Stars SSIS Intramurals 2012
