Shoutout from Winston (99)

It is about time we build the character of our team. It is time we unveil our NTU tradition; players who are hard, players who play with their heart more than their brains sometimes, players who can take scolding’s on the pitch and players who dare to rise up to the occasion and help those around you but making sure that the NTU voice is louder on the pitch than those who are dying to play but yet have to sit on the bench because you, on the field, are supposedly better in certain aspects than him on that match day against that specific opponents.

What is with the year 1, year 2 etc and the seniors-juniors thing? Everyone who is in this team now arrived at this point based on certain merits and ability which coach thinks that you possess will help the team. Some of us can dribble well, some can shoot well, some can pass well and so many attributes that make you as the player you are today. But right now, what we lack in everyone is the hunger to win. Who do you want to win it for? I’m sure many of you have been seniors before and many of you have been through the junior/newcomer phase countless times. How many times do you feel that a player, who is longer than you in the team, makes a mistake or he is not putting his best effort even for the slightest incident and you want to ‘wake’ him up but was too afraid to speak up? How many times do you think that you are having a bad game and thus decide to retreat back into your hermit shell?

We need each other on and off the field. We need advices, comments, criticisms but I want to stress that they have to be constructive. Obviously, there will be times when in the heat of the moment, foul words came out and probably hurt someone or bruised the relationship. But the difference between man and boy is the ability to rise above that and talk it out over dinner or even just after training or a match.

I admit that many times in the game I lost the ball or misplaced a pass or got knocked off the ball and resulted in my teammates having to track back to retrieve it before something disastrous happens. But this is what a team is all about! We help each other first before the constructive remarks are going to be made. If a mistake was made, there is absolutely no point in hurling abuse in any form to your poor teammate. Are you going to chase his mind of out the game? PULL HIM BACK INTO THE GAME AND GET ON WITH IT!

Lastly, no matter how well or how badly we play as a team or individually on that fateful day, always remember that we are in it together. We will not win a game if I score 10 goals and we ship in 11 goals. But we will win a game if we manage to nip in one solitary goal of the game because of our teamwork.

It is time to step up and make your presence be felt on the field. Everyone makes mistakes and I always believe everyone must have the heart and soul to right the wrong while we can… while we are still in the game.

Regards,

99, Winston