by Benny Lim
This year has definitely been a disappointing year for the team. It started out with great promise. We had a good run during Spirits, and it seemed like we had a great team coming into this season. But external forces worked against us. Players who were supposed to play for the team, played elsewhere. The time we invested trying to grow something great was suddenly gone, just like that. Morale just came crashing down and we started losing numbers in training and in league games.
There were many times throughout this year when I asked myself why I was still doing this. Why was I spending so much time, energy, and money to keep the team alive? I had a shitload of responsibilities at work and at home. I had a huge business to run, and here I was shedding blood, sweat, and tears on something that all my family and friends saw was a fruitless endeavour. Courageous, admirable, but pointless. It really does not make sense from an outside perspective.
But it made sense tonight. Just another scrimmage after training, another night of playing savage – real savage – exactly seven on the line, four guys and three girls, no more, no less. As it turned out, that was all we needed. I’ve played in many memorable games over the years when the odds were stacked against us, but we somehow made it through. There were far more difficult trials and circumstances we needed to overcome. And yet I’ve never been part of a game that was played so perfectly, we were at a loss for words when it was over. Just like all perfect moments, it was brief, it was intense, and it was just beautiful.
Rogers had a loaded line or three, while we were hobbling with our multiple injuries. They had speed, experience, and superior talent. We only had each other. Ipe, Yuri, Iggy, Claire, Coco, Marica, and myself. It started out just like any other night; we expected to get our asses handed to us. But tonight was not just any other night. Our spacing was outstanding. Our passes, crisp. We distributed the disc evenly. We were calm and collected. We were efficient because we did not have any subs. We knew where the disc was going. We destroyed whatever defense they threw against us. We were firing on all cylinders. We played unconscious. It was the greatest game we ever played.
Tonight was the answer to my question. Why am I still doing this? All it takes is one game, or one point, or one pass. The answer has always been in front of me all along. It’s not about being the best there was, the best there is, or the best there ever will be. It’s all about being the best we can be - for one another. It’s been a tough year filled with disappointments and frustrations. Most of us are quick to admit we had better days. But tonight one thing was absolutely clear to me. Our best days are still ahead of us.