Term 2 Interhouse sport was a term of competitive yet fun games of Soccer, which were not only beneficial in training the students mental and physical health, but also in developing their collaborative skills, which in my case, were leadership and teamwork. Our team was composed of various boys across years 8-10, where it was evident of the lack of synergy within the team. The core issue within our team lied in our lack of experience playing with each other and lack of skill with the younger players, as our passes did not connect and were often intercepted. Being the goalie, I was in a position where I was able to analyse the field and instruct the other players, prompting me to take on the role of the captain. Through instructing and giving advice to the younger defenders to spread out and watch opposing strikers, we were able to tighten up our defense, providing me with experience in leading a team.

Having lost most our matches, the entire team’s morale and mental state has dropped incredibly as evident in our dropping game quality. The plays became sloppy and were often intercepted towards the end of the game. Seeing so, it was amazing seeing the players encouraging each other during the game, as I shouted chants of encouragement,

“It’s okay! We’ll get it next time!” etc.

Despite the encouragement seeming ineffective to others, sometimes just a simple “Good job!” can lighten up someone’s mood, and in our case, my encouragements were transformed into energy for our team, as we finally scored, as we tied up the score to 1-1 in our first game.

Reflecting on this experience, I was able to develop my teamwork and leadership skills. Being a shy, introverted person, I had never been able to confidently lead a team, as I often preferred to be lead. However, the term of intense soccer was able to push me to take the role of the leader and instruct the younger players of the team, teaching me the importance of leadership and teamwork.