I seem to have the worst possible luck with injuries when playing sport. Rolled ankles when merely hitting a ball around during tennis coaching sessions, a pulled back when playing GSV tennis, an ankle injury when pushing myself during Maktab Sains’ annual cross-country in Form 4 – although I eventually emerged 16th in my year group overall, but also had to endure yoga-based treatment that afternoon… Injuries really aren’t that uncommon to me.
So when I rocked up for netball with the Crazy Pandas this morning, at UBD’s Sports Hall, I expected something – something was going to inevitably happen, what with the hall’s really slick wooden flooring, which grows even more slippery after sweat builds up on it. Only Imah and Syaz were there when I walked in at a few minutes past nine, so it was only after ten that a proper practice match got under way. For some odd reason, Ming Hui and I were attacker-defender for all three matches that we had time to play today – a throwback to the good ol’ days of interclass netball at Maktab Sains, where she’d always be the Goal Shooter (GS) and I, the Goal Keeper (GK)!
I’d forgotten what it was like to be paired with Ming Hui. And oh man, did she run me ragged – zig-zagging up and down the section of the court that we were confined to, so quick on her feet.
And then, in the middle of our second match, the netball soared over my head. I caught it with one foot on the ground – my pivoting foot – and I had to look for someone to pass it too. Ming Hui was so good on the defence, that I couldn’t find a way to pass the ball to anyone on my team. I landed, pivoted…
… and my ankle nearly crumpled beneath me.
And the ball ended up… I have no idea where. BUT by the time I managed to right myself and speed after Ming Hui, one point was already on its way to being scored.
Such is the story of my life.
I had a good day with the Pandas though. We may not have trained together as a team post-Maktab Sains more than a handful of times, but playing with each other is still so familiar. I got such a whiff of nostalgia when watching Anis playing as Wing just now; she may be playing for BruNotts this summer, but she was on our practice team just now and her playing style still remains the same and that gave me crazy flashbacks to Secondary 3 netball. Cikgu Mikah would be mildly surprised to realise that the same people she coached all the way from the beginning of secondary school are still playing together! Who knew class netball would lead to the Lufbru Summer Games? (:
I love this crazy random bunch of people, whose only ties to one another happen to be the fact that we were from the same secondary school, and are now spread out all over the United Kingdom. We’re united by team spirit, no matter how different we are, and how far apart we’ve grown since graduating.
Maybe this is why I prefer team sports to individual sports. Personally, I find hardly any thrill in solitary sports – I like group camaraderie, working together to fulfill a common goal – but that’s just my take on sports! I even play badminton and tennis only in doubles; that’s how much I dislike having to be out there by myself. I love my team mates to bits.
In other news, I’m back in Brunei, and have been since Monday! I haven’t really gone out all that much yet. Everyone seems to be on some sort of internship or another, or doing the Tash-thing and spending most of their time at home. Netball practice is basically the only time I’ve been out of the house; I’m just taking it easy for the time being. There’s an absolute luxury in being able to feel bored, to have nothing to occupy your time with! When work begins (and hopefully, soon enough!) I’ll have to kiss goodbye to late nights and even later mornings.
For now, jetlag wins.
