Reality and illusions

Reality and illusions. Our life surrounds around these 2 things. Read on…

Normally, Mr Han will excuse us from training if we had combined school training the night before. On tuesday, Jarryl, Ryan and I turned up for school training. On thursday, only Jarryl and I turned up for school training.

I don't really blame Joshua for not coming as combined schools’ training is rather tough and vigorous. Ending at 10 pm everytime, after eating dinner and travelling from Pasir Ris back home, it will be way past midnight. Getting up the next morning and telling yourself “I will work hard for training today”, is ain’t easy.

Every time after combined schools training, by the time I arrive home it will be close to 12 midnight and will only get to sleep at 12.30. The next day, even though how lethargic I was, I will still go for training. I’m not sure what gives me the drive to work hard. Maybe it is my determination to improve or maybe that floorball is my passion. I’m not sure but I enjoy training and love to see myself improving.

But I realised something. I came to realise how Jarryl improve so quickly to establish himself as a key player in the team. It is through his hard work.

Jarryl only played floorball for around 1 year plus and I dare say he is even better than me. Honestly, when did you even see Jarryl slacking during training? He will always be running during physical training, doing the 40 kg bench press during gym and putting his 100% during court.

Do talents appear overnight? I believe it is through hard work. It is through all the little extra effort that he puts into training that shape him into the player he have became today. What you do during training reflects on what kind of player you are on court. It is as simple as that.

Last year, I slacked during gym and circuit. Now, I have to suffer the consequences of having poor fitness during games. But I put in a lot of effort on my skills. I trained by myself and gave my best in every court training, that’s why I’m slightly better in terms of skill. I will normally practise for at least 10 minutes every day and the longest time I trained alone was 3 hours. And all this training reflects on what kind of player I have became.

Sometimes, after shooting, people will walk up to me and say “ How you shoot so hard one?”. My reply “ Hard meh?”

I dunno, maybe it was really quite hard, but for me, it is still far from the kind of shot power I want to achieve. Maybe it is this kind of determination to achieve perfection that gave me to will to continue working hard. Some may say that I’m good, but I know I’m not. I will never be able to accept the fact that I’m good until I actually feel that I’m good.

When we played against Hitman this Friday, I noticed a few players smiling when they played. At first I thought that they were crazy but I realised that the smile came from their passion for the sport. They are actually enjoying every single minute of their playing time. Sometimes in sports, winning ain’t everything. We play because we enjoy the sport and not be’cose we want to win the sport but reality is harsh, players that don’t play to win are usually not very much appreciated in the team.

Nowadays, we are often trapped in a world of reality and illusions. We can bluff ourselves and ignore the fact that we suck in floorball by saying that I enjoy the sport and do not play to win but in reality, no players play to lose.

We can bluff ourselves and believe that we are good when people praise us but this is only an illusion which we use to bluff ourselves. Deep down under, you know it, you ain’t that good yet.

We can say that we are combined school players and that we are superior and better than the rest of the team but we know that we are not the best yet. If we tell ourselves that we are good, we are only bluffing ourselves.

I can tell people that since I’m a combined school player, I can easily DSA and need not study so hard but reality is harsh, studies are equally as important. Floorball will not get me anywhere far in life, studying and getting the university certificate is the only way to get a better living in the future.

Furthermore, I know that I’m ain’t that good in floorball. I’m far from what I hope to achieve. When my parents told me to study more and play less floorball, I know they are right. Studies is far more important than floorball if I were to want to have a better living in the future. But I kept telling myself and bluffing myself with the illusion that floorball is my passion, life is short, and I should do what I enjoy instead.

Let not lie to ourselves anymore, we have to accept reality. But at times, we should also lie to ourselves and cover up harsh reality with illusions, being positive.