Youths take competitive victories
6th March, Singapore: Nicolas Lee of Broadrick Secondary Schools and Charmaine Lim of Methodist Girls School shone in the Novice Bowling Challenge I 2010 secondary level with victory in the Masters finals.
Nicholas Lee, 14, from Broadrick Secondary School joined the Novice Bowling Challenge with the competitive spirit in him, wanting to achieve more in various tournaments and also to gain more exposure and experience.
Bowling is not just a sport that Nicholas likes to play; it is also a sport that moulds him to be who he is today. He started bowling since the age of 11 and pursuing the sport has made him more focused, determined and it also has helped to build up his self-discipline.
Nicholas said, “Through the trainings and practices that I’ve been through, with the tournaments that I have participated in, I realized that I have changed my attitude in doing things, I do not give up that easily like before.”
During the master finals of the Novice Bowling Challenge, Nicholas was the champion in the Upper Secondary Boys Masters with a total of 1736 pinfalls.
Other youths like Tracey Alyson Lin Shan, 14, from Methodist Girls School have also agreed bowling has helped in building of character.
For Tracey, confidence was something she always needed and through bowling, she has not only learnt how to take pride in perfecting the game but also gained confidence through the achievements she has made from various tournaments.
Tracey started out bowling when her dad brought her to Singapore Island Country Club and has joined her school’s bowling team ever since. Tracey scored a total of 1462 pinfalls for the master finals and is the champion for the Lower Secondary Girls Division.
While interviewing Tracey’s father, Mr Lin said, “We’re very supportive towards Tracey in her bowling and we try to be there for her at every tournament.”
Parents like him have also agreed that bowling has helped to mould the character of their children in many ways. Many would worry if these youths would lose their focus on their studies if they were to focus too much on the sport but Tracey’s dad thinks otherwise, he feels that through bowling, she has learnt how to balance both studies and sports and in fact is coping very well indeed.
Bowling has changed the perceptions of many. Playing of the sport has helped not only these youths but also their parents to gain much more in life. It is not about winning the game anymore; it is about how you play the game that matters.
This event has changed their lives, now its time to make a change in yours! We hope to see you in the next Novice Bowling Challenge (Secondary) in the second half of 2010.Written by Phoebe Cheong, Republic Polytechnic. Photos by SingaporeBowling.