Memories Of A Volley Ball Coach 2
Boys of a secondary school (SMPK 2), more than 30 years ago were eager to play volley. They tried to be allowed to become a member of a well known club. They were neglected, got almost no attention. That’s a way of refusing, rejecting them, since they were too short for volley ball clubs, though they were of normal length. I said, “let us set up, start a volley ball club ourselves.” I took boys of normal height of this school.
How happy they were as they regained their dignity. The volley ball training session was almost conflicting with their school hours, I said, “run immediately after school time to the sport hall - some 3 Km at about 12 o’ clock - as not to be late and you already have a warm up.”
I myself can’t play volley ball and I’m not qualified but I managed to have them play reasonably well with a short two-hour session once a week.
We almost always won during friendly games but there was one team who was runner up in the Jakarta championship the year before who always beat us. They were very tall and the predicted champions of the next season. Then to prepare for this season, I asked the sports teacher of the champion school the year before, - who were now in the senior level - to play against us. We were beaten straight sets, scored almost nothing. I thanked the teacher for willing to play with us of the lower junior level.
When we reached the semi final in the Jakarta championship. I said: “I saw your next opponent play. Don’t be worried. The real opponent, the runner up of the year before is waiting in the final.”
But this was the worst match my boys encountered. It was a team who even were smaller than ours, and seemed so weak, they even came without their sport’s teacher in poor, faded sport shirts and without sport shoes. My boys attacked and they just defended and we couldn’t “kill” them and it seemed they pressed us nearer and nearer to the edge of the abyss. We luckily won but we never felt so beaten by an opponent before. I’ve the greatest respect for that team, (public school SMPN 77) I’ll never forget. When their teacher arrived after the “battle”, he said to our sport’s teacher: “Were I here before to coach my team we would have beaten your team.” Our sport’s teacher smiled, was happy they could survive to meet the coming champions in the final.
May 2009
Boys of a secondary school (SMPK 2), more than 30 years ago were eager to play volley. They tried to be allowed to become a member of a well known club. They were neglected, got almost no attention. That’s a way of refusing, rejecting them, since they were too short for volley ball clubs, though they were of normal length. I said, “let us set up, start a volley ball club ourselves.” I took boys of normal height of this school.
How happy they were as they regained their dignity. The volley ball training session was almost conflicting with their school hours, I said, “run immediately after school time to the sport hall - some 3 Km at about 12 o’ clock - as not to be late and you already have a warm up.”
I myself can’t play volley ball and I’m not qualified but I managed to have them play reasonably well with a short two-hour session once a week.
We almost always won during friendly games but there was one team who was runner up in the Jakarta championship the year before who always beat us. They were very tall and the predicted champions of the next season. Then to prepare for this season, I asked the sports teacher of the champion school the year before, - who were now in the senior level - to play against us. We were beaten straight sets, scored almost nothing. I thanked the teacher for willing to play with us of the lower junior level.
When we reached the semi final in the Jakarta championship. I said: “I saw your next opponent play. Don’t be worried. The real opponent, the runner up of the year before is waiting in the final.”
But this was the worst match my boys encountered. It was a team who even were smaller than ours, and seemed so weak, they even came without their sport’s teacher in poor, faded sport shirts and without sport shoes. My boys attacked and they just defended and we couldn’t “kill” them and it seemed they pressed us nearer and nearer to the edge of the abyss. We luckily won but we never felt so beaten by an opponent before. I’ve the greatest respect for that team, (public school SMPN 77) I’ll never forget. When their teacher arrived after the “battle”, he said to our sport’s teacher: “Were I here before to coach my team we would have beaten your team.” Our sport’s teacher smiled, was happy they could survive to meet the coming champions in the final.
May 2009
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