By Jayston from 24J11
The A-level examinations are the (dreaded) final examinations for J2s at the end of the year. As if having to keep up with the new tutorials and lectures while revising for earlier topics wasn’t stressful enough, there are some among the cohort who are preparing to represent the school and fight for glory against other tertiary institutes. These people are RV’s very own student athletes!
Endless drills, taxing physical training, and pre-season friendlies are just some ways student athletes prepare themselves. Their goal? Success at the National School Games (NSG).
Logos of the involved organisations
For those who are unaware, NSG is the largest annual inter-school competition in Singapore organised by schools, for schools. The NSG offers more than 400 championship, titles, for more than 60,000 student athletes across all schools in Singapore.
It builds resilience and strengthens the bonds between teammates and helps to develop students, not just physically but also mentally. All student athletes are even required to take the Athlete’s Oath to signify their commitment to fair play and sportsmanship no matter what happens during the games!
A key moment from the 2024 oath-taking and flame-lighting ceremony
I interviewed two of RV’s student athletes to find out some of their aspirations for NSG as well as to get tips on how to better organise your schedule and achieve success both on and off the field.
Our first interview is with Gopikannan Nishesh. He currently takes Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics and Economics, all at the H2 level. He has taken part in a variety of academic competitions such as the Singapore Young Physicists' Tournament, proving his capabilities academically as well. As a member of HSSLA, he is exposed to a variety of topics in multiple fields, deepening his understanding of the world. Not only is he the Vice-Captain of RV’s football team, he is also a versatile player, he plays in many different positions while also working on his technical skills outside of sessions. Despite being a relatively new sports club, the determination the whole team displays is sure to help to achieve glory at this year’s NSG.
Nishesh before training
Our second interview is with Koay Boon Kai. Similarly to Nishesh, he takes Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics and Economics at a H2 level. However, he decided to take Economics at a H1 level for his second year of JC. He too takes part in competitions outside of school such as the Singapore Chemistry league, even attaining bronze, to broaden his understanding of subjects. He plays as a center for the boy’s floorball team. Despite having no prior experience, Boon Kai does his best at training to contribute effectively to the team.
Boon Kai with his floorball stick
I talked to both Nishesh and Boon Kai to find out more about their goals and how they balance studies with training.
Undeniably, training takes up a lot of time for our student-athletes. The football team trains for 3 hours, twice a week.
“Closer to our NSG season, our coach conducts official training more frequently on other days after school,” said Nishesh.
He also said that the football players were expected to engage in extra fitness training sessions during their free time, closer to the NSG.
Meanwhile, the boy’s floorball team trains two to three times a week. While there are no changes to the training sessions for the floorball team, Boon Kai said that some members may choose to do more training on their own, such as hitting the ball against a wall to practise passing.
For our student-athletes, training sessions can also be dynamic, catering to the different ways that they can excel in their sport, which includes simulating real game scenarios by playing attack versus defence.
“We also work on our technical skills through passing, dribbling and shooting drills.,” said Nishesh.
In the middle of training sessions, the coach would also suddenly make the team do running drills.
“This sudden change of pace and intensity is similar to that of the real game, helping us to control our breathing more effectively,” he said.
Nishesh during training
It’s a similar story for floorball. Warming up the body with runs is the usual case, with the aim of building up stamina to last the full game. Technical and gameplay drills are methods employed to refine the skills of the players.
“We also have practice matches with other schools occasionally. It’s quite helpful to see what works and what doesn’t and build up our experience,” Boon Kai explained.
Now, when questioned about study tips and how they balance training and studies, both had lots to say. While both emphasised the importance of keeping up with lectures and focusing during lessons, they had some extra advice for excelling.
“I study during break times between lessons. It isn't easy coping with work, as I usually reach home at about 8, after which I have to stay up late to finish some work. However, I try to get most of my tutorials done by 11 before I go to bed and wake up early at 5.15 am. I also try to squeeze in and finish most of my tutorials on the weekends, saving more time to watch my lectures and go to bed earlier to get more rest.” Nishesh said.
As you can tell, he prioritises a (decently) healthy sleep schedule despite being so busy, showing how crucial sleep is for focusing during lessons.
Boon Kai highlights the significance of using your free time wisely saying, “As sessions are very tiring, I often find it difficult to make time for studies. However, as my timetable has a lot more breaks compared to last year, there is now more free time for me to finish up tutorials and do self-revision. By clarifying with my teachers, I am then able to gain a deeper understanding of the content taught, which ensures that my tutorials are done better.”
Finally, I asked them about their goals for the upcoming NSG.
“I want to win the whole thing,” Nishesh proclaimed.
“I would like to have a better result than last year,” Boon Kai said.
As you can see, despite the hectic schedule and constant exhaustion, these student athletes never give up! Their ability to plan out a proper schedule with time set aside for lectures, tutorials, and revision is one of the key ways they have managed to thrive. Alongside that, by paying attention in class and organising consultation sessions with teachers, it helps to build a solid foundation for all the subjects!
I hope the interviews have provided some insight into how student athletes manage their time and that you’ve obtained valuable insight as to how you too can do the same! With these tips, let’s all crush A levels and get results we’re satisfied with. All the best to all our student athletes for the upcoming NSG, and may everyone achieve their goals!
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