Written and translated by Gr. 11 Joy and Gr. 11 Russell
On March 16, 2021, the intramural basketball game held by Jiaxing BCOS began with the sound of the basketball hitting the ground and the cheers of the students. It was the first time for everyone in the school to have such a large-scale competition. It was very crowded in the gym.
At the beginning, students from the dance company presented two dynamic dance performances to everyone, which won bursts of applause. Their month’s work of hard practice was thoroughly revealed by their passionate moves during this exciting moment. The players could not help themselves from showing excitement, ready to go on the court and show off their excellent basketball skills. With the announcement, the tournament started with players’ tense preparations.
In fact, there are a lot of players who had never played basketball before, and most of them were temporary players, especially the girls. They knew they might lose as they faced many players who could play basketball very well. However, they did not get discouraged and lost. Some girls, who were originally shy, practiced hard in the days before the tournament: shooting basketballs, practicing running, and showing off their out-going nature. The boys got together in the gym at noon to relax themselves through exercise. For them, the competition was a good chance to show off the results of their training. All the boys were excited and itched to have a good performance in the game. In the match, everyone tried their best to play both offence and defense, all hoping to bring victory to their teams.
In the process of practice, the students learned from the more experienced players. Although they were not on the same team, the students also passed on their tips and experience without reservation. This was the most meaningful part of this basketball tournament. The purpose was not to win the championship or trophy, but to enhance friendship and camaraderie. It was not only a chance to improve the unity of the classes, but it was also a communication experience. Growth was shown across the grades: seniors and juniors, strangers and athletes. After this competition, the team spirit of our whole school had become extremely strong, which is a kind of shocking cohesion!
The game went on in an orderly way, and the time passed quickly. After several rounds of fierce competition, team Giant Octopus won both the boys’ and the girls’ basketball championships. There was an interview with the most valuable players, Russell and Joy, after both boys’ and girls’ basketball games. Joy, a contestant, claimed, “This competition has enhanced the friendship between students and strengthened team cohesion, which enables us to give full play to our athletic talents in our busy studies and life. I hope there will be more similar activities in the future.” Another player, Russell, expressed: “I am not only the player in the game but also one of the organizers of the tournament, so I actually learned a lot from the activity. I now know how to become a better leader and help my team to reach success. I also now know how to become a great manager to promote the activity and make it work. This is a wonderful experience.” During the competition, our athletes set up a good, civilized image for BCOS, which is very impressive.
Life is like a torrential sea, there are no islands and no reefs, it is difficult to arouse a beautiful spray of water. Lose, then take failure as motivation! Young people should have a broad mindset and not worry too much about trivial problems. The will to learn from failure and grow from experience is exactly the attitude representing our school.
With the spring breeze comes the fragrance of flowers in the air and the shadows of trees swaying around us. We will not forget the exciting basketball games for a long time. In the golden age of high school, we are the most beautiful scenery on campus. Many years later, when we look back, we will still remember the golden sunshine in the school, the passing of the ball that our friends entrusted to us, and especially the fierce game. This beautiful springtime will float with our youthful memories and be forever remembered in our hearts.