One Team! One Goal!
By Saai Syvendra ·
The deafening roar of the audience echoed in my ears. The rush of adrenaline coursed through my veins. It was a legendary battle between us and our sworn rivals. There came the final whistle and victory was ours. I lifted the trophy to the sky!
Contest master, ladies and gentlemen. That was a Saturday evening at the Sugathadasa swimming pool. It was the day my teammates and I won the under-15 water polo encounter. It was also the day that a bunch of 15-year-olds huddled around and made a pact. “Weldone, boys! Remember this moment. Remember this feeling. Cause in four years, we’ll be back for the under-19 trophy!” We sealed the deal with a handshake, One Team! One Goal!
Life went on. Amidst water polo, I aced my O/Ls and I chose to follow maths for my A/Ls. In my final year at school, I was asked if I could captain the U19 water polo team. I was speechless with excitement. I rushed home and told my dad the great news. And his reaction did not even have a fraction of satisfaction. "Saai, that's great news, but do you think it's a good idea? I mean, can you balance everything”
If I took up the captaincy, I would have to go for practices early in the morning; I would have to go for practices late in the evening. I would be the first person to walk into school and the last to walk out of school. I would be in the pool when the sun rose; I would be in the pool when the sun set. And all of this while following Maths for ALs!? No wonder my dad was worried. And, to be honest, I was a little worried as well.
But you tell me, what better way to wrap up a successful water polo career at school than by leading your team to victory in your final encounter? So, I took over the role of captain. My teammates and I put our hearts and souls into practice, day in and day out. At the end of every practice, we would remind ourselves about that pact through our handshake! One Team! One Goal!
As practices continued, out of the blue and with a bang came Covid. An unforeseen series of events unfolded. Practices came to a halt, school came to a halt, the entire world came to a halt. The under-19 water polo encounter was postponed and all my plans were dethroned.
I was stuck at home all day. I was in my bed when the sun rose and I was in my bed when the sun set. I was lost. Days bled into weeks, and weeks bled into months but nothing seemed to change. Day in and day out, I was staring at the ceiling with confusion and concern. Seeing me in this state, one day my dad asked, “Saai, you good? I mean is everything alright?”
"No, Dad, you see, a few years ago, we all made a pact to win the under-19 encounter. That's the entire reason I took up captaincy. But now, I’m not even sure if the encounter will happen this year. All I have done so far will be in vain.”
“Saai, let me stop you there. You've been working tirelessly to help your team while balancing everything else. I’m proud of you. And yes, sometimes life doesn't work out exactly the way you plan it. But always remember. You're not just a character in your story, you're the author as well. So, go lead the team beyond the pool, Captain.”
Ladies and Gentlemen, you might be someone who dedicated years to climbing the corporate ladder, only to face unexpected layoffs or you might be someone in a committed relationship and your partner suddenly decides that they don’t feel that spark anymore. It is at times like these that we must remember, that we are not just a character in our story, we are the authors as well. Yes, you can't always control your circumstances; however, you can script your ending.
And as for mine, I started teaching my teammates who struggled with their studies. I helped my teammates with any problems they faced during this dark period. And finally, after the storm of Covid wore off, I got into the pool with my youngsters, to help them improve.
It was yet another Saturday evening at the Sugathadasa swimming pool. The deafening roar of the audience echoed in my ears. The rush of adrenaline coursed through my veins. It was a legendary battle between us and our sworn rival. There came the final whistle and the victory was ours. I was on the sidelines, brimming with pride as I saw the youngsters I trained lift the trophy. Yes, I never got to play my encounter and this was one year after my cancelled encounter. Amidst all the celebration they came up to me and said, “Saai, we did it! We finally did it! Just like you said, One Team! One Goal!” and they handed me the trophy! With my youngsters cheering me on, and my dad by my side, I lifted the trophy to the sky.
#Gavel
#2024
#WaterPolo