adidas Nations basketball

Coach Edmund Tan of Jurong shouting encouragement to his charges. (Photo © Les Tan/Red Sports)

In the heat of a game, people lose control and many things get said. If you have been to enough games, you realise after awhile that some coaches say some unkind words to players so loudly everyone can hear it.

Words have the power of life and death. If they didn’t, why would we still remember the hurtful words said to us long after they were spoken?

So it was heartwarming to overhear Coach Edmund Tan of Jurong Secondary. Even when offensive moves fell apart and the shooting was going haywire, he would yell, “Good try! Good try!” Towards the end of the game, an Anglican High player scored a 3-point basket and he sportingly applauded. He then turned to his girls who were substituted and said, “Thank you for giving your best”.

Anyone would gladly play for a coach like that.