“In a way, I feel like they are cheering for me … Asking me to hang on.” — An interview with Hua Yi’s volleyball team

By Lai Jun Wei/Red Sports

“Go Hua Yi, go go go Hua Yi…”

It has almost been two months since the end of the 2011 B Division Volleyball Championship, but the cheers of Hua Yi’s B Division Girls’ volleyball team still echo through my head whenever the school’s name comes to mind.

During the West Zone Championship, Hua Yi was already making waves when they proved themselves to be worthy opponents. They finished fourth in the zonal competition and progressed into the Nationals at the expense of 2010 runner-up Nanyang Girls’ High. Though the team did not make it past the first round of the Nationals, their team spirit certainly struck many spectators and left several onlookers in awe. Every point Hua Yi played would almost always be filled with cheers, shrieks and screams. Every point they won, they celebrated. They celebrated like they have won the championship title.

From the sidelines, it certainly seemed as if the team’s morale was constantly on a high. While other teams struggled to find their footing, Hua Yi would spur each other on, and their cheers would sometimes even seem intimidating. Hua Yi’s performance at the Nationals was certainly a commendable one. Though they were drawn in a tough group consisting North Zone and reigning U16 champions Presbyterian High, South Zone runners-up Cedar Girls’ and East Zone second runners-up St Hilda’s Secondary, Hua Yi brought the game to their opponents.

During their first match against Presbyterian High, they lost by only two points in their first set, 23-25. Overheard in the spectators’ stand was someone commenting, “I heard Hua Yi was good, but I never expected them to be this good!” Indeed, their “self morale-boosters” worked wonders as they proved that they were no pushovers, even managing to take a set off St Hilda’s in their last group game.

Tan Xiu Zhen, 16, the team’s setter, shared on how the cheering managed to keep her going during matches. “[My teammate’s cheers] spur me on to do better. I feel encouraged. When I do not perform up to standard and do not set well, our spikers will not have good balls to spike. Sometimes I will blame myself if the team does not perform. But they encourage me to try again in the next rally.”

Yakira Lim, 16, the team’s centre spiker added, “Instead of blaming you, [they will] encourage you and inspire you to move on. They tell me — Don’t look back. Just move on and don’t think about your past mistakes. In a way, your mindset changes from a pessimistic to an optimistic one when your teammates cheer for you.”

Volleyball started in Hua Yi back in the 1960s. Hua Yi has a history of sporting achievement. Walking through the school’s heritage gallery, rows of trophies fills their cabinets showcasing the school’s past glory. In 1978, the school emerged champions at the Inter-School Volleyball Tournament under the Pasir Panjang Schools Sports Council.

Currently, the B Division team is helmed by coaches Mr Chow Lai Chuen and Mr Yap Ah Kuan. In recent years, their best showing has been runners-up in the West Zone Championship and a Top Eight finish at the Nationals. The team were inspired to create their own cheers after an overseas sports tour to China in 2010.

Captain Lee Sze Ting, 17 shared, “Before we went to China [for our sports tour], our morale would often be very low whenever we were losing. This will eventually affect the whole team. When we went to China, we saw how the teams there cheered and kept their spirits up. So we thought of doing our own cheers to encourage each other.

“This way, we will have a positive mindset to have to do our best, play our best. My coach told us that we have to play every ball like it is the last point. We put in all our effort for every ball and get very excited whenever we win a point. Therefore we scream as if we were the champions.”

Of course, it did help that most of the players were a hyper sort, allowing them to constantly keep up their level of cheers. During their weekly trainings, the team does not let up on their mutual encouragement and constantly keep their spirits up even. Certainly, this has had a positive effect on the players.

Subset T. Divya, 16 commented, “The cheers are very useful. That is why we have many cheers to motivate us. For us girls, our actions are sometimes quite unstable. We tend to get nervous and frightened easy. With all the constant cheering, we can get support. Every time I fail, I will hear people cheering. In a way, I feel like they are cheering for me, asking me to hang on.”

Centre spiker Yakira Lim, 16 said, “When we go onto the court, sometimes I feel very nervous. Cheering helps me to open my heart up and play to my very best. It also warms myself up and help me get into the game. I don’t need to consider what people on the outside are thinking. I am able to drown out everybody and get into my own zone.”