“I was an accidental netballer…” – an interview with Melody Teo

Interview by REDintern Koh Yizhe

Singaporean netball player Melody Teo made her national debut at the Fisher & Paykel Nations Cup 2008 earlier this month. At the tender age of just 17, she was the youngest player in the Singapore team. This, however, did nothing to deter her from performing wonderfully throughout the tournament, namely against Sri Lanka's 2.07 meter GS who stood a towering 32 centimeters taller than her. Although Singapore finished fifth in the event, Melody Teo provided the silver lining as she showed plenty of promise for the future.

Melody attended Anglican Girls School in Queensland, Australia before returning to Singapore to study at St. Margaret’s Primary School. Currently in the Singapore Sports School, she will start a diploma in Sports Science & Management with Auckland University of Technology (AUT) next year. Here’s her story.

Red Sports: How did you get into netball?
Melody Teo: I started playing netball when I was 12. I was an accidental netballer. I was actually a sprinter in primary school. One week before the inter-school netball championships, I was approached by Ms Yvone Seng, coach of the school, who felt that I had the height and could be useful to the team for certain matches. I was given a crash course in netball and played only one quarter in the Zone competition and one quarter in the National competition! I actually felt totally lost! That’s my introduction to netball. Simone McKinnis, the head coach of the Singapore Sports School was at one of the matches and enquired about me (that’s what I was told).

Do you remember the day when you were chosen for the full national team? Can you describe how you felt then?
I was in school when I received a call from the national coach Lisa Beehag to inform me that I had been selected to go on a training tour to Perth with the national squad. The feeling was indescribable and the first thing I did was to thank God for answering my prayers! Then it sank in that I was going on a training with THE team, the National team. I was going to be training with players whom I had looked up to, players who were my role models on court. How was I to behave? Would I be accepted by the team? What do I say to them? So my feelings of joy and euphoria turned to one of feeling overwhelmed and a little lost.

How does it feel to have made your international debut?
It feels great because it has always been my goal to represent my country. For it to happen so soon is a bonus but it was also quite scary because the other players were mostly very experienced and people I have looked up to. Playing alongside players like Jean Ng and Zhang Ting Jun seems surreal. These are players whom I used to watch and learn from.

Any pressure from being the youngest in the squad?
I didn’t really feel any pressure as the youngest player because our coach had prepared me well to cope mentally. We had gone on a training trip to Perth and that was when I felt really stressed, playing alongside players who were my heroes. But during the trip, I was made to feel like part of team Singapore and by the time the competition started, I felt totally at ease. My team mates also encouraged me throughout the build up to the matches. When match day came, I was just pumped up to give my best. Because we won and lost as a team, everyone gave 100% as a team so there was little time to think about myself. It was always about the team. I never even had time to think that I was the youngest. We just wanted to play well and win for the amazing supporters.

How did you feel about your performance?
Personally, I feel that I could have performed much better. The level of competition is the highest I have ever faced but our coach had prepared us for it so no excuses. I just feel that if only I could have one or two more intercepts especially against Sri Lanka, the results could have turned out so differently. I have been thinking about the matches and there are so many areas for me to work on.

What’s next for you and the team?
The team is on ‘active rest’ now and we will resume training on 14 October. I can’t wait to start training again cos this tournament has made me hungrier to learn more and improve on my game. I need to up my game a few notches.

What’s your best memory from playing for school?
My best memory playing for Singapore Sports School was my last match for the school where I had the honour of captaining them to their first ever national title. We had failed to even get into the final in our previous attempts so winning it this year was truly satisfying. It was also my last shot at the national title and my last competitive match for the school. It was a personal promise I made to our first coach Simone McKinnis on the day she returned to Australia – that I would win the national title with the team. Of course, it was a great team effort. Special thanks to our coaches Ms Robin and Ms Noraida and our super GM Mdm Lee Min Li.

If you had to choose another sport to play, what would it be?
If I had to choose another sport to play, it would be soccer. I love team sports and I come from a soccer-crazy family. It is truly ‘the beautiful game’ and I love the different formation and tactics involved. Very similar to netball – following the coach’s game plan, playing as a team, every player playing their role and trying to outwit the opponent.

If you could be a full-time national athlete, would you do it?
I actually have very strong support from my parents to pursue my netball goals and aspirations. I am prepared to train full-time and see how far I can go in netball. I believe that if I stay teachable and work hard, with the right guidance, God willing, I hope to be a world-class player – that is my personal goal. I want to be the best that I can be. I have been blessed with the best coaches since I started playing netball – Yvonne Seng, Simone McKinnis, Robin Maniheira, Noraida, Mee Hong and now Lisa. It is to them that I am forever grateful and every time I go on the court, I really want to do my best to make them proud and let them know that all their effort is not in vain.