4. Learning English through Sports Communication
You are the captain of the school’s basketball team. Your team made it to the inter-school championship final but came second.
Write a speech to be delivered to the team at the end-of-season dinner celebration.
Good evening teammates,
On this special occasion, as a captain of the school basketball team, I am very honoured to be here with you and speak to you. Five years ago, we came together as a team simply because we love playing basketball. After five years, we haven’t slightly changed our heart but have become even more passionate about it despite countless challenges, hardships, frustrations, denials and failures.
Do you remember when we all first played in the basketball court? We were green, inadequate and even deficient. Yet, your passion for basketball did not allow your inexperience and weakness to stop you from undergoing a series of tough and demanding training to hone your skills and build your physical and mental strength. During these five years, you guys have made an enormous improvement in your basketball skills.
In these years, you have fought many battles. Though you have fallen a million times and have cried many tears on the basketball court, you still decide to get up and fight again each time you fall and get hurt. You have never thought of giving up. You guys just hang in there, and continue to persevere and put in a lot of hard work.
This time, though we came second in the inter-school championship final, I am so proud of you because you were not scared of the opposing team who is renowned to be unbeatable and undefeatable. Before the game, we were all looked down upon and said to be destined to lose. However, you didn’t shrink from facing a giant but have demonstrated courage and determination to fight an uphill battle in the face of adversity. After all, it is not the winning that matters most but the life lessons that you have learned from the game. They are self-belief, courage, tenacity, the never-give-up spirit and hope in the impossible moment. These special qualities that you have developed inside will stay with you and keep you for the rest of your life. And that’s what matters.
Once again, losing the game won’t knock us down but will make us stronger and more invincible. That is what failure does to us. I have seen each of you grow into not only skillful but also mature players. I am so proud of you guys to have come so far after all these tough years. You are just incredible. Taking this opportunity, I wish each of you every success in your future endeavours. Thank you.
English language & literature 