In an era that often (incorrectly) assures children that everyone’s a winner and generously hands out “thank you for showing up” trophies, it feels slightly immodest to shout from the rooftops, “We won!” But we did. Our U14 Volleyball Team won first place in their division after a series of tense and very hard-fought games.
This win feels significant for a number of reasons:
We’re small. Small schools sometimes feel like the underdog when going up against schools with larger populations or bigger facilities. So there’s always something particularly rewarding when we beat the odds and show that we may be small but we sure are mighty!
It was a hard-fought victory. In the semi-finals, we went up against the first-place team and lost the first game of the set. In both the semi-finals and the finals, we had to fight to come from behind, and won by a mere two points. Talk about nail biting! These were hard-fought victories that certainly kept our parents on the edge of their seats right up to the very end, and demonstrated our girls’ ability to stay calm under pressure.
Our dear coach. There is something special when an alumna of a school returns to teach and coach. Our very own Ms. May-Kim, Class of ‘99 did just that. Watching her coach throughout the season, it was evident that her love of “dear old Trafalgar”, her passion for the sport she herself played as a student, and her commitment to the girls made the win extra special. Ms. May-Kim was encouraging and demanding, pushing the girls to manage the pressure, toughen up, play smart, stay focused and work as a team. I couldn’t be prouder to know that Trafalgar played a role in developing her exceptional leadership skills.
Everyone on both sides of the court played their hearts out, showing wonderful spirit and an appreciation for fair play. We send heartfelt congratulations to our worthy opponents, and hope they’ll understand if we take this moment to enjoy the victory! Well done, Dragons!