Mrs Virginia Cheng
Principal

Mr Eric Too,

Mr Mark Lo and

Mrs Poon Wai Chin
Vice Principals, National Junior College

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Good afternoon.

Introduction

1.      I am pleased to join you this afternoon at the National Junior College Invitational Shoot 2007.
 
Learning life skills through sports

2.      I had a chance to have a go at shooting just now. I must say that it is not easy to achieve a good shot.  Besides good eyesight, you must have a steady hand, be mentally resilient and stay totally focused on your target.  In a competition, you must also be able to handle the tremendous stress.  This in a way reflects our experience in our lives.  Let me elaborate.
 
3.      Firstly, like shooting, in life, we need to have a good eyesight and stay sharply focused on our target, our goal in life.  Not just about whether you want to be a doctor or a lawyer.  More importantly, how you want to make a difference to the world and the society you live in.  Each of us has a role in this society.  Each of us can make a positive contribution in our own way.  It is up to us to decide how and what we can do.  Just like shooting, without a clear target, we will be shooting in the dark.  We need to aim properly. We must set ourselves high but realistic goals and push ourselves to achieve those goals.
 
4.      Secondly, we need to have steady hands in shooting.  In life, it is the same.  We must stay on the course.  I was told to hold my breath when I pressed the trigger.  In life, we also need to hold our breath sometimes when the going gets tough.  If we waver, we will stray off-course and miss the bulls eye.

5.      Thirdly, we must be resilient.  Life is like a shooting competition, very stressful.  We must compete against many others, some of whom may be more skillful than we are.  However, if we have stronger character and are more resilient, we can out-last them and emerge winners.

6.      Therefore, shooting is a very meaningful sport as it not only teaches you how to shoot straight, it also teaches you many lessons in life that cannot be learnt in a classroom. When you leave school and subsequently take on greater challenges in life, be it in your work place or in your personal life, you will do well to remember these important lessons.  I hope that these lessons will stay with you long after you have left school.

CCAs an integral part of our education system
 
7.      Co-curricular activities (CCAs) are an integral part of our education system. They serve to develop our students on non-academic qualities such as leadership, teamwork, passion and compassion in human endeavour.

8.      We live in an exciting and increasingly complex world where global competition is intense.  New challenges and opportunities abound. By engaging yourselves in your CCA, and working in a team towards a common goal, you will be able to develop important skills to help you succeed in a dynamic future.

9.      I am glad to see that the NJC Shooting Club is made up of members and teachers who are committed, not just to developing members in their shooting skills, but also to honing their leadership competencies and personal effectiveness.

10.      I understand that this annual Invitational Shoot was put together mainly by students with minimal supervision from their teachers. And these students were involved in the conceptualisation, planning and organization of the event. By involving themselves in a large-scale event like this, it will help develop their organisational and leadership skills and put them to the test. Through this meet, the Club has also built long-lasting friendships and close ties with the secondary schools and tertiary institutions.

Conclusion

11.      Shooting as a sport and CCA in Singapore has indeed grown over the years.  The recent Doha Asian Games showed that this is a niche area which we can excel in.  I am happy to see that many of you have come together to enjoy the meet and the fun activities planned by the organisers.

12.      I wish you all the best. And have a great time.

13.      Thank you.