Don't you dare come back with a clean shirt!

I've always been very active in sports. Even when I did stop playing tennis for a couple of years, I still actively went out for other sports i.e. swimming and basketball. There is really no real explanation to why I love to go outdoors and sweat it out. It could probably be a guy thing, but I know many ladies would relate to the same idea.

Of course, this continues on even now when I'm in Kinabatangan. I'm not a stranger anymore at the courts and I'm also not new to other games that the teachers play. In fact, it has become a culture for me to go out in the evenings for sports. It's in the blood. It's in the mind. It's in my heart.

I don't think that this comes naturally. I wasn't born with that idea of going out for sports every evening. I feel that a big part of my addiction for sports comes from my family. Both parents of mine play tennis. My brother is a tennis player himself (starting to beat me too) and my sister is not just a certified lifesaver, she's a frequent visitor to her local gym every other evening. It is this surrounding personalities that hone the mentality of sports. We weren't really told about sports being good for health and it will steer you away from vices and all that; we were just took to places for fun. Sports was fun - simple as that.

Practicing on the wall in school really draws a crowd. In my school hall at 4pm, I'll be whacking the air out of the fuzzy yellow ball which does create a very satisfying echo that makes nearby students stare and watch. In fact, some boys go as far as sit behind my bag and watch me hit the ball on the wall as though they were watching an elephant ride a unicycle while juggling 3 bananas and a fruitcake. I don't mind it at all as they become very excited ball boys when one of my shots goes astray.

More importantly, after hitting for awhile, I chatted up with one of the boys watching when I was taking a break. Apparently, he isn't interested in sports and does not want to get involved in any sports even though it's so readily available in school. I find it very puzzling and incomprehensible. I for one always had the idea of going out, coming back with stains all over my shirt, getting the stares from mom (but no reprimanding required), and doing the same darn thing again the next day. In fact, my parents would find it strange if I didn't go out cycling for a day or if I came back too early that day.

 Well, maybe not that dirty...

Talking to the boy; the only words that came out were:

Go! Go play football now. Volleyball is good too... these sports don't cost anything. Just one ball.

I couldn't accept that a healthy looking boy was not at all interested in playing anything! Not even some other game like table tennis or achi duduk. This can't be. I will not allow anyone of my students within my reach to be not active in outdoor activities. A simple activity like cycling can be a great sport if taken up seriously. Jogging or running can boost a lot of stamina and it is fun to do if you take it up seriously and try to research the best ways to breathe and cut your running time in half. It takes a little bit more effort but in the end, the results are more than worthwhile.

Boys are meant to go out and run. Girls in turn, can join in the fun

I'm now going to create that environment that made me into a sporting freak.