High 5: 13 April 2018 by Mr Md Sultan Karimshah

13 APR 2018

Source : http://www.straitstimes.com/sport/swimming-world-championships-setback-will-spur-me-to-train-harder-says-joseph-schooling

Joseph Schooling made history as the first Singaporean to not only win a gold medal at the Olympics but also set a new Olympic Record of 50.39 seconds for the 100m butterfly in the process. Immediately after this, there was new found glory, hope and pride for all of us Singaporeans. We busked in this glory. Most students and sportsmen certainly drew inspiration from his story and triumph. His story teaches us on what it takes to achieve success in life.

More importantly, if anyone of you think I’m here to use only his success to tell you about the importance accuracy and precision, I invite you to reconsider your thought. For what I have to share today is completely different.

Last year July, Schooling represented Singapore in the Fina World Swimming Championships, in the same 100m butterfly race as in the Olympics. Schooling, finished, this time third, securing a bronze medal for the event and Singapore. This incident comes as a huge setback for Schooling, who recounts that his coach Reese has always been warning him about his complacency, lack of accuracy and precision after the Olympics and during his trainings lately.

In response to Schooling’s comments, his coach Reese added that “I don’t want miracles from Jo, I don’t want him training so hard that he bleeds every day. Just do what I ask”.

Schooling also remarked that his defeat has helped him realize that he cannot be complacent, inaccurate, take shortcuts and now that he knows how (defeat from complacency and inaccuracy) feels like, he doesn’t ever want to feel it again.

Dear GESS-ians, if you are still wondering what take away you should have from my sharing, let me help you. First, just as Schooling’s coach says, JUST DO WHAT WE TEACHERS ASK OF YOU. In the work we grade, in chasing you for your homework, in chasing you for your File Checks, we are training you to be accurate, precise and not complacent. We are, along with you, striving for excellence! The next time you get back your graded work and see comments such as careless! Wrong concept, or highlights of your error, reflect upon your inaccuracy and lack of precision.

This naturally brings me to my second point. That is, in anything you do, do not take shortcuts, do not be complacent and do not be inaccurate if you are striving for excellence indeed.

Schooling’s story, is an on-going story of striving for accuracy and precision. So let us ask ourselves, are we striving for accuracy and precision in what we do? Do we want our stories to be of success as well? Before I end my speech, I would like to share 5 strategies that will help you to be more accurate and precise in your work.

  1. Check your work (at least twice and check it one step at a time).
  2. Ask if this is my best? And if it is not, fix it.
  3. Did I do what I was asked to? (Did I follow the examples my teacher provided, did I use my notes to do my work?)
  4. Is my work accurate?
  5. Aim to get it right the first time (Take the time you need to do it right, doing it over
    always takes longer and “It takes less time to do a thing right, than it does to
    explain why you did it wrong.” – Henry Wadsworth Longfellow)

Onward Gess-ians!