Shattered Voices, Bruised Bodies, Stronger Spirit: My Intramurals Experience

The first day of practice for intramurals, I wasn’t very pleased with the teams. Because of the teams, I didn’t do very well during the first and second day of practice. I skipped the second day of practice with my cousin, Kurt, because we were tired and went to sleep and made TikTok videos in our classroom. I started to practice hard with the team on the third day because seeing the other teams do well in their cheers and yells made something inside me want to win. On the last day of practice, I made my voice louder and lost the volume of my voice, causing it to “piyok” during the actual performance.

The first day of intramurals was boring so I just “saysayag” with Kenan. After lunch, I went with Kenan to watch him play table tennis, but I was told to represent our team in billiards since we had no entry for billiards girls. I went to Sagang with Kuya Micho and he taught me some basics that he knew. My opponent was also a beginner, pero medyo may experience na siya. Instead of feeling nervous, I just enjoyed my first time playing billiards while also competing. I lost, but I was cool with it since it wasn’t my actual game and it was just for entry and experience. After my game in billiards, I went down to the quadrangle and watched ball games and also cheered for my team.

After that long, tiring day, I asked my bro, Drick, to come and help me practice for my upcoming game the next day. I gained bruises, but it was worth it since I had learned to counter the blocks and tried my combo on a real person, not just on a balloon. On the next day, I decided not to join anymore since I was discouraged because of something personal. After crying it out, I went to school and coached some friends before preparing for my own fight. I didn’t feel great the whole fight, but I was thinking that if I could beat her then maybe I could celebrate and feel proud. I didn’t give up even if I already wanted to quit mid-game because it was obvious she was winning—I was losing to a beginner. I lost both rounds of the fight and I was angry, not because I lost but because of the unfair treatment of the trainer and the fouls: the obvious pushing, when she went outside the mats, and the kicks to my groin. Not only did I feel and see it, but also my teammates watching from above the court saw them. I didn’t complain, but my uncontrollable actions showed how angry I was. I accepted defeat since I knew I did my best even if it wasn’t enough. I also know that the trainer observed my weaknesses through the play spar and told my opponent about it. I don’t have proof, but I have a hunch that he did that since he was on her side, and he always did that to me before. It’s just so unfair and it hurts as hell to lose in an unfair competition.

Overall, my intramurals journey was far from smooth. There were disappointments, unfairness, and moments when I just wanted to quit, but I still pushed through. Even though I lost, I learned to accept defeat with pride because I gave my best. The laughter, the practices, the bruises, and even the tears all became part of an unforgettable experience.