SAISA - 2011 - Dhaka

The tournament finally came and went. Saisa was the culmination of the action aspect of my CAS programme.  I have been part of the OSC Saisa programme ever since i joined OSC. On the weekend of the 30th november - 3rd December, Saisa boys football took place in Dhaka. It was my last Saisa football and i was hoping for a good tournament. Throghout the season we had been practicing hard and trying to establish the style of play that suited us best. I attended every training session as i am strongly commited to football and made sure I led by example in every training session to maintain the level of intensity as i am also the captain of the football team.

Training

Before the tournament we had played a total of 8 training matches, out of which we had won 5, lost 1 and drawn 2. The matches were very important as they helped us develop a sense of team spirit and helped us figure out each others style of play. For me it was important as captain to help develop a sense of team spirit and make sure that everyone respects the contribution of each other on the pitch and remains calm and optimistic even when we are losing.

As i mentioned earlier, i was now playing in a new position, that of goalkeeper. This was totally new territory for me and i was going to Saisa with only 3 weeks of training under my belt. In my aims for Saisa i had also mentioned that i would like to really concentrate on my leadership role and also help my team in winning matches. As Goalkeeper is an extremely important job, a good performance from me would be very important in determining the outcome of our matches.

We left the school on the morning of the 30th. We had to wake up at 4:00 am to go to the airport. We were in the flight the whole day basically and arrived in Dhaka really tired. 31st was our first match of the tournament. Our first opponents were to be LAS, the team from the American International school of Lahore. This was going to be the most difficult match of the group for us as LAS were even then, considered the strongest team of the tournament, as they were a daunting outfit with almost the whole team in the 12th grade. As soon as we started playing, it became pretty clear that LAS was an overwhelming opponent. Despite that, the scoreline remained 0:0 at the end of the first half, an achievement i can be proud of as i had many shots on my goal and managed to keep them all out.

The second half however quickly turned into a rout for them as they scored 3 fantastic goals, which apart from the 3rd I could do little about. Still, we managed to not let in more goals. The first match in a way was an abrupt wake up call for us as it showed us the quality of teams we would have to beat in order to achieve a good position. Also the team was still very unsynchronised in the way we played when going forward. One of the things we really suffered due to was the fact that one of our main defenders had not been able to travel to Saisa due to personal issues with the school.

On the second day we had two matches. One against the American School of Bombay (ASB) and against the Karachi American School (KAS). The match did not start well for us at all as ASB went ahead due to a deflected strike. They then scored another from a speculative strike from the edge of the box that curled into the top corner leaving me helpless. The whole team was already fearing the worst as we were already picturing a scenario in which we would finish 4th in the group and be knocked out. The second half of the that game however was monumental in changing our tournament. Firstly during the half time team talk we motivated ourselves to go and play with our full potentail. Secondly we changed our team strategy from a 4-5-1 to a 4-4-2. The result was immediate. Although we lost the game 2:1, we absolutely dominated the second half and were close to drawing level. The next game was a must win game for us and we came out roaring. I made a couple of good saves but it was mainly our collective spirit while attacking that resulted in a 3:1 victory for us and a place in the quarter final.

The Quarter final was a match against the International school of Chennai. Last year Chennai had knocked us out of contention for 5/6th place, and this year we had an oppurtunity for payback. The Chennai game i can proudly say was "my game". I managed to save a whole multitude of shots that kept the scoreline to 1:0 to us and later at 1:1. In the end it was our efforts upfront and the team spirit that helped us through and we won the quarter final 2:1. It was a great moment for us as we had managed to reach the top 4 from a position where we were almost knocked out.

 Unfortunately our Semi-final was against LAS, the eventual champions, again. However we vowed to give our 100% for the game. This match was my best match in Saisa. Due to LAS's amazing strikeforce, i had a whole barrage of shots directed at my goal, only 2 of those that i could do nothing about. Due to the performance, even the LAS coach came up to me to congratulate me on my performance. We lost 2:0 and went out, but we played like a true team. We were the only team in Saisa who managed to concede only 2 goals in 1 match against LAS, an achievement i am proud of!

LAS players in blue, bemoaning another save :)

Our final game of the tournament was the game for the 3/4th place. Unfortunately we could not keep our winning streak going and lost on penalties, after a scintillating comeback led by Bharat had leveled the score at 3:3. Despite saving one penalty and being the only one out of 2 people to score for our team, we went out. Everyone who usually scored in practice, missed. However they cannot be blamed, as in a penalty shootout, luck can go either way. The match was a true test for me in terms of showing my leadership as i managed to console some of our junior players who had missed their penalties and keep the team's head held high despite losing in such a heartbreaking way. For our sportsmanship we won 2nd prize overall in sportsmanship and even though we didn't win this year, it was a great lesson for me on what teams can achieve if they stick together and persevere.

For my performances at the tournament i won the MVP (Most Valuable Player) award for the second successive year =) Saisa has been a great learning experience for me and i will forever cherish the memories of the two tournaments i played in with my friends. 

Battle of the Bands

We finally managed to pull off what we had been planning since the beggining of the semester. The concert took place on the 26th of November, from 7pm - 10 pm. It is the biggest fundraiser that has taken place at the Overseas School this year. We managed to raise over 300,000 rupees collectively from different sponsorship deals and ticket sales. On the night I was responsible for the security team, which was made up of students in our community service group. We made sure that nobody entered the building without tickets or with any harmful objects or drugs e.t.c. We had to be very vigilant and alert throghout the whole evening and as a result, we had NO major disruptive incident despite having a crowd of around 300 people in the auditorium. Me and the other members were also constantly making sure that everything was in place and the performances were running smoothly.

 Overall the night was a success as the event unfolded as planned and was the product of our collective effort. The bands that performed were: Still Thinking, Killfeed, TY2D, Blood Brothers, and guest performances by Tantrum and Hollow. In the end a small prize was given to the best band of the night which was TY2D.

The event was a great success not only because we managed to raise so much money to help with the operation with a lot of children, but also because we as a community service group managed to achieve the goals we had set for ourselves which were: To work together to plan and execute a major event, interact with the community and finally contribute to helping others in a meaningful way.

Saisa Goals

This year we have one of the strongest teams in recent OSC history. Since it is my last year at OSC i have a great desire to lead my team to victory. I have recently had to take on a new role, that of a goalkeeper. I am improving as I go along but there are still many new things to learn such as diving in a 1 on 1 situation, getting my goal kicks on target and staying focused for the whole duration of the game. I have worked on my ball throwing skills and can throw the ball half way along the field. I have had 3 games as goalkeeper but have conceded a goal or more in each of those games. As captain of my team and as goalkeeper, my biggest aim is to not concede goals a lead my team to victory. The goals i have set for this Saisa tournament are:

• keep at least 1 clean sheet
• maintain a good level of team spirit within the team
• Help in on-field communication (be as vocal as i can)
• Help calm down matters on the field if they get out off hand
• Help motivate the rest of the team to perform well
• Finish in the top 4 > possibly reach the final > Bring home the trophy :)
• If the above for some in-explicate doesn't work, at least win the sportsmanship award

Next week we are off to Dhaka. I am greatly looking forward to the tournament as it will hopefully not only  prove to be a fantastic sporting occasion but also a great opportunity to have fun with friends.

November-December

The Battle of the Bands

Our concert date is now coming coming ever closer. We have decided on the best 6 bands that will come and perform at the concert. Our main job is now to do the advertising for this concert, as the more people that come, the more money we will collect to help with the operations of these kids. I volunteered to make the poster as it gave me a chance to merge creativity with service. Advertising makes all the difference and i set about making the most awesome poster we could make. Bharat found the perfect picture to keep as the background of the poster and i set about displaying the relevant information on it. Once we printed it out, it looked really nice, so hopefully many people will show up to help with our cause.

We also needed to design the tickets for both the entrance and the raffle. I have designed a sample for both which could possibly be printed.

Raffle Ticket

Concert ticket

Football

We played our first practice match of the SAISA season. We played the boys football team from CIS. Being our first match of the season we were still very unorganized and raw in terms of our teamwork and communication. We played out a 2:2 draw and won on penalties. I scored the second equalizing goal and scored in the penalty shootout. It was a good match for me as I managed to organize and lead the team from behind as we fought out an equalizer each time we conceded.

Scoring the 2:2

Scoring in the penalty shootout



Our final Saisa team is to be chosen soon. The principles of selection are commitement, team work and discipline. We have practices 4 times a week on Tuesday, Wednesday (6 am!), Friday and Saturday morning. During all these training, we as the seniors of the team try to maintain a spirit of teamwork and lead the new players who are going on saisa for the first time or are playing football at saisa level for the first time.

We have some bad news for the team. Due to the SAT's being on the same weekend as SAISA, 2 players including our only Goalkeeper cannot travel!! Since we have nobody who can play goalkeeper, i have decided to inherit the #1 jersey. It is a new skill for me and i hope that i will not let my team down. It also gives me a chance to organize and lead my team from the very back as i will now have a full overview of what is happening in the match.

We played a couple of matches this month including another game against CIS, Gateway, Royal Institute and Elizabeth Moir school. We beat royal Institute 4:1, Gateway 3:1, lost 3:2 to Elizabeth Moir and beat CIS on penalities after a 1:1 score during the game. I managed to keep decently in all the matches and even helped win the penalty shootout against CIS by making 2 saves. In the match against Elizabeth Moir i was especially able to show my leadership skills as it was a very rough game and tempers flew high which i managed to calm :)

October-November

Having finished my extended essay is a great relief for me as now I can concentrate on other things. The first weekend (7^th-9^th October) was the Saisa girls’ volleyball tournament. Obviously we brought the house down as we supported our team through loud vocal support; however I also helped in the organization of the event. The Friday of the 7^th was the Social. My friend Bharat and I helped set up the auditorium for the night. We had to arrange the table tennis tables and make sure that the sound system was working. We were also responsible for the music and the general supervision of the night’s proceedings.

Making sure the music kept flowing :)

On the match day’s I also helped by being the ball boy in different games.

U.N Day

U.N day means two things: 1) a chance to represent your country 2) food :) This U.N day the school held interactive activities with the students to discuss some of the common themes that come up during U.N discussions and resolutions. I was asked by Ms. Snyder to help supervise the students and demonstrate my leadership skills. During the discussions i took part in the debates regarding the question of child marriage. This was a good chance for me to interact with an issue of global importance knowing that i had to take into account the ethical implications of the standpoint i was taking. The session ran quite smoothly and i didn't need to assert myself at all. Afterwards i tried food from nearly every part of the globe: That is why we should all live together peacefully :)

Germany, France, Finland and Ethiopia

Community Service

As I mentioned earlier, my service group had been planning the charity fundraiser called “the battle of the bands”. The purpose of this event is to help fund the operations of those infants with the cleft lip and palate disease. I mentioned earlier that i had visited some of these children in hospital and really seeing their suffering first hand helped re-affirm my motivation to do something about this global issue. We planned our concert for the 26th of November and organized an audition for the 21st of October. Planning such an event requires great organization and commitment. We set about creating a Facebook page inviting bands to come, some of us contacted people we knew from other schools to come perform. There were also logistical issues such as the amount of tickets to be printed, the posters, the prize for the winners and the food etc. On the 21st of October 8 bands showed up from different local schools. We checked them for their quality and also had a chance to pick out some faults and issues that would arise for us on the concert dates in terms of logistics in the auditorium.

Football 

The new season had begun! A new team and a new motivation to finally become the first OSC football team to win the SAISA tournament. We are still figuring out the general shape and direction of where the team is headed in terms of our style of play but i hope to build on my skill and demonstrate my leadership skills as captain througout the season.

Warmup

15th September - 5th October

This month was by far the most hectic month in the diploma program. We had major tests and deadlines such as lab reports and essays. We also had the king of all essays due at the end of September: the Extended Essay. Despite this heavy schedule, i managed to squeeze in a few hours of CAS.

Football


I continued to take part in the football training that takes place on Tuesdays, Fridays and Saturdays. Being the captain, its is important for my that i demonstrate leadership and set an example for the younger players.

Warming up

Stretching 

Few of us have now been playing together for more than a month and we have a few nice moments during each training, which is a good sign as Saisa draws closer. Saisa training, for the tournament that takes place in Dhaka in December, is set to begin next Monday, 10th September.I am really looking forward to playing competitive football soon. I have been working on my long distance shooting since a while, trying to improve my skill. Even though the shots skied against the shots on target ratio is still 8:1, I have started to hit the back of the net with some good shots and i am starting to find the right ratio between accuracy and power.

Refereeing


Like last year, Mr. Shipley requested me to referee a football match on Saturday. I therefore came in and refereed a match between the U-14 girls of OSC vs U-14 girls from the British school. This experience helps me in seeing the game of football from a different angle and is also fun as i am on the field and don't have to run around.

Community Service

We have a few busy months ahead of us in terms of Community Service. Our concert is planned for november with an audition planned on the UN day next friday. Last thursday we went to visit the hospital where the kids with the Cleft lip and Palate disease are kept. We were able to see first hand the children we are helping. As they lay in their cots, so small and helpless, i really empathized with them and feel really pleased i am trying to help them through this service program.

5th-15th September

These last 2 weeks have been action packed for me:I participated in the sports day, playing for the green house and also atteneded the football training that takes places on Tuesday's, Friday's and Saturday's.

Sports Day
Sports day gave everybody a chance to get some action. Teams of 6, 3 boys and 3 girls participated in games of football, volleyball, basketball and kickball. There was also a swim event at the end. I partcicpated in football, volleyball and kickball. In football our team won 2 of their 3 matches. I scored 2 goals in the game against the yellow house, scoring with my left foot and right foot.

 In volleyball i helped get the volleyball over the net to the best of my ability :)

In kickball i could not contribute much because my right toe was stubbed, so i had to use my left foot instead.

Football Practice
We continued our practice. It was really rainy on all the days, but we still played, getting wet from top to bottom. The previous week was more about having fun and we really enjoyed it.

Community service
I intended the first group meeting. We discussed our main aim for this year. Our group is going to hold a battle of the bands, in which 2 bands from different schools will come and perform at our school to determine the best band. We plan to raise enough money through sponsors and ticket sales to help in the operation of kids suffering from the cleft lip and palette disease. We discussed our plan to organize this event. There is advertisement, organization and collaboration that have to be dealt with. During the concert i will be responsible for the supervision of the auditorium. We have also planned visists to the hospitals where we will meet the infants with the disease. It will help us get closer to our cause and experience first hand, the effects of this disease.