When I was young, I have always thought of sports and

extracurricular activities as a waste of time. Like “how can basketball,

volleyball, badminton table tennis or dancing help me achieve my dreams
in life? They are mere distractions and waste of time and effort. I must not
engage myself in such activities and must concentrate in studying and
getting high grades”. Those were my thoughts before.

But some years later, those thoughts were shattered to the ground. I
realized that it is not enough to only exercise the mind, but in order for me
to achieve my goals in life, I must also exercise the body. I must be both
physically and mentally strong. That way I can face life’s challenges head
on. I have come to realize that!

Sports is more than just about physical contests. Students who are
working or enrolled in school full-time can find relief and self-discovery via
sports. Sports teach us life skills such as how to overcome obstacles, how
to take charge of our own lives, and how to lead others. It also teaches us
the value of perseverance, persistence, and resolve. Sports too shows us
how to be disciplined, respectful, committed, and goal-driven. And the
virtues we develop by way of sports will help us give happier lives in the
future.

We, the youth, just like what Rizal believes are the future of the
nation. And the road to a better future is not a flowery path, it is a rough
one. Thus, we must be prepared physically and mentally to travel that
bumpy road, and reach our destination.

With that, our Talisalites demonstrated incredible teamwork during

this week of the intramurals. They competed in a variety of sports hand in
hand, giving it their all in an effort to triumph while maintaining
sportsmanship and respect. This is a modest but important step in the
direction of a better future, because our nation? The freedom we enjoy
today was not won by the efforts of a single person; rather, it was the result
of the collective blood, sweat, and tears of many people.

A quote states “A single arrow is easily broken, but not ten in a

bundle”. It should be noted that throughout history, it has been proven that
collective is stronger than a sole creature. Just like how wolves hunt in a
pack because collectively they are more successful in hunting their prey if
they hunt together.

My fellow Talisalites, if we want to become individuals that shape the

future our nation, then we must shape ourselves first. In order for us to
achieve the goals of this institution then we must transform ourselves into
disciplined individuals who inculcate the values of honesty, integrity,
humility and unity even in simple way like sports.

We Talisalites must always exercise these virtues for it is our duty to

never tarnish our Alma Mater and our nation with shame and dishonor.

I’ll end my speech with this “Teamwork, we can do so little, but together,
we can do so much!”