#Alumni in the Spotlight | Long-Term Benefits From Sports

When it comes to sports, words like "passion," "struggle," and "competition" might flash through our minds. Sports has always been one of the most beloved extracurricular activities for Dulwich students. In addition to the regular physical education classes held every week, Dulwich offers a wide range of sports activities after school, including basketball, soccer, badminton, volleyball, table tennis, swimming, frisbee, golf, indoor rock climbing, fencing, flag football, cycling, and long-distance running. In addition, the school has formal basketball, soccer, badminton, volleyball, and swimming teams. Apart from their regular weekly training sessions, these teams represent their respective colleges and the school in various intra- and inter-school competitions. In this alumni interview, we have invited former captains and vice-captains of the men's and women's basketball teams to share their college experiences and the long-term benefits they have gained from their commitment to sports.

Q1 What Does Sports Mean to You?

Molly

Responsibility, striving, perseverance, passion.

Vincent

Discipline, health, friendship.

Q2 What Were Your Sports Experiences at High School?

Molly

My connection with basketball began in the Year 10 when I first enrolled at Dulwich. Everything felt new and exciting to me at that time. During the student club fair, I saw a basketball club, and with a curious attitude, I convinced a friend to join with me and give it a try. I had never played basketball before high school, but I thought it would be interesting. The basketball coach at that time was particularly good and always encouraged us. I felt that my basketball skills were just average back then, but by some stroke of luck, I ended up joining the school team and attending their weekly training sessions, which made me very happy.

I remember the first time I represented the school in a game. I was extremely excited because I was playing alongside the senior girls from the Years 12 and 13, who were all very skilled. I thought to myself, "Wow, the coach values me so much; I have to work hard." Although I had very little playing time, I still remember the exhilarating feeling of being on the court. It was this passion that motivated me to work harder and persevere in my training. Eventually, I was selected by the coach to become the team captain. Even now, I am grateful to my basketball coach for the opportunity. It was his continuous encouragement that provided me with the confidence and motivation to keep improving.

Vincent

I had been playing basketball for several years before entering high school, so it seemed natural for me to continue playing basketball in high school. I joined the school team in Year 11. It all started when I signed up to participate in the "Dulwich Inter-School Olympic Games" held during the 400th anniversary celebration of Dulwich in London. Our physical education teacher, Mr. Rees, asked me to train with the school team for that event. Later, the coach noticed that I played basketball well and kept me on the school team, even appointing me as the vice-captain. Alongside the team captain, I was responsible for coordinating the team's training and matches.

Q3 What Benefits and Impacts Has Sports Brought to You?

Molly

I believe one of the reasons the coach chose me as the team captain was because I have strong leadership skills. I could quickly gather everyone together for training. After becoming the captain, I created weekly training plans and content, encouraging everyone to participate actively and punctually. As the senior student in the team after the graduation of the senior players, I was conscious of setting a positive example in everything I did for my younger teammates.

Furthermore, as the captain, I served as an important link between the coach and the team members. Sometimes, players would be absent from training due to school commitments or other reasons, as we were all students with many academic responsibilities. However, from the coach's perspective, any player's absence would have a negative impact on the entire team's training. In such situations, I took on the responsibility of communicating between both sides. Effective communication with different individuals required careful consideration, and it was indeed challenging, but I managed it quite well.

Although I stopped playing basketball after entering university, I still maintain a regular fitness routine. Exercise helps me maintain high energy levels and allows me to release stress.

Vincent

After arriving at Northeastern University, I joined two different teams. In my freshman year, I joined the Chinese team, and in my sophomore year, I joined the local team known as Team B. The A, B, and Chinese teams are the three amateur teams in our university, with the A team being the most skilled. In my freshman year, I played in the Chinese team and competed in the America East Conference. In my sophomore year, I played for Team B and participated in the national tournament. I hope to join the A team next year.

For me, maintaining a balance between work and leisure is important. Aside from my studies, I dedicated a lot of time to basketball training and competitions. Basketball made my leisure time structured and fulfilling. By consistently playing basketball, I became healthier and more disciplined. I was able to effectively balance my studies and personal life, maintaining a calm mindset when facing challenges. Additionally, years of team experience have allowed me to cultivate deep friendships with my teammates, which is incredibly valuable to me. Playing basketball with friends helps me relax, relieve stress, and face difficulties and challenges in my studies more effectively.

Q4 What Challenges Have You Experienced at University?

Molly

There was indeed a significant challenge that I faced during the second week of my freshman year. The apartment I rented, got flooded. Boston was experiencing heavy rain for several days, and unfortunately, my apartment had a leak. I woke up in the middle of the night to find water everywhere, and my belongings were soaked. It was the first time I had encountered such a situation in my life, and my parents were not around to help. I felt a sense of panic internally but had to remain calm. Together with another friend whose room was also affected by the leak, we went to meet with the apartment management to discuss compensation and contacted the insurance company to claim insurance coverage. We also had to arrange for repairs to the apartment. Because I didn't want my parents, who were far away in my home country, to worry, I didn't fully disclose the extent of the situation to them. Looking back on that experience now, I find it quite interesting.

Vincent

The biggest challenge I encountered during my two years of university was finding a "paid internship" program. "Paid internships" are an integral feature of Northeastern University, and all students in the School of Business are required to complete a certain duration of internship during their university studies. In the second semester of my sophomore year, I took a preparatory course for the "paid internship" program, planning to find an internship in my junior year. The preparatory course gave me an insight into the difficulties of job hunting. For university students, it can be challenging to receive interview invitations even after sending out a hundred resumes. This process really tests one's patience and perseverance. Fortunately, our university provides a lot of resources and support, including assigning a career guidance teacher and senior student mentors to help us prepare resumes, conduct mock interviews, and more.

Q5 Who Will be a Good Fit at Your University?

Molly

Berklee College of Music is a highly inclusive school. As long as you have a passion for music and are willing to put in the effort to constantly improve yourself, this is the right place for you. Among the students I've met, there is a diverse range of musical backgrounds. Some come from musical families and are musical prodigies with exceptional talent, while others may struggle to read sheet music. One experience that left a deep impression on me was during my music production technology class. It had only been a month since the course started when the teacher asked everyone to take turns showcasing their own compositions. As I listened to my classmates' presentations, my inner thoughts were like, "Wow, how is everyone so talented? The teacher hasn't even covered much material, yet you all can do so well. Why am I so inadequate?" This kind of experience, where my past learning experiences were constantly reshaped, occurred frequently and motivated me to study even harder.

Berklee is also suitable for musicians who enjoy challenging themselves. Due to its founding history, Berklee requires every student to study jazz music. I had previously focused on classical music and had never been exposed to jazz before college. So, when I first arrived, the first semester was quite challenging. Everything was jazz-related, and it was overwhelming. I felt like I didn't know anything. However, after two semesters, I realized that I had learned a lot and made significant progress. Looking back, I can see how much I have improved.

Vincent

Northeastern University is located in Boston, and it offers abundant educational and employment resources. Taking my major as an example, when we take the Supply Chain course, the department's clubs invited senior human resources professionals from major companies to come to the university for speeches, project guidance, and even provide job search advice. Additionally, we have frequent collaborations and joint activities with neighbouring universities such as Harvard University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and Boston University. All students are welcome to participate. If you have a lively personality, are good at networking, and seek more development opportunities and resources, Northeast University is an excellent fit for you.