What some said about the Sabah Tour

Chang Sunn Huey:
It was really a privilege for me to be able to take a ‘tour’ to KK as part of Team Contact. At first, I thought that KK trip is all about playing floorball and having friendly with the teams over there but later on was informed that it is a ‘MISSION TRIP’! And we are going there to bless them, to help them in developing their skills and game standard. Whoa…so mentally I’ve prepared myself to adapt to the BUSY schedule that have already sent to me and NO DOUBT, once we touched down in KK we had a game immediately!
For the next few days our daily routine is basically eat, fellowship, play floorball and sleep. But what is more important is that God is really good that even in our super jam packed schedule; we all have fun and fellowship more than tiredness! CORRECT? And now I believed that the members of Team Contact are closer than ever and we know each other better in every single way. On the other hand, I/we have learnt from the people in Sabah more than what Team Contact is able to teach them. Not talking about floorball but about the attitude to serve God and the hospitality. I am so blessed that so much have been learnt from the people and the church (D’Stream) over in KK in just a few days and I’m looking forward to visit them again!

Calvin Tan:
Sabah was a fun and exciting trip….I learned that life in Sabah was more interesting than life in Penang and a lot more easier.=P In Sabah we had to rush around to find time to hit our targets as the days went by and it was not easy!! We had at least 5 minutes per person just to bathe…. Although we were all not that clean, we still achieved our target to take a quick shower and come down to the lobby to meet up at exactly the right times. Activities in Sabah were fun and exciting especially the Snorkeling part!! The corals in Sabah were so beautiful! The people in Sabah…..yea, they were the most friendly group I’ve ever met in my life! They were so dedicated I mean… like…. WOW!!! =D Two Thumbs up!! I also got an opportunity to get to know my teammates more which I never knew much about like Kai Sheng and his sister Sophia and get to know new friends from Sabah.. I learnt that living life in ministry to God isn’t always a bed of roses… well, there are some hard times and some good times.. the hard times I would say was to have to endure the tight schedules we had and the good times were when all of us shared jokes, laughed and played together in floorball matches which really revealed our true selves to the people around us and also sharing our knowledge to the Sabah floorball teams. =] Well, this is all I have to say….for now… =P
I MISS SABAH!!!!! xD

Sophia Lim:
The day came and we reached the Penang airport at 8.15 am, 15 minutes earlier than the appointed time. I was actually quite bored and lonely and wondered whether this trip will be boring for me since I don’t really know most of them well enough. I’ve never talked to some of them before. But after a while, it was actually very fun. I sat beside Nicholas on the plane whereas my brother sat with Eythan. Nicholas shared a lot of the fun and excitement that he had during his school life with me. We didn’t sleep when we were on the plane. I thought I would be extremely tired for not sleeping in the plane and also for not having enough sleep the night before. I want to praise God again for providing me with enough strength to continue my day.
Firstly, I would like to thank Shawn of Team Nomad for giving us a ride to our hotel. Then we got ourselves ready for the match against Team Reloaded. At night, we had referee course conducted by Uncle James which helped me understand more about floorball.
The next day, I thought I woke up quite late because the sun was so bright but it was actually still very early in the morning. So we got ready to go to Manukan Island. We walked to the jetty to take a boat ride to the island. This was the best Saturday that I had throughout this year. I saw lots of fishes and corals, enjoyed God’s creation and realized how wonderful our God is. It’s a very nice place to visit. The sea is crystal clear. After snorkeling, we went to the Philippine market to buy some souvenirs for our friends but it was very expensive. At night, we had another friendly match against the Team Nomad. All of them are runners and some of them are even hockey players. So the second day ended.
On Sunday, we went to D’Stream Anglican Church for service. I love how the pastor preached and learned a lot from him actually. After the service, we had to get ready for our friendly matches against the Sabah floorball teams. Throughout the game, I learned how to cooperate with my teammates. I found out that communicating with them is not that hard after all. After this trip, I had learned a lot from them especially my teammates and the people in Sabah as well. I would like to express my gratitude to Shawn and his team for providing us with everything that we need such as accommodation and transportation. I enjoyed this trip the most. Praise the Lord that everything ran smoothly and safely.

Bryan Looi:
My trip to Sabah was one filled with fun experiences. Firstly, the most shocking thing in Sabah was staying with Uncle Pastor Coach Edward [a.k.a No.1] Haha, it wasn’t shocking to me, but everyone else. I had already guessed who was going to be put in the same room with him and that was either: Eythan, Joseph or me. Anyway, the most FUN experience I had in Sabah was going to Pulau Manukan.
I was very excited when we got there because we got to snorkel. It was very, very fun when we were there. One thing I learnt when we were there was that Linken couldn’t swim!!! Now to floorball, we had Floorball Non-Stop. [Contact stole this phrase from me!] We played a total of 5 games in 3 days. It was quite tiring indeed and it paid off as we only drew one and won the rest. Coming to the not so good things of the trip, we were only allowed to bath for 5-10 minutes at certain times. We were also required to wake up earlier than usual and sleep rather late. [These were required to keep in line with our tight schedule] I have learnt many things during this trip, and one being ‘Time Management’. We really had to manage our time carefully because our schedule was very tight.
Lastly, I would just like to thank the Nomad Floorball Club for providing our transport, taking us to the games and to the ‘kopitiams’. Many thanks also to the D’Stream Church members for accommodating us.

Penny Khoo:
This is my 4th time in Sabah, and I still haven’t got a chance to climb Mount Kinabalu. Apparently it was fully book. I thought this trip would be the trip where I could have a taste of what it is like to be up in the altitude. Oh well, I guess I will only get to do it the next trip, ‘hopefully’! But I must admit, it was the best trip ever to Sabah. It was truly ‘floorball non-stop’ as quoted by a dear teammate. We could really draw many lessons out from this trip, from the technicality of floorball to spiritual stuff as mentioned by the others. As for me, I’m just thankful for the time spent out of the floorball rink with each and every one of them. A time to just chill out; laugh with (and at) one another. I’m thankful for each and every unique person in the team. I’m reminded of the reason behind the existence of Team Contact and where we are heading - the place where people, precision, and performance connect. While we believe that in a game “every inch counts” and “every shot matters”, we also believe that every person is important. That is why team dynamics is crucial in the club. We strive to be the best because we believe in the people! Yes, the team has definitely grown so much closer and stronger! And we are an inch closer to be the best that we can be!! ...321-CONTACT!!!

Also, I’m thankful for Team Nomads and D’Stream folks for their great hospitality! Great is perhaps an understatement…it was AWESOME! Thank you for hosting us and making our stay a truly pleasant one!!

Team Contact Sabah Tour

It was a privillage for members of Team Contact to be be able to take a Floorball Tour to Kota Kinabalu, Sabah from the 3-9 July. The team that went to KK consisted of a total of 16 players; 7 players from FireAnts2008, 7 from the Bullets2008, together with Sam Yeoh (also known as Uncle Sam) and Lin Ken who were also with the team to contribute to the referee and goalkeeper clinics.

A welcome note at Century Hotel.

Day 1: Thusday 3 July
The team went to KK in 3 batches with Edward going in first on 1 July not for floorball but to take his Open Water Dive Certification. Penny, Kenny, Sam and Linken arrived on the 3rd and it was then that the floorball sessions began. The first session focused on individual skills. For the players, greater emphasis was on passes and shots while there were also some time devoted to dribbling and spinoffs. Goal keepers were also given personal attention in the areas of movement and positioning. As usual, after a time of personal skill development, we got ourselves into groups for a time of fun and games.

Day 2: Friday 4 July
It was this day that the fun really began, as the bulk of the team arrived. It was a rather hectic first day for most of the team as they arrived in the afternoon, went straight for lunch, and then to a friendly game with Team Reloaded. Edward was still under the sea for the final day of his course and joined us immediately after his certification.

All ready for some fun just outside the hall in Shan Tao.

The game was held in Shan Tao, the home ground of Team Reloaded which housed 4 badminton courts. Team Contact started off with our usual sluggish play which did not really pick up at all throughout the day. Everyone was just tired and trying too had to perform in a new environment. Team Contact still managed to beat Team Reloaded 7-5, and after that game we decided to relax a bit more, not stress ourselves to perform, and have more fun while playing.

Group photo together with Team Reloaded.

Day 2 did not end there but after a quick shower, we were rushed to D'Stream for the Referee's Clinic. James being the IFF certified referee conducted the course. It was also good for the team as many in the team were not exposed to what is required of referees. The participants also got a drilling on the rules of the game. Althought it was somewhat rushed, most of the material was covered and the participants were challenged to practice what they had heard in the coming days.

"The referee is the BOSS!"

Edward explaining certain floorball terms as James looks on.

Day 3: Saturday 5 July
The day began early again for us as we headed off for breakfast and then walked to the Jesselton Jetty to catch a boat to Manukan Island. It was a free and easy morning but more importantly it was a time for the team to gel together and have fun. And there was certainly lots of fun as true colours off the court came flourishing forward. Although we started off with the intent to have fun snorkling, it did not end up as the main thing as there were other areas that got us talking and we got to know each better.We headed back just before lunch and took a quick stroll at the Philippino Market for those who wanted to get some suveniors.

Fun and the sun in Manukan Island.

Looking hot...

Looking cool...

After a quick lunch it was floorball clinic time again. This time the clinic was firstly focused on the movement of referees. This was a continuation of the course conducted the previous day. While Team Contact came up with mock situations on court, the referees were "tested" on their movement and decision making. The session took about an hour before we moved on to the players. We then conducted a session on team tactics. As time was not on our side, we only focused a little on movement and then taught on taking free hits. We also took the opportunity to show the KK players the FireAnts set piece so that they could take some ideas from that and develop something original for themselves.

Team Contact and the Nomads.

"Floorball non-stop" as one of our players put it. We were at SM All Saints, the homeground of Team Nomads for a friendly game at night. We started off by demonstrating to them our warm up drills and then the games began. Team Nomads had both their teams combine together, the All Saints and Ravens each taking one line. The All Saints lineup played well and were very quick. Much potential there. It was a very good and enjoyable game I believe to both parties concerned. After a game of 2 periods, the score ended with a score of 6-3 to Team Contact.

Day 4: Sunday 6 July
The day began with the team going to church in the morning. Edward went to BCCM Rainfield while the rest of the team went to D'Stream. After the service we went back to the hotel for a quick change before going for lunch and thereafter to Shan Tao for friendly games with all the KK teams. There were 5 teams present including Team Contact and games were played in a round robin. By this time, the focus was on trainig the referees and enjoying ourselves in the game. As such, FireAnts sat out most of the time to allow the Bullets to have more playtime and training. The highlight of the friendly matches was definately Kai Sheng scoring his very first goal and I think that earned himself a meal at KFC! It was great fun and all enjoyed themselves on court as well as off court with lots of laughter.

Referees getting a briefing after each game.

The ones that made us laugh most of the time (esp. the two on the far right ;))

Debrief after the friendly games.

The night was filled with more laughter, fun, and fellowship as the team was hosted by D'Stream leadership for a nice buffet dinner. Yummy! After the dinner we had a brief team meeting and debrief of the trip as majority of the team were to leave early in the morning.

Makan and relax with the Team Nomad leaders.

Day 5: Monday 7 July
A super early morning as the whole team got up and gathered by 5.15am to send part of the team back to Penang. "Goodbye" and "see you at the next training..." seemed to be the common phrase that morning and soon after we sent the team off, the rest of us went back to bed. Zzzz...
A slow morning after that as we went to the mamak stall for breakfast and after that to the shopping mall. The 7 of us who stayed back ended up watching "Hancock" in the cineplex. Talk about relax...

The night was not as relaxed as we had a clinic for coaches. The clinic started off in an area which the Referees Clinic did not have time to cover and that was in the area of the Secretariat. After about 45 minutes covering the how to's and the job functions of a secretariat, we moved on to the how to of coaching teams. Drills, positioning, defence, attack we just some of the things covered but once again time was not on our side as there was just too much to cover in one session. Well, I guess the KK folks will just have to invite us back again to continue... ;)

"Go here, run there, zoom over there..."

Day 6: Tuesday 8 July
Late nights and early mornings was something that we really had to get used to in this trip. 5.15am again... this time to send Sophia and Kai Sheng to the airport and it seemed almost routined already as we went to bed after that and woke up again for breakfast. No movie today but instead we had lunch meetings and fellowships with different people. A quick rest after lunch, a short time of planning and discussion pertaining PFA matters and off to our final clinic in KK. This time it was with Team D'Gap. Basic skills and one final session just playing and having fun together. And after everything was done, over to the famous Damai for supper. The Lamb Chops were super! ;)

Day 7: Wednesday 9 July
Yes! Another day that began at 5.15am, but it is here that we said our final goodbyes and thanks. This trip was not only a learning process for the whole team as there were many things that we took back, but it was also one that was filled with fun and excitement. Getting to know floorballers from a different state also created a bond that we believe will go a long way.
Just a few minutes after checking in, the anouncement came up that the flight will be delayed by half and hour. Well, not something that we wanted to hear as all were eager to get back and make up for the sleep that we lost the whole week. We however have to admit that Airasia did good this time as we arrived 10 minutes before the orginal scheduled time even after the delay!
Thanks again to the Nomads for hosting us. And thanks to all the floorballers in KK that made this trip worthwhile.

A momento presented by Penny, our team captain to Team Nomads for hosting us.