I watched the bulk of tennis at the Australian Open last week on early morning television.
That is the beauty of school holidays for us teachers. There will always be something to do but in the holidays it is easier as you watch Serena Williams and Roger Federer, the oldies of the game. And it was an all-Williams final; the first since 2009! The men’s final was equally sentimental with Federer resuming his old battle with nemesis Rafael Nadal.
Wearing my teacher ‘hat’ as I enjoyed the tennis in the week of the Senior One selections for admission to government schools, two thoughts struck me. One final had the Williams sisters who are 35 and 36 years old respectively! The other final featured Rafael Nadal, who is 30 years old, and Federer, who is 35! That is nearly 150 years put together and both finals were really engaging.
How do these tennis players manage to stay committed to the game for that long? Nadal was introduced to tennis at three years old. So, he has been playing tennis all his life. The Williams came late to the sport as teenagers because their father tried to protect them and would not let them compete outside their circle, but they have been playing for over 20 years!
You have to wonder about what enables them to stay at the top of the game consistently for many years and into ‘old age’! That kind of commitment is only possible if you are highly-disciplined. These people understand that to reach and stay at the top, you must make sacrifices.
There is a Muhammad Ali quote that sums it up so well: “I hated every minute of training, but I said, ‘Don’t quit. Suffer now and live the rest of your life as a champion’.”
And they are also committed to growing their sport! In one of his post-match comments, Federer narrated a recent experience – he went to New York in November after undergoing surgery to support Nadal who was opening his tennis academy but also nursing an injury.
Mulling over their experiences of previous on-court battles, they would never have imagined that they still had it in them to meet at a big final after two weeks of duelling against younger opponents.
The second thought that came to me was innovation. I was absolutely fascinated by the parasols used for cover or shelter from the scorching sun at the Australian Open during breaks in matches. Now some friends insist these fancy umbrellas have been around for about two years. Well, I had not noticed them.
Their simplicity is amazing. One tap and it springs up, spreading across the entire bench used by a player. When the next game comes up, the ball boy or girl gives it a gentle push down and it neatly folds itself back. Wow!
At Taibah International School where I work, we plan for a big sports day every year and because it is usually so hot at the main field, we budget for about 10 large tents to accommodate parents and learners.
How come we have never thought about alternative shelters that wholly work on the very principles of the physics concepts that we teach compulsorily to every secondary school learner? And even if they never think of designing such a gadget or any other, it would not lead to failure in exams.
There was another example of innovation at the Australian Open. Previously, players were given ice-cold towels during breaks to cool down. They would drape them round their necks or over their legs, but the towels were heavy and wet. Now I noticed that all were given small ice packs that were cold but not wet and could be applied directly onto the body!
So, as I watched the tennis, brilliantly beamed live in high definition (HD) all the way from Australia in a different time zone, I could not help but think about the children coming to us in Senior One or Year Seven and those anxiously awaiting news from selections.
What do we need to do to ensure that each one leaving us in a few years’ time will be able to design products that can improve lives? How do you train them to spot opportunities? How do you get them to develop and maintain the discipline required to succeed and stay there? So many questions! Is it wishful thinking?
osm@kigothinkers.org
The author is one of the founding Kigo Thinkers.