I Am No Longer Their Coach Anymore

Assalamualaikum dan salam sejahtera.

I think the time has come for me to announce for those who didn’t know that I have resigned from being the coach of MCKK debating team. For those who really know me in and out, it is a surprise and shocking news for them because if you really know me by now, I am full heartedly into this debate thingy, especially when it involves by alma mater-MCKK. However, it is a MUST for me to make such decision in order to prevent the crisis to be prolonged.

I have started my career as a coach since I was in Form 4, when I have trained my junior without any assistance from anyone. I have created a lot styles, in order to differentiate MCKK and other schools that is why, some people in Interschool always associate MCKK with ‘hujjjah’ (because we do emphasize on our pronunciation on certain words ) and other things. Through that training, I am improving on my delivery and at the same time, my juniors have learned a lot from that training. I also have established certain by-laws, rules and regulation for the team, for instance, each one of the debater need to be at the meeting place 10-15 minutes before the meeting, each one of us need to have our own debate book etc. What is the motive of establishing such rules?

Well, for me, debate is not only the art of fighting without swords and guns, it is not only a matter of winning and losing, but debate teaches me more than that. It creates my character, it teaches me about discipline, it teaches me about respect, about meritocracy and so many things which I can’t afford to write them in here.

Alhamdulillah. For the period of 2 years, everything goes well, even though we lost in Interschool and PPM, but I have successfully established debate as a great opportunity for budak Koleq to be somebody in Koleq or outside world. For your information, debate was a great prospect for someone to succeed but after 2000-2001, when we failed to distinguish ourselves, at the same time schools like SAINA, SEMESTI, KISAS and others are getting better and better, we are losing our prestige as a debater of MCKK.

I have started my career as a coach formally when I came back in 2005 for MC-RMC Carnival or camping, which I can’t remember. Being a former debater, I know what are the things that we need to do to become a champion or at least to be remembered as a great debater or as a powerful team. I have started to give some advices to the captain during that time (Zaim, Helman, Aslam, Fendy & Aqwa-captains from 2005-2009) on what to do and what are things that they should not do. The coaching team that had been established by Abg Raf and late Abg Ben (with other senior debaters) is a great coaching team. It consists of a few of great and brilliant people, which I can’t deny. But in the end, only certain number of people remained in the team.

I don’t want to claim any credits for what my juniors have achieved. For me, it is their achievement and the most that I can do is to share their happiness. Yet, I forgot that each one of us is human beings. And when we are getting things easily, we tend to forget how hard it was when we are trying to get it for the first time. And in the end, ego had been built indirectly and we tend to neglect others contribution to each one of us and suddenly we are claiming that we succeed not because of other persons but it was due to your individual effort. That is so human being.

This year, I have decided to quit or to resign as a coach when PPM finished because it is my final year in IIUM and after this I have to find place/firm for me to work and based on that scenario, I can’t commit to the coaching team. I know, being a non-committed person is a burden to all people, and that is why I have decided to quit after June/July. This plan had been informed to some of us. Unexpectedly, the idea had been misinterpreted and created chaos, crisis had been formed. I have received a lot of criticisms which for a normal and reasonable man, I should have cried for what I have heard yet I do not cry but I was affected emotionally.

I was thinking day and night for what had happen until the symptoms are getting critical, so I have decided to quit preventing the crisis from being prolonged. I thought after I have resigned, everything will be as usual and yes, it is. The whole idea of this crisis had been made is only to make me feel like I am the one to be blamed even though each one of us know, what was really happen. That is the problem when politics had been used in a small voluntary group in order to replace someone who is not sharing the same idea and doing things differently but still believing the same principles. For them, every action must be uniformed but for me, in order to help, uniformity is not necessary because the intention and the action are more important. Moral of the story: do not trust anyone even if you think that person can be trusted. And by having this experience, they do not deserve any place in my heart anymore.

Hence, I have made the big decision. People in IIUM called me Mr Big Decision since I have decided to quit from coaching the team. This posting is not to recall what had happen; it is a matter of clarification to satisfy other’s curiosity. My only interest now is on my debating club in IIUM. I will sacrifice everything for what I love since the other ‘family’ cannot appreciate my sacrifice and my love before this, let me move forward and give them to those who need and know how to appreciate them. To MCKK present boys, sorry but you guys have a lot of great coaches, they have won many tournaments and they are brilliant too. Ask them for any assistance and training, I know they will do everything for you. Good bye MCKK Debating Team!!

Footnote 1: Any school need a coach for Malay debate? Do contact me, ok? =) Hahaha.

Footnote 2:Get out of my life~