The unique sporting spirit at Yale-NUS
Seasoned athletes, newcomers and sports leaders share what sports at the College means to them.
For the sports community at Yale-NUS College, their sporting experience is integral to college life. With a diverse range of involvement within the space: some continue their passion for sports from the past, some pick up an entirely new skill from scratch while others take part in building the sports community at the College.
Gabrielle Lee (Class of 2025) has played a key role in building the sports community at the College. Co-captain of the Yale-NUS Tchoukball and a Student Associate (SA) at the Athletics Department, she is well-known within the sports community, and has taken part in a range of sports, from netball and tchoukball to ultimate frisbee.
Being surrounded by familiar faces during training has fuelled Gabrielle’s commitment to the team. “Playing sports used to just be an escape from work and stress, but this community became a constant support system I could rely on, with some of them becoming my closest friends,” she shared. “Having a routine of weekly trainings to look forward to keeps me going through the tougher times of the semester.”
Before entering Yale-NUS, Gabrielle had been a volleyball player, but joining the Netball and Tchoukball teams in her first year were serendipitous moves that became a significant part of her College life. She remarked, “I like how the barrier to entry is not as high, and everyone is very willing to teach and help one another!” Like the rest of the students, Gabrielle enjoys the open sessions held by different teams throughout the semester where students of all skill levels can participate in different sports without any commitment to joining the teams. The low barrier to entry, beginner-friendly culture of sports means that every student is able to try any of the 13 sports on campus. Nicholas Loh (Class of 2024), Co-captain of Yale-NUS Floorball in Academic Year 2021/2022 and Academic Year 2023/2024 Semester 2, was one of those who benefited from this.
“Perhaps I can speak for most of my teammates in that floorball seemed a very daunting challenge when we decided to try it in our first year,” he shared candidly. This experience informed his approach to leadership when he was elected to be Co-captain, especially when leading a team of mostly newcomers to the sport. “My co-captains in AY2023/24 Semester 2 (Ong Wei Lin, Class of 2024 and Ang Ke Xin, Class of 2025) and I prioritised community as the most essential tenet of our captaincy. It is only when floorball remains a caring, open, and endearing space that people will be excited to come down, play, and express themselves fully.”
Nicholas described his time in the floorball team as an extremely enriching experience: “I have learned to become more sensitive to my teammates’ needs and playstyles, and to trust them and myself more in making decisions on and off-court,” he reflected. As a leader, he grew more willing to reach out for help when it was needed, especially as the training season became more heated.
Many of the Yale-NUS sports teams focus their training seasons around the National University of Singapore (NUS)’s Inter-College Games and Inter-Hall Games that occur annually. Maleeka Hassan (Class of 2024) was part of the team of SAs at Yale-NUS who worked behind the scenes to make these Games possible. Together with the Athletics Department team, they helped by refereeing for various sports, liaising with sports leaders from various Colleges to ensure the Games run smoothly and more. This is meaningful work to her because this is her way of honouring the unique sporting culture of Yale-NUS College.
“Throughout the journey of organising the Games, I got to cheer my friends on and watch them play, which was very touching and reignited school pride in me,” she shared. She is particularly proud of Yale-NUS’ sports culture of being open and welcoming to all. Having picked up dodgeball only in college, she is a testament to that spirit. “No one ever judges, and it has cultivated more confidence within me to try new things,” she remarked. After graduation, she hopes to carry this approach to sports and plans to venture into boxing and sailing.
For this year’s NUS Inter-Faculty Games (IFG), about half the College’s team comprised alumni, making it the largest group of returnees for the Games. Among them was Yale-NUS alumna Anastasia Kurniadi (Class of 2024), who returned to compete in floorball. Despite focusing on leadership roles in the College’s performing arts groups during her time at Yale-NUS, Anastasia was motivated to revisit floorball for the College’s final participation in the IFGs, a sport she tried in her first year.
Reflecting on her experience, Anastasia said, “I’m definitely not the strongest in the sport, but everyone in the team has always made floorball a fun and safe place to play, no matter your skill level. Competing in floorball as an alumna now feels like a full circle moment as I get to play with friends I’ve known since I tried the sport in my first year.”
In a place of diverse interests, events and experiences, the Yale-NUS sports teams continue to uphold the spirit of being inclusive, inviting and built upon mutual support and care. This focus on sportsmanship and deep camaraderie creates a unique and empowering sporting experience for the Yale-NUS community.
