Why you should join ACES?

I have been in ACES for over 4 years now, and I never regretted joining ACES. ACES had given me alot over the past years and I shall try to list some of them out...

Firstly, I got to know of alot of girls that I would never have met had I not be in ACES. Which other sport, cca or clubs and society gives you such an opportunity of mixing around with people of the opposite gender that frequently and that closely?

Of all the girls I met in ACES, many of them are beauty pageant contestants, princesses and queens. I get to know 2 hall queens, 2 hall princesses, and whole list of beauty pageant contestants. I also got to know 1 NBS princess, a NTU miss elegant, a fresh look star, and clear men's girl. Without ACES, I also will not be coaching hall 4 cheerleading, where I met a NBS queen, another 2 hall queen, and many other beautiful pageant girls. Now tell me which other sport allows you to get this privilege? And amomgst all these beautiful and gorgeous ACES gals, I found my girlfriend of 2 and a half years, NTU Hall 8 queen 05/06. This has to be the finest present that ACES gave me.

Other than finding a girlfriend, I have also got to know friends from various different backgrounds, the time spent together to understand, tolerate and forgive each others' habits, tempers, insensitivity, pettiness, etc. Fights, bickering, jeolously, bad mouthing, scandals, has always been part and parcel of my life in ACES, it has become a constant feature of my life that I will feel lost without it. But always at the end of the day, all these will be resolved, there will be no hard feelings and we can always laugh at the person about it. I will call all these "sweet troubles", if there is no waves, life will be so dull. No where else other than ACES could give me such a closely dependant, close knitted community that can be described as my next family. The hours that we trained and spent together the past years can be said to be more than time I spent with my family. ACES has been my 2nd home for the past 4 years, it has given me a sense of belonging and refuge when I needed it.

Ok, other than getting to know and mixing around alot with friends and the opposite gender, ACES has also given me a great source of income in my studying days. I have performed in over 60 performances over the years, and out of the over 60, 35 of them are paid performances, some more, some less. So lets give a average of $80 for each paid performance, I had earned a total of $2800, making about $1000 each year, enough for me to go overseas to Thailand 2 times and Taiwan 1 time each year. Such a good deal right, earning money as you train to improve.

Now guys, we have the friends, girls, the money, whats next? It is the fame and prestige of being a ACES cheerleader in Singapore. Firstly, we are the first and only team to have represented Team Singapore to overseas cheerleading competition. How many students in their university life, or even in their entire life get to proclaim that they represented their country? Well at least I can. It can be said to be the highest honour to be able to represent your nation, bringing her name across to other nations. The friends that we made overseas in places such as Taiwan and Thailand are also forever etched in my mind. I am truely privileged.

In the 5 times that I competed in Cheerobics, I won 3 consecutively for the past 3 years. I got to train and be with the best in the cheerleading scene. I got to be involved in unprecedented and groundbreaking stunts that left audiences screaming. ACES has given me a chance to perform at national's greatest stage, and winning it for 3 times. From the crowd's sense of anticipation the moment we stepped onto the mats before the routine, to my pure joy and ectasy when we were declared champions, it just simply cannot be put fully into words. I can only say that I am proud to put on that ACES uniform and I can always hold my head up as a ACES cheerleader.

So what other than friends, the girls, the money and the fame, pride, honour and prestige has ACES brought into my life? I guess it is the little personal achievements and breakthroughs that you make. It always brings a smile to your face. I get to do things that not many in Singapore can do, from toss up hands to toss up cupie. How many people even do this? Everyone can kick a ball or row a boat, but how many can carry a girl up with 1 arm? I myself too never imagined doing this a few years ago. Had it not been for ACES, I will never get to do such amazing stuff. Other than amazing stunts, I also learnt some gymnastics. I never thought I can do stuff like backhandsprings or backtucks, but again, ACES has taught me well. Just last night I had another breakthrough of doing backhandspring backtuck. These small achievements and breakthroughs are what that brings joy to my otherwise mundane life.

So in summary, ACES has given me alot these years, far more than I can describe. You can say that I am forever indebted to ACES. It has been a period of my life that will always be deep in my heart, even long after I have left ACES.
Some parting words and encouragment from the "dying fish" that had overstayed its time:

I confessed that at one point of time when I was at the end of year 2, I pondered about leaving ACES, reason being I am stagnant in the sport already. I can only do a toss up hands and max a wobbly extension thats all, and I cannot see anymore to it. (Nowadays with all the help and knowledge, people are still quitting even after they can do single liberty and much more.)However I am glad that I perserved, even when the path is seemingly blocked and hard to pave through. I got my rewards for staying and perservering. Often you might be so close to a breakthrough without knowing it and you decide to throw in the towel. You can be struggling with liberty the day before and doing cupie freely the next. You also never know who will join in the next batch. Times are different now and I just hope that the juniors know how lucky you all have been, grab your chance given tightly, many might be wishing to be in your shoes. Do not give up just because you cannot do it yet, work harder and it may just be another training away. Those with faith always prevails.


I wonder if it even makes a difference to cry
(Oh no)
So this is goodbye