More Than a Game: My Pickleball Sabbatical

At Hwa Chong, Sabbatical Week offers students the opportunity to step beyond their regular timetable and explore a wide range of interest-based programmes. From sports and the arts to technology, culture and service learning, these programmes allow students to discover new passions, develop practical skills, and learn beyond the classroom.

In this reflection, Joon Hao shares how the Pickleball Sabbatical helped him grow not only as a player, but also as a teammate.

Written by: Yew Joon Hao (3O3, 2026)

The Pickleball Sabbatical was a meaningful and enjoyable experience that allowed me to learn a new sport while developing important values and life skills. Over the course of the sabbatical week, I gained a deeper understanding of pickleball and had many opportunities to apply what I learnt through practice and friendly competition.

During the sabbatical, we were introduced to the rules of pickleball and the different tactics that players use during a game, such as the “Return and Run” and “Serve and Stay” tactics. We also learnt the fundamental skills needed to play the sport, such as forehand and backhand shots. At first, some of these skills were challenging to master, as they required proper technique, coordination, and consistency. However, through repeated practice and guidance from our instructor, I gradually improved and became more confident on the court.

One of the highlights of the sabbatical was the small competition held on the final day. It was exciting to put our newly acquired skills to the test and experience the competitiveness of the sport. The competition also allowed us to apply the strategies and tactics we had learnt throughout the week, while working with different people whom I had not played with before. Although winning was important, the competition taught me that learning from mistakes and giving my best effort mattered even more. Moreover, supporting and working together with my teammates, even when we were losing, was important in keeping our team spirit alive.

My favourite memory from the sabbatical was playing doubles with my friends. Working together as a team made the games much more enjoyable and showed me how important communication and cooperation are in sports. We had to support one another, recognise each other’s strengths and weaknesses, and encourage each other throughout the matches. This experience strengthened our friendship and taught me the value of teamwork.

Another important lesson I learnt was sportsmanship. As a competitive sportsperson, it was disappointing to lose some matches and miss the chance to win a prize. However, the experience taught me that sportsmanship still matters, regardless of the result. Both my opponents and I had given our best effort, and the outcome came down to technique and teamwork. While being competitive can push me to improve, I also learnt to accept the result gracefully and congratulate my opponents. 

Overall, the Pickleball Sabbatical was a rewarding experience that helped me develop both my sporting abilities and personal character. I learnt valuable pickleball skills, gained a better understanding of the game’s rules and tactics, and developed important values such as teamwork and sportsmanship. Most importantly, I had fun learning alongside my friends and created memories that I will remember for a long time.