ssc_marcomms posted on May 01, 2010 08:06
William Woo is this year’s Singapore Sports Awards Coach of the Year, 15 years after his first win in 1996. (Photo:SSC)
Behind every successful athlete is an equally accomplished mentor who shows them the way. Shying away from the limelight and allowing his protégés the accolades and glory they deserve, 2010 Coach of the Year William Woo’s reach and influence goes way beyond the last pin. A man born to bowl, Woo’s bowling career, both playing and coaching has spanned over 20 years. Winning a host of local and international tournaments during his five years with the national team, he first discovered his potential for coaching and after attending courses, Woo finally became a full-time coach in 1995.
Woo’s coaching prowess was evident from the beginning, rising quickly through the ranks to bag the first of his two Coach of the Year awards in 1996, after being promoted to National Coach within his first year at the Singapore Bowling Federation.
A confident man bursting with more energy than his small frame could contain, Woo is able to channel this positive belief and optimism to his players. Familiar with the pressure that bowlers experience at every tournament, Woo’s adaptability has also made him an adept motivator as he never fails to soothe the nerves of his charges during crunch time.
Citing an example, he shared how his adaptability coupled with Cherie’s ability enabled her charge for the gold during the 2010 Asian Games.
“We were fighting to get into the top three to qualify automatically for the finals. Nothing was going our way and we were unable to clear our corner pins. In the sixth game we decided to make a change and from there we gained momentum and managed to get a turkey,” said Woo.
Never one to blow his own trumpet, Woo’s achievements was even overlooked by the media leading up to the awards, partly due to his quiet and reserved demeanour. Though initially sad when he read that his chances of winning the award was fairly slim, he was overjoyed when he received the news.
“I was pretty sad in the early part of the day as the newspapers said that the chances of me winning were very slim. Some did not even give me a chance, so my expectations were not very great but when I got the SMS from the office I was wow awesome!” said the coach.
Looking forward, Woo knows that there will be higher expectations from Singaporeans now and will be aiming to produce more local world class bowlers as he brings new and younger faces to the upcoming Southeast Asian (SEA) games.
Giving an insight of what to expect Woo said, “We have the SEA games, which the bowlers are looking forward to. We have a different team this time round with some new guys and a bigger group of girls. With a good mix of youth and experience, we want to better our performance.”
There is no doubt that Singapore’s bowling is in good hands as long as he is there to show his charges the way.
When asked what makes a good bowler? Woo said, “Passion! In bowling, the drive and desire is very important!”