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Q1: Did you ever train the shuttleball team when you were the chief of PE Office?

A: No. The main job for the chief of PE Office is administration. Training the shuttleball team is a job of professional coach.

Q2: Who was chief of PE Office before and after your term?

A: The chief before me was Ms. Si-hung Yeh, and the one after was Mr. Chih-wei Chen.

Q3: How long have you been the chief of PE Office?

A: 2 years.

Q4: Who were the coaches of the shuttleball team when you were the chief of PE Office?

A: Mr. Hsiang-pin Chen and Ms. Shu-ning Chen.

Q5: Do you think the shuttleball team players are serious enough?

A: I think they are serious because I often see them practicing in Self-study time in the morning and lunch recess.

Q6: Do you wish the shuttleball court of our school is indoor?

A: If that is the case, that couldn’t be better. Since the court is outdoor, it is troublesome on raining days.

Q7: Do you think the shuttleball supplies in the school are sufficient?

A: Yes. We can always add some more.

Q8: Do you know where the shuttleballs are purchased from?

A: When I was the chief of PE Office, I just filled out the purchase form, and then the Office of General Affairs would make the purchase.

Q9: What years did you serve as the chief of PE Office?

A: 2002 to 2004.

Q10: Do you know all the coaches of the school shuttleball team?

A: I am not so sure, because I have been here only for eight years. Before I came, I knew the coach was Ms. Si-hung Yeh, and then Mr. Chih-wei Chen, Mr. Yen-ching Huang, and Mr. Hsiang-pin Chen.

Q11: What qualifications you think a shuttleball player should have?

A: In addition to agility, I think attitude is the most important factor. If the one practices seriously from the start, he/she would make progress gradually. So, I think patience matters as well as the tough will.

Q12: Which generation of the shuttleball was used by the shuttleball team when you were the chief of PE Office?

A: I am not sure. Well, the shuttleball used at that time is the same as the one used today.

Q13: What do you think of other schools’ shuttleball teams?

A: I think they are good because they receive professional trainings and practice very hard. When they show their best in the games, people think that the school trains them well.

Q14: Which grade participated in the shuttleball team the most at that time?

A: Usually the new recruits are fourth graders. After a year or two, there are fifth and sixth grade players.The sixth graders are the primary players. When we went for games, we divided fifth graders to mini boy group and mini girl group, from sixth graders as boy group and girl group.

Q15: How did you recruit the players at that time?

A: The school would issue a notice to fourth graders in the second semester, specifying the personal traits for shuttleball players and encouraging enrolment. Not all the applicants are qualified to enter the shuttleball team. The school will give the applicants the physical tests, such as shuttle run, agility test, and shuttlecock test. All those are taken into account.

Q16: Is it too late or too early for fourth graders to participate in the shuttleball team?

A: It’s too late, because shuttleball players can be trained from third grade. If the recruitment starts from the second semester of fourth grade, and then the students go for competitions in fifth grade, the training would be obviously not enough.

Q17: How did you become the chief of PE Office?

A: When I first came to Xisong Elementary School, there was an opening for the chief of PE Office, so the Principal asked me to try the job.

Q18: What are the advantages and/or disadvantages for the development of shuttleball in Xisong Elementary School?

A: Generally speaking, fewer schools in Taipei City are promoting shuttleball. When I attended the training program for chief of PE Office, we discussed about the decreasing number of schools teaching shuttleball. There are even fewer these two years. It is too bad for shuttleball since is a good game. It looks cool if someone can play it skillfully.

Q19: Do you think shuttleball is fun?

A: It really is; especially it exercises whole body, such as head, shoulder, feet. It is an all-round sport, so I think it is fun to play.

Reflections

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The teacher we interviewed this time is Ms. Lai who was the former chief of PE Office from 2002 to 2004, when she just joined Xisong Elementary School. The chief before her was Ms. Si-hung Yeh and the one after her was Mr. Chih-wei Chen. Ms. Lai said, “If one wants to join the shuttleball team, he/she should have the traits of patience and toughness. Even with these traits, he/she has to go pass the screening process in order to become a member of the school shuttleball team. Moreover, Ms. Lai thinks that shuttleball is a fun game. She wasn’t very skilled because she did not spend too much time practicing. I guess to be a good shuttleball player, it is necessary to practice hard.

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Ms. Lai was the chief of PE Office from 2002 to 2004. The shuttleball players are chosen from fourth graders, and the primary players were sixth graders. The chief before her was Ms. Si-hung Yeh, and the one after was Chih-wei Chen. Of course, Ms. Lai tried to play shuttleball, but did not play well as she didn’t spend too much practicing. Ms. Lai thinks that patience and toughness are necessary characteristics for a shuttleball player. “Where would the students who are interested in shuttleball purchase the shuttleball?” Ms. Lai said she just filled out a purchase form for the Office of General Affairs, so she did not know where to buy it. I think this is the only thing unfulfilled in today’s interview.