Bobby groaned, and rolled over in bed sleepily. Something was going to happen, he thought groggily, What was it?

Suddenly he remembered and getting out of bed was no problem then. It was the big yacht race on the other side of the world, and if he wanted to see it begin, he would have to wake up now and turn the TV on. Bobby had always loved sailing boats as long as he could remember. He just loved going out with his Uncle Jeff in his yacht, every chance he got, and his ambition was to join a junior yacht club one day soon.

Bobby thought it seemed odd that there were three major sporting competitions going on at the same time this year…. there were the national yacht races in the Caribbean, the country’s rugby team playing for a world cup against a visiting team, and Bobby’s Dad was involved in the local golf club tournaments. Not that that was of any national importance, but it was to Bobby. He was pleased that the rugby games didn’t clash with the yacht races, at least he could watch each of them on TV at different times.

Bobby wasn’t all that keen on actually playing in sports, but he sure loved watching them on TV. It was a lot easier than actually getting out and doing all that practice, he thought lazily.

He remembered what his school teacher had said about training for competitive sport, and thought that although sport was something that interested most people it was a lot easier to just watch it from a sideline. The TV programme of the yacht race was soon over with his country’s side winning by quite a margin. Bobby yawned and went to make himself a hot drink before going back to bed for a last minute snooze. He wasn’t used to waking up so early and he had had to do it for two mornings in a row now.

Bobby thought how so many sports involved a ball of some sort, or else it could involve some piece of equipment, maybe even a large and expensive thing like a sailing boat or motor car. Whatever it was, the most important thing in any sport, was the effort and preparation  that the competitor had to make and train for, to be successful.

This is something that we all have to realise….there is no gain without some pain. Bobby hadn’t realised that yet, but if he wanted to get into competitive yacht racing in the club, he was going to have to learn to start regular training. It would be no use just standing on the side line and  cheering his side, he would have to get out there and do his bit. So too, we must make up our mind what we want to go in for, and then give it our best shot. As one old gentleman used to say, “If you aim high, you’ll hit the gooseberry bush!” So let us each one “aim high” and then work our hardest to get there!