One Pitch, One Home Team | Part 1

Written by Tang Ying Hui

PHOTO and GRAPHIC: Tang Ying Hui

Football, a shared family language

Nicholas manages Yellow Ribbon Singapore’s key events like the Yellow Ribbon Run and the Yellow Ribbon Community Arts Festival. PHOTO: Luc Yeo

As Senior Manager of Community Outreach for Aftercare@YR, Yellow Ribbon Singapore (YRSG), Nicholas Chan Li-En helps shift public perception of ex-offenders by raising awareness, building acceptance and spurring Singaporeans to give second chances. After hours, he gears up for one thing.

Football.

Every week, Nicholas (left) plays futsal with friends from the football interest group at the Siglap Community Centre. PHOTO: Luc Yeo

Nicholas has supported Arsenal since the early 2000s for their interesting players and play style. PHOTO: Luc Yeo

The game has always been a family affair for Nicholas. His father, uncles, and cousins all play football, making it less of a sport and more of a shared language passed down through generations. He’s already planning to pass it on to his young son. "He’s got no choice," Nicholas laughs. "He will play football."

Translating from pitch to office

There are many opportunities to play within the Home Team. Through the Sports and Recreation Guild of Home Team and the Prison Sports and Recreation Club, Nicholas turns up for small-sided to full-sided games.

“They know me as the Yellow Ribbon Project guy,” Nicholas (front row, extreme right) jokes on playing football with SPS officers (pictured). Cross department collaborations become easier after trust has been built. PHOTO: YRSG

These friendly matches put a face to the names in his inbox — and that changes everything. "When you know the faces behind them, it's like brother talking to brother already," he says.

“Everybody (on the pitch) needs to play their role, so communication is key. I feel this translates directly into my daily work at YRSG,” says Nicholas (right). PHOTO: Tang Ying Hui

Nicholas points out that communication and chemistry on the pitch translate well into his work, especially for events. “It is about getting to know your teammates. When things happen, we are in constant communication with one another and we understand one another well.”

For Nicholas (right), the mark of a truly cohesive team is when words become unnecessary. He knows exactly where his teammate is going and how to support them when it matters. PHOTO: Luc Yeo

Bringing second chances into the community

His connection with football extends beyond the workplace. As part of the Community Sports Council's football interest group in Siglap, Nicholas organises weekly games with his neighbours. What started as a random group chat post asking who wanted to play has grown into a tight-knit network.

Nicholas (centre) remarks how football has deepened his connection to the community. An example was how the football interest group volunteered to assist at a previous World Cup screening organised by the Community Centre for residents. PHOTO: Luc Yeo

With football being the time to de-stress and unwind, at the same time, this network allows him to ‘break the ice’ when conversations lead to YRSG’s events, like the Yellow Ribbon Run. "When I see them wearing the Yellow Ribbon Run tee, I'm very happy that they’ve supported the event," he smiles.

“I feel football is a very good conversation starter, it opens a doorway (for others) to ask me more,” says Nicholas (left). PHOTO: Tang Ying Hui

Every now and then, giving the opposing team a second chance on the pitch feels quietly meaningful to Nicholas (middle) — a small but real connection to the work he cares about. PHOTO: Tang Ying Hui

Life lessons on the pitch

Stepping onto the field, no two games are the same. Nicholas likes the unpredictability in a football game. “You can play with the same group of people, yet the game outcome can be different.” PHOTO: Luc Yeo

Football is more than just a hobby for Nicholas. Not only does it reset his social tank and serve as a mental and physical outlet, he draws life lessons from the game as well.

Fittingly, Arsenal's motto, 'Victoria Concordia Crescit' — Victory Through Harmony — places teamwork at its heart, a philosophy that Nicholas (left) carries into his own work. PHOTO: Luc Yeo

Thierry Henry, a former Arsenal player, spoke in a past interview about the importance of working with his teammates’ strengths. Nicholas echoes this lesson into his work. “What are my colleagues’ strengths? What are their weaknesses? How can I best bring out their strengths?”

The best game is never about the individual, it's about making everyone around you better. “Feed them balls that make them even deadlier than they usually are, because everybody is playing to their strengths,” says Nicholas. PHOTO: Tang Ying Hui

This World Cup season, that's what Nicholas is watching for — not just the goals, but the moments when a team clicks, when everyone is playing to their strengths and nobody needs to say a word.