current music: Jeepney - remake ni... err... ay. di ko masasabi. :p

Today was Sportsfest Day 1. It was loaded with "famous lines". :) And some fun hirit-hirit on Michiko and Kat and Paeng and Perry and Issa...ah, the usual people. :D (may astig na pic na kinuha sa tip-off ng 2nd year vs 1st year game. nasa camera ni Michiko! hehehe.)

One time, in my *frustrated* times playing basketball with my brother, he noted how nice I had "playmaking instinct". (nice of him to say!) He advised me two things: I should either be a point guard, or try coaching a team.

Now being overweight at 5'6", playing point, a job reserved for quick and nimble pure shooters is something I'll never do properly. However, I got a crack at coaching the kids.

ANG HUSAY!!! ANG GAGAYOT!!! Can you say "Undefeated"? :D Wala lang, all I taught them was how to play defense. And set screens. Pretty soon, we beat everybody! We had a small-ball lineup and they ran, ran, ran and hustled, hustled, I'ma hustler baby! :D Then the "big-man" lineup of the bigger, badder LNP boys played like Bad Boy Pistons: hard fouling, sharp shooting, grabbing offensive boards, tough defense... and the "chibog" supal blocks. Ohhh yeah.

Kung maging champion kami bukas, mahihirapan silang mamili ng MVP. Lahat kasi sila ang ganda nang mga pinapakitang gilas.

Ok, in fairness,
1.) they're 3rd and 4th year guys together against grade 6, 1st and 2nd year kids...which means my players are, on the average, bigger and stronger. However, not all were big. 5 were just as tall, and only around 3 were really considered "tall". So medyo lugi raw ang mga kalaban naming mas bata. But they had help, where each time had the help of 2 tutors apiece playing, at kami puro kids lang. I now have immense respect for Balma and Bingo's games. Husay nila and many times we almost lost, simply because Bingo kept rebounding, and nobody could stop Balma from slashing to the basket.
2.) Perry didn't play for 'his team', the sophomores, and Big Pau wasn't around too. If they were there, malamang hindi kami magiging undefeated. Pero naglaro naman si Balma. Same thing... ang husay lang talaga ng boys namin!
3.) Not all my commands were obeyed, not all called plays were executed. I had to remember that this is their team. I'm just guest coaching. It was just when Bingo had our backs to the wall by the second half that I got them to start really believing in my way. I like letting them play, while tipping them on defense. It was hella easier than having to teach them how to run a certain play. So many of the faults of my team were done by some coaching blunders. But I'm glad to say the Red Army mananged to play through. :)

Siguro pag champion kami, manlilibre akong ice cream. Kaso, mga 4th year lang ang kikinabang kasi sila kids ko. Eh may mga taga-3rd year na di ko kilala na naglaro din. Lugi. But it'd be nice.

Ganito pala ang feeling mag-coach. Basta. I'm so proud. ü

Nga pala, I still had a tough time managing the discipline of the kids when it was time to go home. I had managed to keep a cool head for the whole day. People around me were already yelling "OY! QUIET NA! SASALITA NA SI ATE ISSA!" and "OY! MAKINIG KAY ATE ANGEL!!", but I was just smiling and saving my voice for my coaching job, putting a finger to my lips to signal silence. :p However, when it was time to go home, many of the kids kept switching back and forth between both sides of the road. Eh may kosteng dumadaan. I worried for their safety, and yelled. and yelled. and yelled. I lost it by the 3rd or 4th time I stopped to yell.

When we got to Della, the gate was locked. Pakshet. More hassles.

So my day was a yo-yo of sorts... up and down and up and down again. I will say 2 things though:

1.) Biggest surprise of the day was how Nicky was around to help me in the pivotal uwian ngaragan. Nawala buong studcom. Si Nicky, hindi studcom, pero tumulong. THANK YOU!

2.) Crisel, if [by some strange miracle] you're reading this, your message (and the things said therein) made my ngarag day so... nice. ü Thank you! ü See you around. Andami kong utang na kwento.

Tomorrow, Tutors game rematch (winning time baby! Showtime!), a TnT interview (I'll just go with this "tribal motif thing". basta. hehe.) and A-Days meeting.

Wish me luck. Pray for me.