Everyone dreams about being a star, winning a championship, hitting a game winner, and becoming a success story. Unfortunately, very few are able to nail all of the above. Most toil in anonymity and are on the fringes.
This past collegiate hoops season, I went inside the dugout of six UAAP teams (three of them at least thrice), two NCAA squads, and one from NAASCU. I got to speak to quite a number of players. One story I picked up was from the players who are at the end of their benches. What's it like to be at the end of the bench? They're going to go nameless here.
Mahirap lalo na nung high school at freshman year ko medyo babad. It's tough. Sometimes I wonder if I went to the right school.
Ah. Mahirap magsalita. Nakaka-insulto minsan. Alam ko na kapag tambak doon lang pinapasok. Minsan hindi rin. Ewan ko kay coach. Siya na bahala.
Paano ako magpapakita ng anong kaya eh, ipapasok ko na ilan minuto? Ang hirap kumuha ng kumpiyansa. Tapos isang pagkakamali ilalabas ka na.
Ah, I can't explain kung bakit biglang na-bangko ako. Wala naman sinasabi si coach. But I have to be ready so when he calls me I can contribute. Dati meron playing time ngayon wala masyado.
Buti pa yung mga rookies meron minuto. Wag mo sasabihin na sinabi ko yan, ha? Patay ako sa coach.
Tanong ko nga -- I practice all the time. I show up and play hard pero wala pa rin. Ilan taon na ako nandito pero ganyan pa rin. Masaya kapag nanalo ang team pero hindi kumpleto kasi hindi man ako nakatulong. Masakit. Alam mo --parang saling pusa. Hahahaha.
Bakit ako nag-eensayo wala naman akong playing time? Siguro naman meron purpose sa lahat ng ito. Frustrating. Sinasabi ko na ganyan talaga sa mga taong nagtatanong pero masakit. Anong chance mo mag-PBL kung wala ka naman playing time? So panaginip na lang ang PBA. Gusto ko rin naman makapasok sa pro. Makakatulong din ako sa pamilya ko. Hindi naman kami mayaman. Basketball lang pagkakataon ko.
Mahirap yung recruit ng recruit. Yung mga dating nakuha halos wala nang chance maka-angat o magkaroon ng playing time. Kaya lumipat ako ng ibang school. At least doon meron akong playing time.
Nung high school ako, highly recruited ako tapos ganyan lang. Bangko. (He spat on the floor in disgust.) Siguro hindi ako pang-basketball. Problema ko hindi ako nakapag-aral. Hindi naman uso sa amin yun. Paano na ngayon? Last year ko na, subukan ko na lang mag-aral. Mahirap yung walang trabaho.
Role ko? Taga-palakpak. Minsan taga-abot ng tubig.
Hirap minsan pag meron nagpapa-picture o autograph. Eh bangko naman di ba? Parang anong ginawa ko? Nahihiya din naman ako.
Bad trip din. Hehehe. Pero walk-in naman ako. So hindi naman ako nag-expect ma-line-up. Pero syempre. Sana bigyan ng chance. Hahaha. Wag mo sasabihin kay coach ha? Sabihin pa niya madaldal ako.
All the players swore me to secrecy. Some know me well and minced no words about burning a hole in their pants. Some were careful. Most were bitter.
Honestly, I didn't know how to console them. I offered words of encouragement because I have seen bench players eventually get their due. But that doesn't work for all. Not every situation is like a feel-good movie with a sunset ending.
This past collegiate hoops season, I went inside the dugout of six UAAP teams (three of them at least thrice), two NCAA squads, and one from NAASCU. I got to speak to quite a number of players. One story I picked up was from the players who are at the end of their benches. What's it like to be at the end of the bench? They're going to go nameless here.
Mahirap lalo na nung high school at freshman year ko medyo babad. It's tough. Sometimes I wonder if I went to the right school.
Ah. Mahirap magsalita. Nakaka-insulto minsan. Alam ko na kapag tambak doon lang pinapasok. Minsan hindi rin. Ewan ko kay coach. Siya na bahala.
Paano ako magpapakita ng anong kaya eh, ipapasok ko na ilan minuto? Ang hirap kumuha ng kumpiyansa. Tapos isang pagkakamali ilalabas ka na.
Ah, I can't explain kung bakit biglang na-bangko ako. Wala naman sinasabi si coach. But I have to be ready so when he calls me I can contribute. Dati meron playing time ngayon wala masyado.
Buti pa yung mga rookies meron minuto. Wag mo sasabihin na sinabi ko yan, ha? Patay ako sa coach.
Tanong ko nga -- I practice all the time. I show up and play hard pero wala pa rin. Ilan taon na ako nandito pero ganyan pa rin. Masaya kapag nanalo ang team pero hindi kumpleto kasi hindi man ako nakatulong. Masakit. Alam mo --parang saling pusa. Hahahaha.
Bakit ako nag-eensayo wala naman akong playing time? Siguro naman meron purpose sa lahat ng ito. Frustrating. Sinasabi ko na ganyan talaga sa mga taong nagtatanong pero masakit. Anong chance mo mag-PBL kung wala ka naman playing time? So panaginip na lang ang PBA. Gusto ko rin naman makapasok sa pro. Makakatulong din ako sa pamilya ko. Hindi naman kami mayaman. Basketball lang pagkakataon ko.
Mahirap yung recruit ng recruit. Yung mga dating nakuha halos wala nang chance maka-angat o magkaroon ng playing time. Kaya lumipat ako ng ibang school. At least doon meron akong playing time.
Nung high school ako, highly recruited ako tapos ganyan lang. Bangko. (He spat on the floor in disgust.) Siguro hindi ako pang-basketball. Problema ko hindi ako nakapag-aral. Hindi naman uso sa amin yun. Paano na ngayon? Last year ko na, subukan ko na lang mag-aral. Mahirap yung walang trabaho.
Role ko? Taga-palakpak. Minsan taga-abot ng tubig.
Hirap minsan pag meron nagpapa-picture o autograph. Eh bangko naman di ba? Parang anong ginawa ko? Nahihiya din naman ako.
Bad trip din. Hehehe. Pero walk-in naman ako. So hindi naman ako nag-expect ma-line-up. Pero syempre. Sana bigyan ng chance. Hahaha. Wag mo sasabihin kay coach ha? Sabihin pa niya madaldal ako.
All the players swore me to secrecy. Some know me well and minced no words about burning a hole in their pants. Some were careful. Most were bitter.
Honestly, I didn't know how to console them. I offered words of encouragement because I have seen bench players eventually get their due. But that doesn't work for all. Not every situation is like a feel-good movie with a sunset ending.
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