Shooting with the stars

Shooting with the stars

By AJ Bolando

It’s almost a year since I started covering collegiate basketball and volleyball games, sitting on the baseline taking down notes and running scores, and seeing the action up close. Plus there were perks that you can get such as getting paid to write something that you enjoy watching and getting in for free.

It is a great feeling and experience for a sports enthusiast like me.  My friends always say that so I’m so lucky that I can rub-elbows with the players as well as the coaching staff.

Well I’m content with what I am doing now, but never did I think that I would have the chance to play with the people I only write about. And that dream came true when I along with other sportswriters were invited to join the Jr. NBA/Gatorade Shooting Stars competition that was held at the Music Hall of Mall of Asia last Monday, April 11, 2011.

We were all grouped into three-man teams that were composed of a representative from media, Gatorade Brand Athletes (collegiate hoops stars from NCAA or UAAP) and a Jr. NBA player. Luckily I got the first pick and so I chose former San Beda College standout Borgie Hermida who is now with Maynilad in the PBA D-League. My media colleagues chose among themselves Joseph Terso (NU), Ice Ciriacruz (Arellano), Kirk Long (Ateneo), Kevin Alas (Letran) plus NBA legend and former Los Angeles Laker AC Green and Amazing Race’s Asia’s Richard Herrera joined the competition.

The rules, like the game of hoops, was very simple. Two of us were position for close range jumpers while a third was behind the three-point arc. All we had to do was drink a cup of Gatorade and shoot. Once we had hit all our shots, we were to run behind the half court line and attempt a Hal Mary shot. The team that accomplished the tasks in the shortest possible time would win.

My teammate from Jr. NBA, who shot first,  took two attempts before he made it. Then I nailed a jumper in the mid-range spot in my very first attempt so it was up to Borgie Hermida to send us to the final stretch. The former Red Lions nailed it after a few tries and then we proceeded to the half court spot where we failed to find the bottom of the net in the allotted one minute and thirty seconds.

Jonas Terrado from Manila Bulletin won the completion together with Joseph Terso. They each won the grand prize of P 5,000 worth of gift certificates from Toby’s. For us who didn’t win, we received a consolation prize of a gift check worth P1,000.

Though we didn’t win, it was a great experience playing with the college hoop stars eve if only for a game of Shooting Stars. Now I’m hoping that we can play in a real five-on-five game and show to the college players that sportswriters are not just good in writing but also in the game of basketball.

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AJ Bolando just graduated from the University of Santo Tomas where he took up Journalism. He has been writing for me (for the website inthezone.com.ph) for the past year.