We got the Ateneo Football League up and running!

I felt like the first time I went abroad. Or the first time I entered Yankee Stadium. Or that time I went to watch Juventus.

You know, I couldn’t sleep. When sleep did come to me, I kept waking up. My pulse rate was like before taking a penalty kick.

When I did get up from bed, I heard the pitter patter of rain. “Oh, no,” I thought to myself and said a prayer.

Yesterday, I had a fun time with the NBA people. And today, well there was the launch of the Ateneo Football League. It meant missing the game between the Ateneo Blue Eagles and the San Beda Red Lions. It was an easy decision. I knew they were in good hands anyways.

I arrived early at the high school field. With school out and it being a Saturday, the grounds were quiet. Just the way I like it when I walk around the campus in the late afternoons when I can reclaim the school from today’s kids.

I had butterflies in my stomach. I felt that way during elocution contests in school, during football matches, before UAAP games, during advertising pitches (I was usually the presentor), or when I’m asking a girl out for the first time.

When the plans for the Ateneo Football League were first drawn up three years ago, it was tough. False starts with the wrong folks. So when me and my good friend Rely San Agustin began talking about doing things together after our stint in Solar Sports, this was on that list.

We were supposed to do a basketball event last month. But some people made it so difficult to get it off the ground. So we both decided to junk it and advance project number two – the AFL. But before I expound further on the AFL, I should publicly thank Joe Lipa and Rey Gamboa for all the help they provided Rely and me for that aborted project.

So the AFL.

The morning shower ended hours ago but there was still the hint of rain. I walked around the fields with my mind ablaze with a thousand things. No way was this going to flop. We had the numbers – 33 teams and close to 500 football players. But all the anxieties would be erased once the shrill opening whistle blew.

Then they began to arrive. Ones, twos, threes, and bunches. The quiet still was gone. The festive air blew in. Football. Club football was here.

While Rely was making a last minute check of all our systems, I met each and every participant who arrived. I thanked them for joining and shook their hands.

I saw old friends and made new ones. I would imagine so did the others.

At first we had several divisions. But in the last few weeks, we divided it into three. It made sense actually because after this, we would be able to assess and level all the teams.

There were close matches and there were blowouts. But at the end of the day, everyone had fun. One said after being on the receiving end of a massive thrashing, “At least I got to play football.”

And that was what it was all about in the first place.

Boy, what a day it was. We got the AFL up and running and then I heard that the Blue Eagles won.

We all have our rough days. This, however, was one of those good ones. Like taking a penalty kick, my heartbeat is still doing the tango.


P.S. Thanks to our Ateneo patrons Ricky Palou, Fr. RB Hizon S.J., Rick Du, and Raul Albarece. To our sponsors: Gatorade (Carl Abugan and Ton Gatmaitan), Nike (Mae Dichupa and Tony Atayde), and ATR (Randy Roxas). And to the NCRFA for their support and guidance: Atty. Rolly Tulay and Jerry Ngo who is our tournament commissioner.

With Rely San Agustin at the Ateneo High School Football Field.

Gabriel Odoño, the goalkeeper of Team Bacchus, celebrates a goal. But his team fell to Mang Chester United 5-3.