Impulses
Get in to it
The Filipinos are so in to sports.
In believe that this special interest of ours has to do with our culture that is generally playful and bouncy.
In this note, let me talk about sports, for a change.
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Why do people play sports?
I have here ten things that might be good reasons to do so.
1. Teamwork. You can't win, if you can't play as a team. If it's an individual sport, you can't do better without working efficiently with your coach and trainers. More so, you can't play good if you can't play right or be at peace with yourself.
2. Self-confidence. I remember people showing no self-esteem at all the first time they set their foot in court. But days after that, you see a different person, this time oozing with sense of worth and coolness.
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3. Congeniality. You can be a senator someday, well at least for Bradley and Jaworski, among others, for being a sports legend. But the point is, you get to know friends, healthy and disciplined ones most of the time. That makes your life more human, right?
4. Calculated Risks. With the games and strategies in tracks or in courts that you are able to play on, you will eventually gain skills in making controlled decisions that are less dodgy and more planned. This is a good value that can't all the time be learned in the crooks of the school.
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5. Leadership. The knack to influence others to do a worthy cause is a good skill that every person must develop in preparation for a greater responsibility as we age. This you also get if you are in to sports. You get to find out the dynamics of following and giving effective and acceptable instructions.
6. Purpose-Driven. Some people live by impulse. That's dangerous. But when you do things with a clearly-set goal, that would be hip. Just like in basketball, you play to win, to have fun, to be entertained, to do better, to be challenged, and what not.
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7. Healthy. How many times that your doctor has told you to do exercise or at least do something to perk your muscles and body systems up? Well, in sports you don't need to be reminded, for obvious reasons.
8. Good in studies, too. Research shows that people who participate in sports do better in school. Some might not believe it but hey, sports make people physically fit. Common sense will tell you that, given the right discipline, sports will also make you a good student, academically. The Greeks, ancient and modern ones, surely have faith in it. Sound body begets sound mind, they say.
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9. You'll feel healthier. Amen to that, unless, you have some genetic or congenital disorders.
10. Fun. Yeah, sports are tons of fun! No one can argue with that. And you don't need too much dough to spend or splurge. All you need is a ball, or a racket, perhaps a playmate or what not. The rest would be free.
So go into sports my friends. It's a choice that is easy to get in to.
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Of course, you can't pack all your sporting activities into just summer, and other school breaks. Like loads of other athletes, you'll need to manage your school schedule with your sports schedule. Here are some tips to ensure that your grades don't go down as your athletic ability soars:
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Finish your homework before heading off to practice or to a game; you might be too tired to do it later.
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Stick with activities and sports you enjoy, and talk to your parents about dropping the other after-school stuff you don't like as much.
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Be where you are. In other words, when you're in school, focus on school. When you're playing a sport, concentrate on the sport.
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Finally and most importantly, remember that your grades (or your work for those who are non students) always come first.
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Monday night was a shocking day for the Atenistas as they saw the dawn of their once glittering and formidable Ateneo Blue Eagles in the recently-concluded UAAP finals.
Bowing to UST in a slim margin and on a roller coaster OT game is not a joke.
I saw a lot of Blue Eagle supporters at the Ateneo de Iloilo kinder hall, where the game was beamed up into a big screen courtesy of the Jesuit fathers, went home with their long faces and dropped shoulders. That I understand. I felt the same way.
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But I also saw on their faces the typical spirit that is distinctively Atenean. I heard screams like “win or lose, it's the school we choose,” or “go, Ateneo… one big fight!” and “we love you JC Intal, MVP.”
And when the school hymn was played after the game, some stayed and also raised their hands high as if they were there in Araneta Coliseum showing their support to the proud bluish crowd.
That way, I say, Ateneo is great…even in defeat.
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However, Pido Jarencio's UST, indeed, made a strong point.
They deserve to win.
Despite the loss of their strongmen Evangelista and Cruz in the OT game, the Growling Tigers still managed to chip in the crucial points to force a win before the stunned Eagles throng.
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By the way, a high five to the Ateneo de Iloilo Passerelle Team for winning the title for the fourth straight time in the Milo 14-under Iloilo leg finals over the weekend against the towering team of the Iloilo Chinese Commercial High School . Congratulations to Reuel Refugio for bagging the MVP award. Likewise to the AdI-SMCS SBP Team for doing the same in their own elementary category.
They are now set to play against the best in Bacolod and Cebu this late October here in Iloilo City .
Good luck guys!
(Engr. Herman Lagon may be reached through h_lagon@yahoo.com)