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A is for athlete; B, bravado; C is for courage under fire; D stands for dreams; E is for excellence; F is for fighting until the end; G is for God’s glorification; H stands for heart, humility, and home… A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H…and so go the letters of the alphabet and the ideals which they represent….
Mama taught me the alphabet when I was just a little girl. But I got more than the basics. She saw me through the awkward years and fashioned this ugly duckling into a lady. Papa patiently guided my tiny hands as I scribbled my first masterpieces. But more than helping me perfect my strokes, he imbibed discipline in my character.
Now, I'm twenty. Reciting my worn-out alphabet rhyme or sketching stick figures isn’t quite appealing as before. I am now on the road to becoming a full-fledged grown-up. And foremost in my list of new challenges to hurdle is taking to heart the values which the letters of the alphabet represent. And again, I have mama and papa to thank for showing me how…
Many people are accusing my region of backwardness. Backward? Nothing can be farther from the truth! Don't they know that someday in the near future we’ll be producing the champion athletes of the country? Yes, certainly, from amongst our athletes’ ranks will be the likes of Lydia de Vega, Eddie Elarde and Og Ramos. This is not a mere childish speculation but a true ambition of a young Bicolana who believes in her own people!
But mind you, this is just one thing I can boast about our dear Bicol!
A toughness to endure stiff battle; a body to outlast the harsh competition; a spirit that is steeled against every mockery—these are the things a Bicolano sportsman is made of.
Who, then, is the Bicolano athlete? He is all of the above and more. He draws his energy from his rich spirituality, his courage from an inherited inner resistance against the odds, and his inspiration from his seedbed—his family.
His family—the toolshed to repair a broken heart after a fight lost…the sweet haven to heal a downtrodden will…a place to rebuild a wounded ego…Like a soothing balm on a bruised arm, the people who love us make every defeat a victory, too.
Where did the swimmer learn his first strokes? In the amniotic fluid of his mom’s womb, of course! Who guided Miss Ballerina’s first dance steps? Why, it’s eager sister! Add that Ate taught the perfect pirouette! Father reinforced the value of self-discipline. Like in everything else, the family imprints on our beings the basics for survival—and i believe that’s what sports is all about.
The family is the lighthouse of the Bicolano athletes. Amidst despairing circumstances—glaring poverty in our region, shameful lack of government support, and a saddening disinterest of most sectors. The family prods the disheartened Bicolano to brave these challenges.
I am, myself, a struggling Bicolano athlete. Not that I play sports of any kind, but I am engrossed in this game called life. Life is a game. Life and sports. Sports and life. They both require a passion for emerging winner! The best. The fittest. Life is a struggle not just against the external forces but against oneself. It is an all consuming drive to be the best that one can be. It is believing that there is no substitute for excellence. I have taken these to heart. And I am lucky I have my family to support me.
It is not just with optimism but with strong conviction that I say I can say the same for every Bicolano athlete. He will emerge the victor amidst the challenges of his state for he ahs a family who loves him.
May I deduce from my observations that certainly, we all need a family. Inherent it is in a person to seek comfort and to belong to a group. We seek understanding. Nothing can make one happier than the feeling that one is nurtured by people one can call his own. Being a part of a family is a joy of living.
I hope you understand the prime role of the family in changing the course not just of Bicol sports but of the world. Nation’s destinies are outlined in the palms of babes. For the family is the seedbed of development.
The arms that cradled me, the breasts that fed me, and the loving hands that held me will make me become the person the world will need tomorrow. I will play a vital role in the history of mankind for I come from a home that accepts and loves me for who I am. I will be an athlete of life!
I shall become a great writer someday. My words shall breathe fire and inspire many far and wide. I shall launch tsunamis in minds and form thoughts that shall define the world’s destiny. For I know my ABC’s.
Ridiculous, I may sound. But don’t you dare say it’s preposterous for me to say such things! Yes, I can be that and more. My boundless hope springs from the assurance and care I receive at home—in my dear home where love is cultivated and harvested for free. I represent the athletes not only of Bicol but of our nation. I speak for them.
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